Tata’s Chennai Metro TBM S81B Passes Factory Tests

Tunnel boring machine manufacturer Terratec last week completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) in Pune on S81B for Package TU01 of the 118.9 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project.

Back in 2021-2022, this Ø6.61m earth pressure balance (EPB) machine as TBM S81 “Pavana” had built a 2144m tunnel between Swargate and Budhwar Peth stations for Pune Metro Phase 1 project’s 16.589 km Purple Line.

Following its first and only breakthrough in January 2022, it was dismantled and taken back to Gulermak – Tata Projects JV’s casting yard in Yerawada for refurbishment.

The machine will now be deployed by Tata Projects along with 6 other TBMs to construct approximately 9 km twin tunnels (total 18 km) on the new 45.813 km Line-3’s Venugopal Nagar – Kellys section.

TPL was awarded Phase 2’s Package TU-01 Rs. 1999 crore contract by CMRL in May 2021 with a 42 month deadline.

Scope of TU01: Construction of approximately 9 km twin bored tunnels (total = 18 km) from the TBM Retrieval Shaft near Venugopal Nagar (of Line-5) to Kellys Station, and the construction of diaphragm walls, entry/exit structures of Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station, including launching and retrieval shafts at the above stations.

Tata Projects will be deploying 7 TBMs – 4 new Terratec machines (S96, S97, S98 and S99), 1 refurbished Terratec machine (S81B) and 2 Herrenknecht machines (S-1330A, S-1331A).

The first machine (S96) was commissioned in October at Madhavaram in north Chennai. Tata’s tunneling plan still remains unknown to me at this time. If someone reading this is aware, then leave a comment below or shoot me a message via the Contact page.

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– TMRG