Plans To Buy Tunnel Machine

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31645, 3 April 1968, Page 1

Plans To Buy Tunnel Machine

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 2. The Commissioner of Works (Mr P. L. Laing) and the Hamilton District Commissioner (Mr R. E. Hermans) will evaluate tunnelling machines overseas with a view to buying a suitable machine for drilling the Kaimai tunnel.

Announcing this tonight, the Minister of Works (Mr Allen) said that over the last two years samples of rock had been sent to manufacturers and information had been collected about the use of these machines. Tunnelling machines are made in Switzerland, Germany and North America, and specialised ones are used by the British National Coal Board. Mr Allen said the most critical consideration would be the control of the machine’s cutter wear. The machine with the original supply of cutters would cost about slm, and the cost of replacement cutters during the five-mile tunnel operation would be the greatest single running expense.

Mr Allen said the first 500 feet of tunnel at Kaimai would be unsuitable for the machine, and orthodox methods would be used.

Manufacture and delivery of a machine was expected to take at least eight months after order. It was unlikely, therefore, that the full machine tunnelling would take place until about mid--1969.

When the purchase of a tunnelling machine was considered it was planned - that the machine would be used in other tunnels that were known to be required. The machine would, however, have paid for itself on the Kaimai tunnel, he said.