March 5 - Emmert International has successfully completed the relocation of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) components for Kiewit Bilfinger Berger (KBB) for the Portland, Oregon East Side CSO Tunnel (ESCSO) Project.
The TBM cutter face (some 23 fett long x 25 feet 6 ins diameter, weighing 438 tonnes) and the TBM tail shield assembly (weighing 64 tonnes) were lifted from the Port Shaft near Swan Island in Northeast Portland and transported via platform trailer and barge to the Opera Shaft in Southeast Portland where both pieces were lowered into the tunnel again.
The lifting/lowering were done using strand jacks mounted on top of a 700 tonne capacity hydraulic gantry.
The transportation involved the use of hydraulic platform trailers to move the machinery from the shaft to a temporary barge loading area where the items were rolled onto a barge. The barge transported the cutter face and tail shield down the river to a new purpose built ramp located immediately south of the Opera Shaft site. The units were rolled off the barge and transported to their new location using the hydraulic platform trailers, once again.
