New Method for the Production of Earth Pulp for Tunnel Boring Applications

摘要

At this year's AustrianTunnelling Conference held in Salzburg in October, the Austrian National Committee of the International Tunnelling Association (ITA) presented the "Tunnelling Conference Innovation Award" to MC-Bauchemie Müller GmbH & Co. KG and Porr Bau GmbH. They impressed an independent jury of experts with an innovative method for improving the production of earth pulp (muck) for Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) shields. This new process extends the working range of the EPB technique and significantly reduces the volume of conditioning agents used, leading to positive effects on the environment. The two companies have also jointly applied to patent the process, which is already being used for the construction of the world's most advanced wastewater tunnelling system as part of Germany's "Emscher River Renaturation Project". Professional mineralogist Eugen Kleen, Head of Research & Development in Mineral Construction Materials and Concrete Additives at MC-Bauchemie, and Norbert Hörlein, Project Manager at Porr Bau, together developed this method and submitted it as a joint entry for the Innovation Award. They came out on top against renowned competitors and were presented with the award by Prof. Dr. Robert Galler, Head of the Geotechnology and Subsurface Engineering Faculty at the Austrian University of Technology. The jury recognised the wide-ranging practical significance of this innovation for tunnel construction and emphasised its positive environmental benefits.