Environmental Benefits of Using Tunnel Boring Machines

You can notice good things for the environment when you use a Tunnel Boring Machine. Electric tunnel boring equipment like the Open-type gripper TBM from NHI does not make any direct emissions underground. This way helps lower greenhouse gases and keeps the air clean. The machines are quiet, so you and your neighbors hear less noise. Most work is done underground, so there is less harm to land and animals. Workers can reuse the dirt they dig up to make bricks. This saves resources and puts less waste in landfills.

Tunnel Boring Machine and Surface Impact

Minimal Land Disruption

You can see less damage to the land when you use a Tunnel Boring Machine. This machine works deep underground. You do not need to dig up large areas on the surface. You avoid blocking roads and businesses. You also keep parks and sidewalks open for people.

Many experts say that Tunnel Boring Machines help you reduce noise and dust. You do not have to worry about traffic jams from big construction sites. When you compare this method to cut-and-cover or open excavation, you notice a big difference. Cut-and-cover construction often blocks access and takes a long time. You see more mess and more problems for people living nearby.

Tip: If you want to protect your city’s surface and keep life normal for everyone, choose a Tunnel Boring Machine for your project.

Some projects in Japan show how well this works. Engineers used a rectangular tunnel boring machine under National Highway No. 6 in Hitachinaka City. They kept ground movement very small. The biggest change in the ground was only 13.1 mm. This is much less than the safe limit of 30 mm. In 22 other projects, most ground movement stayed under 10 mm. You can trust this method to keep the land safe, even in busy cities.

Wildlife Habitat Protection

You help protect animals and plants when you use a Tunnel Boring Machine. Most of the work happens underground. You do not disturb forests or rivers on the surface. Animals can keep living in their homes. You avoid cutting down trees or moving soil that supports plants.

You also keep water clean. You do not let dirt and chemicals wash into streams. You make sure birds and small animals do not lose their homes. When you use traditional methods, you often see more damage to nature. Open excavation can destroy habitats and change the land for many years.

Note: If you care about wildlife and want to keep nature safe, Tunnel Boring Machines offer a smart solution.

Lower Pollution and Emissions

Reduced Dust and Air Pollution

Using a Tunnel Boring Machine helps keep the air cleaner. Older ways, like drill and blast, make a lot of dust. This dust can hurt workers and people who live close by. The numbers show a big difference. Look at the table below:

Tunnel Boring Machines make much less dust than old methods. Even 10 meters away from the screw conveyor, dust stays between 20 and 100 mg/m³. Safe air should only have 2 mg/m³ of dust. You still need to control dust, but things are much better.

You also help lower bad gases. When you look at CO2 emissions, TBMs make less than drill and blast. Here is another table to show the difference:

If you pick a Tunnel Boring Machine, you cut down dust and greenhouse gases. This helps the environment and keeps your city healthy.

Quieter Construction Process

A Tunnel Boring Machine also makes less noise. New TBMs use special technology to lower sound and shaking. The ground around the tunnel blocks some of the noise. This helps keep neighborhoods quiet, even during big jobs.

• TBMs use earth pressure balance to keep the ground steady and lower noise.
• Teams check the area and talk to people before they start.
• People living nearby complain less than with open-cut building.

Tip: If you want less noise and cleaner air, a Tunnel Boring Machine is a good choice.

Waste and Resource Management

Controlled Spoil Removal

You can handle waste better with a Tunnel Boring Machine. These machines use special steps to move soil and rock, called spoil. This keeps the environment safe and the work area clean. Check the table below to see how each method helps:

These ways help you move spoil without making a mess. You stop dust and dirt from spreading. You also keep water and soil apart, which keeps land and water clean.

Tip: If you remove spoil carefully, your project stays tidy and nature stays safe.

Recycling and Reuse of Materials

You can help the earth by using and recycling things from your tunnel job. Many builders use the Tunnel Boring Machine again and again. You do not need a new machine for every tunnel. Here are some ways to make less waste and cut pollution:

• You can use TBMs for many tunnels. Over half of Robbins Main Beams work on three or more jobs.
• You can use the Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) way. This skips building at the factory and shipping, so you save energy and make less pollution.
• You can recycle steel parts. Making steel makes a lot of CO2—about 1.85 U.S. tons for each ton of steel. A mid-size TBM can make over 500 U.S. tons of CO2 when built. Using machines again helps you avoid this pollution.

When you recycle and reuse, you save things and help stop climate change. You also show others that building can be smart and good for the planet.

Energy and Carbon Reduction

Efficient TBM Technology

You can use less energy with advanced Tunnel Boring Machines. Modern TBMs run on electricity and smart controls. These machines dig tunnels using less power. Some brands, like NHI, make fast and efficient machines. They help you finish work with fewer resources. Electric TBMs do not burn fuel underground, so there is less pollution.

Many TBMs have special features to save energy. They use sensors to change power for different soil types. This helps you use only the energy you need. You get good results and make less waste. Picking efficient TBMs helps the environment and saves money.

Tip: Choose TBMs with energy-saving features to lower your project's carbon footprint.

Remanufactured Tunnel Boring Machines

You can help the planet by using remanufactured TBMs. Studies show fixing an old TBM is better for the environment than making a new one. Reusing machines saves materials and energy. It also keeps waste out of landfills. Many projects now fix and reuse TBMs, especially smaller ones. This helps you use fewer resources and avoid throwing away big machines.

Here are some examples:

1. In 2016, a TBM was fixed after tough damage.
2. Workers repaired important parts so it could dig hard ground.
3. After repairs, the TBM worked well and finished a large tunnel section.

• Remanufactured TBMs save money and time.
• They lower your project's carbon footprint.
• Reusing parts means less energy and fewer materials are needed.

Choosing a remanufactured TBM helps make the future cleaner and greener.

Safety and Sustainability

Worker and Community Safety

It is important to keep workers and the community safe. Tunnel Boring Machines help make this happen. These machines work deep underground. This means there are fewer problems above ground. Roads and sidewalks do not need to close as much. People can still walk and drive around the city.

Here is a table that shows how tunneling helps keep people safe:

Modern Tunnel Boring Machines have special sensors and monitors. These tools watch the ground and the machine all the time. Workers get updates right away if something changes. They can fix problems quickly. This helps stop accidents before they happen. The system also checks air and ground movement. If something is wrong, workers can fix it fast.

Tip: Tunneling helps keep both workers and neighbors safe.

Long-Term Environmental Benefits

Using a Tunnel Boring Machine helps your city and the earth. Tunnels go underground, so parks and green spaces stay nice. You do not have to dig up big areas. This saves land for nature and for people to enjoy.

Here are some good things that last a long time:

• Deep tunnels help keep water clean by stopping floods.
• Less flooding means the city is safer and stronger.
• Tunnels protect rivers and lakes, which helps animals.
• The city keeps working with less mess on the surface.
• Micro TBM technology can lower carbon emissions by half.

Building tunnels underground helps stop cities from spreading too much. It saves land for the future. The Environmental Protection Agency likes this way because it is better for nature. Using a Tunnel Boring Machine helps make cities cleaner and greener.

You can tell that Tunnel Boring Machines are good for the environment. TBMs make less noise and help keep animals safe. They also help keep the air clean. You use less power and can recycle more things. NHI makes new machines that save energy.

• TBMs use smart tools to make less pollution.
• You help your city be greener and use fewer resources.
• New TBMs will use robots and computers to work even better.

Picking TBMs means you help make building cleaner, safer, and better for the earth.