Giant variable diameter TBM unveiled in China's Changsha

STORY: Giant variable diameter TBM unveiled in China's Changsha DATELINE: April 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:59 LOCATION: CHANGSHA, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the variable diameter tunnel-boring machine (TBM) 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WU MIN, Vice President of TBM Institute of CRCHI STORYLINE: A giant variable diameter tunnel-boring machine (TBM) made by a Chinese company rolled off the assembly line on Thursday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province. The machine was developed by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (CRCHI). With a variable tunneling diameter of 6.53 meters and 8 meters, the TBM can climb a slope of up to 50 degrees. The 87-meter-long TBM will be used in the construction of a pumped storage power station in Hunan Province. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): WU MIN, Vice President of TBM Research Institute of CRCHI "The TBM is able to excavate both horizontal tunnels and inclined shafts, and it can also make a vertical curve turn, which is unprecedente