Grand Paris Express: soon a new tunnel boring machine on line 15 South

At the end of July, the teams of the Eiffage Génie Civil - Razel Bec consortium began work on the installations and preparations at the bottom of the shaft in the future Créteil L'Échat station, from which the first of the two tunnel boring machines of the lot will leave for 4.2 km towards the Salengro tunnel in Champigny-sur-Marne.

Conveyed to the surface over a hundred metres using SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters), the main elements of the tunnel boring machine were lowered with a 750-tonne mobile crane and a 300-tonne telescopic crane.

The starting bell (160 t), the front and intermediate shields (380 and 270 t), the cutting wheel (130 t), the skirt and the extraction screw (90 and 50 t) thus joined the bottom of the shaft and were assembled in August.

The next major milestones: in September, the shifting of the tunnel boring machine into the starting bell, the lowering and assembly of the trailers of the following train; and in early October, the first tests and trials. The machine is scheduled to start up in mid-October. As for its name, it will be unveiled simultaneously during a traditional baptism with representatives of the Société du Grand Paris and local elected officials.

Photos Credit: Société du Grand Paris | Axel Heise | Eiffage Razel Bec chantier T2B