A Review of the Applications of Tunnel Boring Machines in Mines

Excavation by tunnel boring machines (TBMs) offers many advantages over conventional excavation methods, in terms of safety level, working environment, advance rate and overall cost. While TBMs have been extensively used in civil tunnel construction, they are also viewed as a competitive alternative to the drill-and-blast method for underground mining, attracting increasing attention from the mining industry. This paper presents an overview and general assessment on applications of TBMs in mines, by reviewing more than 60 TBM applications in underground/open pit coal and hard rock mines around the world. The projects range from the early exploratory trials of TBMs in mines in Germany, England, South Africa and America in the 1960s and 1970s, to the ongoing projects in Australia, China and Chile. The paper focuses on the geological compatibilities, the problems encountered, the solutions undertaken and the lessons learned from those projects. The paper summarises the progress made in the past and highlights the challenges faced by TBMs in mining due to complex ground conditions and geometrical requirements. With the technological advances of TBM and experiences gained in the past, more applications of TBMs are expected in underground coal and hard rock mines.CITATION:Zheng, Y, Gong, Q, Li, J and Zhao, J, 2014. A review of the applications of tunnel boring machines in mines, in Proceedings 15th Australasian Tunnelling Conference 2014, pp 691–704 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).