11/02/2009 

From October 27 to 29, BASF’s second International Tunnel boring Machine (TBM) Conference titled, “Modern Materials and Techniques in TBM Tunneling” was held in Bellevue, Washington, USA.

It was the second conference in a series that began last year in Istanbul, Turkey and will rotate annually between Europe, North America and Asia. The three-day program included lectures – like by the BASF experts Lars Langmaak and Knut Garshol – a technical session, and an optional underground field trip to the Brightwater West Contract tunnel site, a nearby project set to be complete in 2011. 

“The BASF TBM Conference was once again an extremely successful event that brought together industry professionals with like-minded interests,” said Lars Langmaack, Technical Manager, TBM tunneling, BASF.  “It was an opportunity for us to discuss new innovations and emerging technologies with the decision-makers and experts that are driving the industry forward.”

Over 60 people attended the BASF TBM conference from various professional backgrounds, including engineers, executives, consultants, project managers, professors, and contractors. These attendees came from some of the world’s leading TBM manufacturers – Lovat, Robbins and Herrenknecht – and universities, like the Colorado School of Mines and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.  

TBM tunneling is an alternative to the traditional method of drilling and blasting, and its advantages include faster advance rates, safety, less disruption to the surrounding areas and smoother tunnel walls. BASF products for TBM tunneling can be used to protect the tail shield from the ingress of soil, water and grout, or to condition the soil to lower friction and abrasiveness at the cutterhead and through the screw conveyer. The BASF portfolio also includes excluder greases and formulations for annulus grouts.

The next BASF TBM conference is being considered for 2009 in Shanghai, China.