2430 x 2430 px | 41,1 x 41,1 cm | 16,2 x 16,2 inches | 150dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
25. Juli 2002
Ort:
Stratford, London, UK.
Weitere Informationen:
Dieses Bild kann kleinere Mängel aufweisen, da es sich um ein historisches Bild oder ein Reportagebild handel
‘Annie’ is an Earth Pressure Balance Machine (EPBM), a tunnel boring machine specially designed for operation in soft ground conditions, particularly those containing water under pressure. EPBMs are utilized in the construction of rail tunnels, metropolitan subway systems, highway tunnels and other projects where the tunnel will be constructed either partly or completely in soft soil beneath the water table. Loose sedimentary deposits with large boulders and a high water table will challenge ordinary TBMs, but not EPBMs because they have an articulated shield that is sealed against the pressure of water inflows. EPBMs control the stability of the tunnel face and subsidence of the ground surface by adjusting the pressure inside the cutterhead chamber to achieve a balance with the pressure in front of the cutterhead. This allows the working area inside the EPBM to remain sealed against the fluid pressure of the ground outside. The £5.2 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now High Speed One) was built between 1998-2007 and partly funded by the European Union, it forms a section of the Trans European Rail Network. It is basically a French-style high-speed rail line linking London with the Channel Tunnel, the Eurostar trains were developed on proven technology from the French TGV high-speed system. Stations on the CTRL are the existing Ashford International and new stations at Ebbsfleet and Stratford. The line ends at the rebuilt St. Pancras. Fourteen new tunnels were constructed, the longest being the London Tunnel which is 10.5km long from Ripple Lane to Stratford, after which the line briefly comes to the surface at Stratford Station. Five huge shafts of 17.15m diameter ventilate the twin bore, single-track tunnels and provide emergency access and evacuation points.
