Conveyor technology for the tunnel construction– bucket elevators for processing excavated material

Zuther supplied several high-performance bucket elevators for processing excavated tunnel material as part of a project for the base tunnel between Lyon and Turin. The plant is used to process the rock produced during tunnel construction and places high demands on the conveyor technology.

A total of six belt bucket elevators were installed, which are operated in two parallel conveyor lines. Each of the bucket elevators achieves discharge heights of between 20 and 30 metres and is designed for conveyor capacities of up to 375 t/h per line. The conveyor transports crushed rock material consisting of gneiss and granite, which is produced during tunnel driving and further processed in the processing plant. Following the Gotthard Tunnel project, this is now the second project of its kind in a short period of time.

The very high material moisture content of up to 25% posed a particular challenge. Under these conditions, there is a risk that the material will stick to the buckets and not be completely discharged. To ensure a reliable conveying process, the bucket elevators were specially designed to meet these requirements. The design ensures reliable material discharge even with highly adhesive bulk material.

In addition, extensive wear linings were integrated in areas subject to particularly high stress in order to withstand the abrasive effect of the crushed rock in the long term. The robust design of the machines ensures reliable operation under the demanding conditions of a tunnel construction site.

We would like to express our special thanks to all project partners involved for their trusting cooperation and the confidence they have placed in our technology.