Case Studies By Diameter
Case Studies Under 2 Meters
Projects that employ machines less than 2 meters (6.5 ft) in diameter are often referred to as "Trenchless" projects. Usually the purpose of the bore is for utility installation. Please select one of the case studies below to find out how contractors successfully employed Robbins products in the field. In each case study you will find detailed information such as the geology of the project, location, type of machine, and machine performance. If you have any further questions about these projects or your next project, please contact us.
Big Sky
Big Sky, Montana, USA
Read Case Study
The Yellowstone Club, a private resort in Big Sky Montana, includes an 18-hole championship mountain golf course in addition to miles of ski trails. This golf course is irrigated by 318 ft (96.9 m) of pipeline from a nearby 79 million gallon reservoir.
North Carolina
Pineville, North Carolina, USA
Read Case Study
This project, owned by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (CMU), required the installation of 15 miles (24 km) of pipeline south of Charlotte. The pipeline ranges from 36 inches (914 mm) to 64 inches (1.62 m) in diameter and increases the volume of water to meet higher consumer demands in the area.
Case Studies 2 to 3 Meters
The case studies featured for machines in the 2 to 2.99 m (6.5 - 9.8ft) diameter range present projects in which small tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are utilized. Tunnels in this size range are often used for water. Read the case studies to find out about the challenges that were faced on the projects and how well the machines performed. If you have questions about these or other projects that employed Robbins machines or inquiries about your next project, please contact us.
Cleveland Sewer
Cleveland, Ohio (February 2, 2005)
Read Case Study
The Cleveland Heights Interceptor Project is a sewer system improvement project located in the Heights/Hilltop area of Cleveland. The project is one of hundreds projects mandated by the USA Environmental Protection Agency in the wake of the Clean Water Act which required communities to improved the quality of America's river and lake water.
South Mountain
Phoenix, Arizona
Read Case Study
Arizona's South Mountain water tunnel is part of a 27.3 km (17 mi) water pipeline that delivers 178 million liters (47 million gallons) of water a day to the city of Phoenix. The pipeline serves the Ahwatukee Foothills area, which has experienced 145% population growth in the last decade.
Tampa Bay
Tampa, Florida, USA (February 2, 2005)
Read Case Study
The South Central Hillsborough Intertie tunnel passes under the Alafia River in Tampa Bay. The tunnel is part of Master Water Plan Stage B, an ambitious three-stage plan to replenish Florida's depleted groundwater.
Case Studies 3 to 4 Meters
Current and past projects are featured in the case studies for machines in the 3 to 3.99 meter diameter range. Case studies include detailed information regarding advance rates, the contractor who performed the project, and the location. For the current projects, all the same information except machine performance is presented. Get updates on these and other current projects by visiting the Robbins News and Information section of the website. If you have specific questions about these projects or your own project, please contact us.
Meråker
Meråker, Norway
Read Case Study
The Meråker Project consists of a system of power stations and underground tunnels that increase the electrical output supplying a local smelter and surrounding areas. Three lakes and several rivers supply 44 km (27.3 mi) of tunnels that feed into a generating facility in Tevla.
Plateau Creek
Palisade, Colorado, USA
Read Case Study
The Plateau Creek Pipeline was built to replace a pre-existing pipeline that supplied fresh water to rural and urban areas of Mesa County, Colorado, USA. The new tunnel provides water to 70,000 customers and has four times the hydraulic capacity of the old pipeline, which was unable to meet the District's peak water demands.
San Vicente
San Diego, California, USA
Read Case Study
The San Vicente Pipeline, 17.7 km (11 mi) in length, connects the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside, California to the San Diego County Water Authority Second Aqueduct. The pipeline is part of the Water Authority's Emergency Storage Project that will provide water to the city in the event of a drought or major earthquake.
Seymour Capilano
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Read Case Study
The Seymour-Capilano Water Filtration Project seeks to improve the filtration of drinking water in Vancouver, British Columbia. The completed filtration system will clean 1.8 billion liters (475.5 million gallons) of water a day and will lower the water turbidity (cloudiness) and micro-organism levels to meet federal standards for drinking water.
