Tunneling

March 27, 2019

Tunnelling Solutions

In tunnelling projects worldwide, Simem Underground Solutions provides comprehensive design, engineering services, and advanced equipment solutions for the production of bi-component grouts, hydrated bentonite, and various concretes.

Solutions Designed for Your Biggest Projects

Simem Underground Solutions provides a comprehensive range of equipment solutions for a variety of tunnelilng projects worldwide. Our engineered equipment solutions:

A true Colloidal mixer is our primary technology for the production of bi-component grouts, cellular concretes, and hydrated bentonite. The unrivaled high-shear mixing velocity generated by our colloidal mill technology disintegrates cement particles rapidly and evenly, providing a high-strength homogenized mix, in short-time and with lower cement consumption.

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March 22, 2019

Shotcrete for Tunnelling

Ideal for reinforcing tunnel walls and for stabilizing previously-excavated areas within a tunneling project, Shotcrete has proven to be an immensely useful and a necessary tool in the tunneling industry. Our mixers and batching plants provide ideal processing for both wet-mix and dry-mix Shotcrete applications.

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March 22, 2019

Cellular Concrete Plants

Lightweight cellular concrete is ideal for projects where a strong, non-structural, cost/value material is required to fill a continuous void or area by pump or bulk delivery. Decades of mixing, batching, and grout equipment manufacturing, coupled with pumping expertise for the delivery of grout materials over great distances, brings high-competency to our cellular concrete plants.

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Application

In tunneling, lightweight cellular concrete is often used to backfill and support sewer and utility pipelines within a concrete segment lined tunnel. Look to SIMEM for pumping solutions to place the cellular grout up to 5,000 m (3 miles) from the plant.

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March 22, 2019

Bentonite Plants

Providing stability to surrounding soil is critical to proceeding safely in a tunneling project. By creating a thick, colloidal mixed slurry of Bentonite and water, our Bentonite Plants provide unparalleled consistency and efficiency in production of Bentonite for tunneling projects.

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Mission Critical Application

Prior to the launch of Bertha – Seattle’s EPB TBM – in July 2013, the project teams managing the largest diameter TBM scheduled to excavate the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement tunnel, needed a prevention solution.

As a precaution, to ensure the safety of project personnel and the project itself, the need for a potential hyperbaric intervention was genuine. Hydrated bentonite would be used to seal the massive excavation chamber if intervention was required.

A fully automated bentonite plant, engineered to produce 180m3/hr of bentonite slurry, with two independent 150m3 hydration holding tanks, readied to transfar via an 8″ pipeline by progressing cavity pump to the TBM’s holding tank, was built for the job.

Hydrated bentonite is jointly used in the preparation of the “A” component grout commonly used in tunneling projects. The use of properly mised, stored, and pumped hydrated bentonite significantly reduces bi-component grout bleed.

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