Tunnel Boring Machine Market: Key Insights
According to our new research study on “Tunnel Boring Machine Market to 2027 – Global Analysis and Forecast – by type, geology, and end-user,” the global tunnel boring machine market was valued at US$ 6,236.13 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 9,434.24 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% during 2020–2027. Growth in road infrastructure is one of the significant factors propelling the market growth. Rising government investment in railway projects is anticipated to drive the global tunnel boring machine market. For instance, construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany initiated on January 2021 in Denmark. The project will be completed by 2029. The project would allow the development of the longest combined road and rail immersed tube tunnel across the globe.
Technological developments are of greater use in tunnel construction since they allow easy access to construction in any ground conditions. Innovative monitors and sensors placed in the tunnel boring machines help in the smooth functioning of machines while excavating. Large diameter tunnel projects for transport infrastructures have influenced the research and development in tunnel boring machine design. Advanced machines can cope with mixed rock/ground conditions and change their operational mode depending on ground conditions. Large machines with diameters ranging from 14 to 17 meters have been manufactured and utilized across the world. Innovative technologies are being developed in various countries to treat the ground ahead of the machine and control the groundwater inflows. Variable density tunnel boring machines is a next-gen multimodal machine used for soft soils. Without significant mechanical adaptations, variable density machines merge the basic technologies of enclosed soft ground tunnel boring machines, maintaining control of pressure on the face. These machines are used as a slurry pressure tunnel boring machine using an air bubble system in order to control face pressure and an earth balance pressure mode. Lately, these machines have been deployed for various major projects since they have the ability to work in different ground conditions. For instance, in May 2020, For the HS2 project, the UK’s variable density tunnel boring machines were used to help overcome the ground condition challenges. These advanced machines have been used on Ulm railway project, Germany; the Hallandsas rail tunnel, Sweden; and the Kland Valley MRT project, Malaysia.
Growing Road Infrastructure Projects Drives Tunnel Boring Machine Market Growth
The global road infrastructure and construction industry is growing at an impressive pace due to rising population and urbanization levels, especially in the developed and developing regions of the world. Rising government expenditure on infrastructure and swiftly growing road network expansions across all the countries are driving the global market. Spending on new transport infrastructure in various potential countries and upgrade of existing infrastructure are fueling the demand for tunnel boring machines. Infrastructure upgrading activities, development of smart cities, and rise in trend of tunnel automation are some of the major factors fueling the global market. Several governments of major countries are involved in designing tunnels for smooth road transport and reduced travel times. Some of the developments are given below:
- In January 2021, the government of India launched a tunnel boring machine, which would excavate ~4 km long tunnel as a part of the coastal road project. The length of each tunnel is 2.07 km, and it would take nine months to dig out a tunnel. The project includes an under construction 22.2 km long freeway, which would operate along the western coastline connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali in the north in Mumbai City. The tunnels would be bored between Priyadarshani Park and Chhota Chowpatty at Marine Drive, and it is anticipated to be ready by June 2022.
Third Party Logistic Market: Segmental Overview
Based on geology, the market is segmented into soft ground, hard rock ground, variable ground, and heterogeneous ground. The soft ground segment led the tunnel boring machine market in 2019. The soft ground includes sand, clay, silt, and gravel. In this geology, tunnel needs specific methods compared to hard rock to compensate for the shifting nature of the soil. The soft ground protects existing structures and utilities since several soft ground-based tunnels are located in urban environments where settlement caused by tunneling is the chief concern. Protective measures such as ground improvement, dewatering, and compensation grouting are used to ensure successful tunneling in soft ground. Slurry shield (SS) and earth pressure balance machines are suitable for this geology. Earth pressure balance machine is used with less than 7 bar of pressure in soft ground. Besides, slurry shield tunnel boring machine is used for high water pressure and huge amounts of groundwater. Herrenknecht AG, a German-based company, built the tunnel boring machine with largest diameter of 15.43 meters in Shanghai, China. It was designed to bore through soft ground such as clay and sand. Thus, the growing deployment of the machine in the soft ground area will propel the market growth in the near future.
Tunnel Boring Machine Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments
China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.; CREG TBM Germany GmbH; Dalian Huarui Heavy Industry Group Co., Ltd.; Herrenknecht AG, Hitachi Zosen Corporation; IHI Corporation; Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd; Komatsu Ltd; Northern Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd. (The Robbins Company); and Qinhuangdao Tianye Tolian Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. are among the key players that were profiled during this market study. The market players have are focusing on product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and collaboration strategies, for sustaining the competitive edge.
In 2020, India’s largest diameter TBM was packed at China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. The first industrial park in the Changsha city, central-south of China. It will pass through Shanghai Port to Mumbai for a coastal road project.
In 2019, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. declared the receipt of an order from a specified construction joint venture group (comprising Toda Corporation, Iwata Chizaki Inc., Shoken Co., Ltd., Masudagumi Co., Ltd., and Asahi Construction Co., Ltd.) for one shield machine to be used in construction work on a water-conveyance tunnel for the Shin-Yamashina Purification Plant in Kyoto City.
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