By rosebell
The TBM has been refurbished and adapted for its second Grand Paris Express assignment at Webuild’s facility in Terni, Italy. Webuild and NGE are delivering Line 15 West Lot 2 on behalf of Société des Grands Projets.
TBM Reused for Second Paris Metro Drive
More than 100m long, Roberta has an excavation diameter of 9.86m and weighs nearly 2,000 tonnes. Following completion of its Line 16 drive, the machine was transferred to Italy rather than being decommissioned.
Webuild overhauled the TBM and modified it to meet the geological and operational requirements of the new Line 15 West section.
The company says the reuse of Roberta demonstrates a circular-economy approach to major tunnelling equipment.
The machine was officially named during a ceremony in Gennevilliers in the Paris region.
80% of Excavated Material to Be Reused
The circular approach also extends to excavated material. Line 15 West Lot 2 is expected to generate approximately 500,000m³ of spoil, with nearly 80% planned for recovery and reuse.
The material will be transported through the Paris region’s inland waterway network, avoiding an estimated 64,000 lorry journeys.
Sustainability measures also extend to the tunnel lining. Approximately 23,000 precast concrete segments will be produced, with around 79% manufactured using fibre-reinforced concrete. The approach reduces steel consumption while maintaining the required strength, safety and durability.
Second Refurbished TBM for Line 15 West
Roberta is the second refurbished TBM from the Grand Paris Express Line 16 works to be redeployed on Line 15 West Lot 2.
In August, refurbished Herrenknecht TBM Houda arrived in Paris for the same project after previously being used on Line 16.
Roberta was named after Roberta Arrigoni, a Webuild architect who has spent 37 years working on complex infrastructure projects. She joined Webuild more than a decade ago and has been involved with the Grand Paris Express since its launch. She now plays a leading role in delivering Line 15 West Lot 2.
Webuild and NGE have previously delivered other Grand Paris Express works, including the southern extension of Line 14 to Orly Airport, involving 4.1km of tunnels, and Lot 2 of Line 16, which included approximately 11km of tunnelling.