Case Studies 4 to 5 Meters
The case studies for the machines in the 4 to 4.99 m (13.1 - 16.4 ft) diameter range feature a variety of types of machines as well as tunnel applications. Select a case study to find out more about the machine, the project, the location, and more. If you have more specific questions about any of these projects or your next project, please contact us.
Hong Kong Cable Tunnel
Hong Kong Island, China
Read Case Study
The 275 KV Cable Tunnel on Hong Kong Island provides a transmission line from a power station at nearby Lamma Island. Electricity travels through the 5.4 km (3.3 mi) long tunnel via six 275 KV cables to increase power supply to residents on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island.
La Réunion Irrigation Project
La Réunion Island, France
Read Case Study
The La Réunion Irrigation Project is located in a French territory in the Indian Ocean. The project consists of a system of tunnels that irrigates sugar cane crops and provides water to the general population on the island's west side.
San Manuel Mine Tunnel
San Manuel, Arizona, USA
Read Case Study
The San Manuel Mine tunnel was developed to extend the life of the mine in Arizona. It is one of the largest underground mines in the world, but projections before the tunnel was built estimated its reserves would be depleted by 1998.
The Yellow River Water Diversion Project
Shanxi Province, China
Read Case Study
The Yellow River Water Diversion Project is an ambitious network of tunnels that brings water to chronically dry areas of Shanxi Province. The water system consists of multiple tunnels totaling over 100 km (62 mi) in length.
Case Studies 5 to 6 Meters
The case studies for the machines in the 5 to 5.99 m (16.4 to 19.7 ft) diameter range feature a variety of types of machines as well as tunnel applications. Select a case study to find out more about the machine, the project, the location, and more. If you have more specific questions about any of these projects or your next project, please contact us.
Cobb County
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Read Case Study
The Chattahoochee Sewer Tunnel is part of a project that meets increasing wastewater capacity needs in East Cobb County. The tunnel provides flow equalization to the RL Sutton Water Reclamation Facility and curbs potential wastewater overflows due to the growing population in Cobb County.
Lesotho Highlands Water Project
Lesotho and South Africa
Read Case Study
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project, a cooperative effort between Lesotho and South Africa, seeks to rejuvenate South Africa's heavily populated and arid Gaucheng Province. It's first phase began in 1992 and involved construction of the 180 m (590.5 ft) high Katse Dam, part of the Orange (Sequ) River system in Lesotho.
Little Calumet
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Read Case Study
The Little Calumet Leg Tunnel is the final element in Phase 1 of Chicago's long-running Tunnel and Reservoir Project (TARP). The project involves storm water storage, reservoirs, and feeder tunnels that have greatly improved water quality in Chicago-area Rivers.
Yindaruqin Irrigation Project
Lanzhou, China
Read Case Study
The Yindaruqin Irrigation Project is the largest self-flowing irrigation control system in China. The project is made up of 33 tunnels that are 75 km (46.6 mi) in length and divert water from the Datong River to dry regions of China's northern Gansu Province.
Case Studies 6 to 7 Meters
Current and past projects are featured in the case studies for machines in the diameter range of 6 to 6.99 meters (19.7 to 22.9 ft). To read more about the current projects, visit our News and Information section. Each case study includes details of the project such as machine performance, dates, and tunnel application. For more information on these or other projects, contact us.
New Wuchieh Diversion Tunnel
Sun-Moon Lake, Taiwan
Read Case Study
The New Wuchieh Diversion Tunnel is part of a water transfer system that feeds into the Sun-Moon Lake Hydraulic Power Plant, one of the largest single power sources in Taiwan. Project owners Taipower commissioned the new 6.3 km (3.9 mi) long tunnel after the original Wuchieh Diversion Tunnel was found cracked and degraded after 70 years of service.
Exploratory Lyon to Turin Base Tunnel
Venaus, Italy
Read Case Study
The European Railway Network will be completed when the Lyon to Turin Base Tunnel links France and Italy through the East-West and North-South routes. Once complete, the tunnel will be one of the longest tunnels in the world at 53 km (33 mi).
