BBMV / CrossRail C510 achieves “Product Innovation Award – civil engineering“ for the use of the GTA Uphill Excavator

For the excavation of escalator shafts between London underground stations and CrossRail stations, the joint venture BBMV (Balfour Beatty, Beton + Monierbau, Morgan Sindall, Vinci) has used the “Uphill Excavator”, designed and constructed by GTA Maschinensysteme GmbH. With this new invention, inclined shafts could be excavated at a slope of 30° from the bottom upwards, safely and efficiently. The Uphill Excavator is hung on monorails and is equipped with a boom for mounting a ripper bucket, a hydraulic hammer or a working basket. A separate second arm is equipped with a nozzle for shotcreting. By that, all advancing and lining tasks can be carried out with just one machine.

The excavation in the London Clay is executed by the ripper bucket. The bulk material falls on the natural floor and slipping downwards into the main tunnel, where it is hauled by trackless vehicles.

With the achievement of the Uphill Excavator, the jury appreciates the increase in safety and the fact that the time for connecting stations under regular operation can be limited to a minimum. However, also the savings in time and money by a fast and safe operation is more than considerable.

Overall, this machine fits perfectly into the portfolio of GTA Maschinensysteme GmbH which could already shine with clever solutions for tunnel refurbishment or even in the excavation of the St. Gotthard tunnel. This expertise comes from a long tradition in the underground mining industry.

Further informations/Weitere Informationen:

GTA Maschinensysteme GmbH
www.gta.eu