There is a trend in the tunnelling industry to use Tunnel Boring Machines to increase performance of tunnelling and to accelerate construction of projects. There is also an increasing trend of environmental concerns is the villagers about adopting environmental safeguards in the construction so that their villages are not polluted. In some of the recent projects taken up in the Himachal Pradesh the local people are demanding use of TBM for tunnel excavation so that there are reduced blasting pollutions and vibrations. In the eco development zone near great Himalayan National Park in HP there were blasting restrictions therefore TBM was installed for construction of one of the tunnels for hydropower development. Due to the increasing awareness use of tunnel boring machine in the future projects is increasing. This paper deals with the experiences while using the tunnel boring machine and gives some guidelines for the analysis of cost while boring with the TBM. So that contractor while quoting takes into account all factors and gives a realistic price for better execution of project and owner takes into account all factors while preparing feasibility reports and cost estimates.
Construction of tunnel, TBM, Environmental concerns, Blasting pollutions, Vibrations
