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).
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