Case Studies 7 to 8 Meters
This diameter range has an array of projects, which feature a variety of machine types and tunnel applications. Current and past projects are also featured; case studies include similar information about the project, except the past projects have information about overall machine performance. For more information on current projects, visit the News and Information section of the website. If you have further questions on these projects or on your own project, please contact us.
The Epping to Chatswood Rail Link
Sydney, Australia
Read Case Study
The Sydney Urban Train System was extended with the addition of The Epping to Chatswood Rail Link. The extension consists of two twin parallel tunnels 12.5 km (7.7 mi) in length.
The Mill Creek II Sanitary Sewer Storage Tunnel
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Read Case Study
The Mill Creek II Sanitary Sewer Storage Tunnel is one of many tunnels undertaken in Cleveland for the management of wastewater. The tunnel prevents sewer overflows in the Cleveland area that were due to increasing population.
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project
Fljótsdalur Valley, Iceland
Read Case Study
The Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project will create the Kárahnjúkar Power Plant to provide 4600 GWh of electricity annually to a nearby aluminum smelting plant. Three dams feed the main Hálslón reservoir and several other dams join the outflow in a combined headrace tunnel to an intake.
Case Studies 8 to 9 Meters
This diameter range has – a wide array of projects, which feature a variety of machine types and tunnel applications. There are current and past projects featured; both types of case studies feature similar information about the project, completed projects will also include information about overall machine performance. For more information on current projects, visit the News and Information section of this website. If you have further questions on these or your own project, please contact us.
Boston Harbor Project
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Read Case Study
The Boston Harbor Project includes one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the United States. The project required two undersea tunnels to carry wastewater to and from the new treatment plant. One tunnel conveys treated waste water through a 15.2 km (9.4 mi) long effluent outfall tunnel beneath Boston Harbor.
The Channel Tunnel
English Channel (between England and France)
Read Case Study
The Channel Tunnel, one of the world's most famous tunnels, is a 50 km (31 mi) tunnel under the English Channel linking Great Britain to France. This link consists of three parallel tunnels running for 39 km (24.2 mi) under the sea. Two Main Rail Tunnels, about 30 m (98 ft) apart, carry trains from the north and from the south.
Dahuofang Water Tunnel
Eastern Liaoning Province, China
Read Case Study
The Dahuofang Water Tunnel is a large reservoir diversion project that will transport water from high rainfall areas to the dry, heavily industrialized Shenyang region of China. The total length of the tunnel is 85.3 km (53 mi) with over 60 km (37 mi) being driven by tunnel boring machines (TBM) -- one of the world's longest TBM-driven tunnels.
Case Studies Over 9 Meters
Machines with a diameter of 9 meters and above are featured in these case studies. Many would qualify these as "mega" machines on very noteworthy projects. These case studies feature projects with a variety of types of machines. There are current and past projects – for more information about Robbins current projects, visit the News and Information section of the website.
The Abdalajis tunnels
Sierra del Valle de Abdalajis, Spain
Read Case Study
Spain's high-speed rail network, known as AVE, involves links between the major cities Cordoba, Madrid, Seville, and Malaga. The twin 7.1 km (4.4 mile) long Abdalajis tunnels are part of this rail network and they will contribute to Spain's overall goal to keep all major cities within four hours travel time from Madrid.
The Manapouri Hydroelectric Project
Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
Read Case Study
The Manapouri Hydropower Station is the largest hydropower station in the country and supplies 5100 GWh of electricity annually. In 1997, the project owners, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ), proposed an expansion of the hydropower station from its then output of 585 MW.
The Pajares Lot 4 tunnel
Asturias, Spain
Read Case Study
The Pajares Lot 4 tunnel is part of Spain's AVE high-speed rail link. The entire 49.5 km (30.8 mi) long tunnel will connect Asturias to the Madrid-Valladolid high-speed link. The route is divided into four lots, with two tunnels for traveling both east and west.
The Niagara Tunnel Project
Queenston, Ontario, Canada
Read Case Study
The Niagara Tunnel Project is an ambitious project to tunnel 10.4 km (6.5 mi) from the Sir Adam Beck Generating Complex to above Niagara Falls. The new tunnel will increase the power supply for owner Ontario Power Generation (OPG) by 150 MW and will help to bolster the current power system, which is close to exceeding its capacity during peak months.