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Pioneering Underground Technologies

CORE PRODUCTS
Tunnelling
EPB Shield
Mixshield

Partial-face Excavation Machine

Economical tunnelling technology with high
flexibility

Single Shield TBM

Double Shield TBM
Gripper TBM
Partial-face Excavation Machine
AVN Machine
Auger Boring Machines
HDD Rig

________________ Partial-face Excavation

Machines made by Herrenknecht are an
economically interesting solution in homogeneous
and almost stable grounds with little or no
groundwater. This tunnelling technology can be
easily adapted to changing geological conditions
both in loose soils and in hard rock due to its
strikingly simple design.

Direct Pipe

Partial-face Excavation Machines are

Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine

(VSM)

equipped with excavators or roadheaders

depending on the project's geology.

Mining
Exploration
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
PROJECT CONFIGURATOR

Your contact person

Michael Gro
Product Manager Pipe Jacking
| Utility Tunnelling
Phone +49 7824 302-4340
Gross.Michael(at)herrenknecht.com

One machine, two excavation methods

Herrenknecht shields with partial-face excavation can excavate the soil with two different
cutting tools. In loose soils, the excavator has proved its great value hundreds of times. The
universal excavator boom is equipped with a shovel, a ripper tooth or a hydraulic jackhammer
depending on the soil conditions. Roadheader booms are used in harder rock with uniaxial
compressive strengths of up to 80 megapascal. Both boom technologies allow quick and easy
replacement of the worn tools. The excavated material is transported by belt conveyors or
chain conveyors to the conveying system in the back. The application range of Partial-face
Excavation Machines starts at around 1.5 meters, as it is necessary to access the tunnel.
Tunnelling operations with diameters of more than 10 meters can be carried out cost
effectively using additional support measures or grout injections to improve the ground.

Your Selected Files

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+

Partial-face Excavation
Machine

Partial-face Excavation
Machine data sheet

Illustration of a typical Partial-face Excavation Machine with roadheader for pipe jacking

Direct visual contact with the geology

One advantage of Partial-face Excavation
Machines is that the workplace of the operator is
just a few meters away from the open tunnel face.
This makes it possible to control excavation
precisely, react swiftly to changes in the ground
and take appropriate measures if necessary. One
example is the excavation and removal of large
boulders or obstructions without having to create
additional shafts. Direct visual contact with the
Machine operators workplace with direct view

geology is also an advantage for the steering

process. In pipe jacking, the machine is controlled
using steering cylinders and an articulation joint in
the front section of the shield. With larger
diameters and during segmental lining, the machine is steered via the main thrust cylinders in
the same way as closed-shield machines.
of the tunnel face for precise control of the
excavation.

GEOLOGY & DIAMETERS

FUNCTIONALITY

ADVANTAGES

Excavation
Either a roadheader or an excavator remove the soil
Tunnel face support
Mechanical support, e.g. extended forward shield at tunnel crown or transverse platforms
Removal
Belt conveyors or chain conveyors provide efficient removal of excavated material
Thrust
Hydraulic thrust cylinders in the shield or a jacking frame in the launch shaft push the machine forward

Tunnel lining
Pipe jacking or segmental lining

+ Usable in almost all non-groundwater-bearing geologies

+ Various excavation tools for various geologies available
+ Easily and quickly convertible
+ Exact control of the excavation process: the operator is just a few meters away from the open tunnel
face
+ Low operating costs

Always on the safe side

Partial-face Excavation Machines are open
tunnelling shields that do not have a closed
system for pressure balance at the tunnel face to
provide soil and groundwater support. Therefore,
various mechanical methods are used to ensure
adequate support and to protect the machine
against groundwater inflow.

Partial-face Excavation Machine ( 11,770 mm)

with two cross-bracing platforms, telescopic face
plates in the crown and three flexible excavators.

Almost all Partial-face Excavation Machines are designed as forward shields. The rim of the
shield and its leading edge are extended forward at the crown section in the direction of drive.
Thus the repose angle of the surrounding ground is corrected to ensure controlled removal of
the excavated material. At the same time, no soil can break away from the top and settlement
can be avoided. The entire shield can also be designed as a so-called poling plate system with
the shield divided into several plates which can be extended individually towards the front. In
changing ground conditions this means that the natural repose angle can be adjusted
continuously. Larger diameter machines are equipped with one or more horizontal support
platforms, which also control the repose angle of the geology. This type of open-face machine
allows installation and operation of several excavation tools at a time on different transverse
platforms increasing excavation speed. Often, hydraulically extendible or telescopic face
plates are also installed especially in the crown. They support the tunnel face mechanically
and are partially retracted during excavation.
In partially water-bearing soils, the Partial-face
Excavation Machines and a part of the tunnel can
be supplied with compressed air through an
airlock system. This prevents intrusion of
groundwater. The operators workplace is located
in the protected pressurized section. A
compressed air system consisting of two control
loops continuously verifies the required pressure
and performs the corresponding adjustment, if
necessary.

Safe in hard rock. Partial-face Excavation

Machines with roadheader booms can also be
used in geologies with up to 80 MPa compression
strength.

Easily and safely to breakthrough

Partial-face Excavation Machines made by Herrenknecht are directly controllable, easy to
handle, easily convertible and can be used in different geological conditions. The machines
achieve good and stable advance rates in suitable grounds at attractive investment
conditions. Therefore, they can be an ideal solution for constructing tunnels, both in pipe
jacking and segmental lining. Moreover, the exterior diameter of the Partial-face Excavation
Machines can be extended flexibly using an upsize kit. They can therefore be used
successfully in several projects with varying diameters.

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Products

Core products

Tunnelling

Partial-face Excavation Machine