On March 17, the ultra-large-diameter slurry tunnel boring machine (TBM) “CREC Tongze” (CREC 1503), jointly developed by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group under China Railway Hi-Tech Industry, was officially rolled off the production line. As a major technological innovation in China’s 10-meter-class TBM sector, this equipment is the first to feature a five-meter-level retractable main drive system, overcoming construction challenges such as steep gradients and small-radius tunneling in complex geological conditions. This marks a new breakthrough in China’s high-end underground engineering equipment research and development.
It is reported that the “CREC Tongze” TBM will be deployed in the Longgang-to-Luohu drainage tunnel project in Shenzhen, undertaking excavation tasks in over 1,500 meters of complex geological formations. The project faces multiple challenges, including weakly weathered granite and sandstone composite strata, a “V”-shaped slope formed by a maximum downward gradient of 79.5‰ and an upward gradient of 59.3‰, an extreme turning radius of 400 meters, deep burial, and high water pressure.
According to the research team, this TBM has an excavation diameter of 10.42 meters and a total length of 124 meters. It integrates over 20 intelligent systems, including smart guidance and advanced geological forecasting, increasing construction efficiency by 35% compared to traditional equipment. Its deployment in the Shawan River Shenzhen Reservoir interception and drainage project, a major livelihood project in Shenzhen, will further enhance the water quality safety of the reservoir’s drinking water source, optimize water source protection areas, improve flood prevention and drainage standards along the route, and ensure that floods occurring less than once in 50 years do not enter the Shenzhen Reservoir, making a significant contribution to public welfare.
