TBM : MAQUINARIA UTILIZADA A LOS EFECTOS DE EXCAVAR EL TUNEL DE BASE DEL SAN GOTARDO

A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They may also be used for microtunneling. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre (done with micro-TBMs) to 19.25 metres to date. Tunnels of less than a metre or so in diameter are typically done using trenchless construction methods or horizontal directional drilling rather than TBMs.

Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative to drilling and blasting (D&B) methods in rock and conventional "hand mining" in soil. TBMs have the advantages of limiting the disturbance to the surrounding ground and producing a smooth tunnel wall. This significantly reduces the cost of lining the tunnel, and makes them suitable to use in heavily urbanized areas. The major disadvantage is the upfront cost. TBMs are expensive to construct, and can be difficult to transport. The longer the tunnel, the less the relative cost of tunnel boring machines versus drill and blast methods. This is because tunneling with TBMs is much more efficient and results in shortened completion times, assuming they operate successfully.

FUENTE DEL TEXTO WIKIPEDIA.

El proyecto, con un coste de 12 000 millones de francos suizos,5 consta de dos túneles separados que contienen una vía cada uno. Es parte del proyecto suizo AlpTransit, también conocido como New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA), que asimismo incluye los túneles de Lötschberg y Monte Ceneri entre los cantones suizos de Berna y Valais.

Los túneles tienen la finalidad de facilitar el paso de los Alpes y establecer una ruta directa apta para trenes de alta velocidad. Del tiempo anterior de viaje de casi cuatro horas entre Zúrich y Milán se reduce a dos horas y media.

Las bocas del túnel están cerca de las ciudades de Erstfeld (norte) y Bodio (sur).