On August 3, the open-type TBM "Shuchang No. 1," jointly developed by CRCHI and Sichuan Road & Bridge for the Xichang-Xianggelila Expressway, rolled off the production line in Changsha, Hunan. With a total length of about 170 meters and an excavation diameter of 8.53 meters, "Shuchang No. 1" is the first synchronous parallel adit multi-support open-type TBM in Southwest China.

Xiong Guobin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Sichuan Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd., delivers a speech

Zhao Hui, Party Secretary, Chairman and General Manager of CRCHI, delivers a speech

It is understood that "Shuchang No. 1" will be used in the parallel adit of the Yanyuan Tunnel on the Xichang-Xianggelila Expressway in Yanyuan County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. As one of the "nine super projects" of the Xichang-Xianggelila Expressway, the Yanyuan Tunnel features diverse and variable extreme adverse geological conditions and high ecological and environmental protection requirements, with construction difficulty regarded as the industry's "ceiling."

In response to the project's geological characteristics, CRCHI, drawing on its experience in the design and use of more than 100 TBMs as well as domestic and international experience in similar projects, built on its existing mature open-type TBM manufacturing to tailor innovative designs for "Shuchang No. 1," including steel segment support, auxiliary thrust, and a bottom-arch anchor drill rig, so as to adapt to adverse geological conditions such as fault fracture zones, large deformation of soft rock, mud and water inrush, and low gas. This ensures that the equipment can achieve continuous, balanced and rapid excavation in suitable geology and pass safely and steadily through adverse geology, greatly enhancing the open-type TBM's ability to cope with the complex geological excavation of highway tunnels.

"Shuchang No. 1," the first synchronous parallel adit multi-support open-type TBM in Southwest China

It is reported that the Xichang-Xianggelila Expressway project is a road to happiness that improves transportation conditions in ethnic minority areas and a golden route that promotes the development of regional advantageous resources and economic and social development. The successful development of the "Shuchang No. 1" open-type TBM integrates a number of pioneering technologies that tackle world-class geological challenges, making it a model example of high-end, intelligent and green development. CRCHI will continue to provide strong service support for the safe and efficient excavation and intelligent construction of the Xichang-Xianggelila Expressway project.