A tunnel boring machine, sometimes called a mole, is a machine used to excavate tunnels through rock, soil or sand with a rotating cutting wheel, offering a faster alternative to drilling, blasting or hand mining. Sir Marc Isambard Brunel built the first successful tunnelling shield in 1825 for the Thames Tunnel, and the engineer Henri Maus built what is reported as the first true boring machine, the Mountain Slicer, commissioned in 1845 and constructed near Turin in 1846 with more than 100 mechanically powered percussion drills. Modern tunnel boring machines range from about 1 to over 17 meters in diameter and can advance rock tunnels more than 700 meters in a week, making them the standard tool for large modern tunnelling projects.
Facts
Patent or First-Use Date SignificanceMechanized boring let tunnels advance through rock, soil and sand far faster than hand mining or drilling and blasting. A bored tunnel keeps a smooth wall and limits disturbance to the ground above it, which lowers the cost of lining the tunnel and makes tunneling practical under crowded cities. 1 Connections
Associated With
Excavation machine used in tunneling and mining
In Field
Source Tunnel Boring Machine (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Invented By
Built the first successful tunnelling shield in 1825 for the Thames Tunnel, a precursor to the modern boring machine; the engineer Henri Maus built the first true boring machine, the Mountain Slicer, in 1846.
Sources
1. Tunnel Boring Machine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation1800s section
Maus had it built in 1846 in an arms factory near Turin, Italy.
1800s section, Beaumont patent citation
F. E. B. Beaumont, U.K. Patent no. 4,166 (issued: Dec. 2, 1875).
Lead section
TBMs limit disturbance to the surrounding ground and produce a smooth tunnel wall, which reduces the cost of lining the tunnel and allows for tunneling in urban areas.
In Field: Mechanical Engineering, Categories
Tunnel boring machines
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Why are tunnel boring machines used for tunnels in cities?
They limit ground disturbance and leave a smooth wall that costs less to line.
According to the source, tunnel boring machines limit disturbance to the surrounding ground and produce a smooth tunnel wall. The smooth wall reduces the cost of lining the tunnel, and the reduced disturbance allows tunnelling in urban areas.
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