--- title: "Tunnelling and rock drilling equipment" subject: "Construction Management" chapter: 4 key: "semester_8/construction_management:tunnel-rock-drilling-equipment" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/tunnel-rock-drilling-equipment site: BCT Engineering --- # Tunnelling and rock drilling equipment Construction Management · Chapter 4: Familiarization with Construction Equipments - Asked in: 2069 Bhadra (old course), 8 marks; 2068 Bhadra (old course), 8 marks; 2065 Baisakh (old course) (asked 3 times) - Video: [Engineering Marvel of Tunnel Boring Machines: Inside the Underground Factories](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BIGv_AawJw) — Society of Civil Engineers - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/construction_management/tunnel-rock-drilling-equipment - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/construction_management/chapter-4 ## Question Discuss the different equipments used for tunnel construction (list the different types of tunnelling and rock drilling equipments and explain briefly). ## Short answer Tunnelling equipment includes jackhammers, drill jumbos, roadheaders, mucking loaders, shotcrete machines, ventilation fans, TBMs and lining forms. Drill jumbo drills the face pattern with multiple booms. Roadheader cuts soft rock without blasting. TBM excavates full face continuously. ## Answer #### Tunnelling and rock drilling equipment | Function | Equipment | |---|---| | Drilling | Jackhammer (hand-held), drifter, drill jumbo (multi-boom) | | Blasting | Explosives, detonators, blasting machine, charging equipment | | Mucking (removal) | Loaders (rocker shovel), excavators, conveyors, muck cars, dumpers, rail haulage | | Support | Rock bolt drilling rigs, shotcrete (sprayed concrete) machines, steel ribs, rock anchors | | Ventilation and services | Fans, ducts, pumps, compressor, lighting | | Full-face excavation | Tunnel boring machines (TBM), roadheaders | | Lining | Concrete forms (travelling formwork), concrete pumps, precast segment erector | #### Brief explanation - **Jackhammer / pneumatic drill:** air-powered hand drill, using drill steels with tungsten carbide bits to make blast holes in small tunnels. - **Drill jumbo:** a rig with several booms and drifters mounted on a truck or rail-wheeled frame; drills the entire face pattern quickly with accurate hole position. - **Roadheader:** a boom with a cutter head that grinds soft to medium rock without blasting. - **Rocker shovel / loader:** loads blasted muck into cars or trucks behind it. - **Shotcrete machine:** sprays concrete, with accelerator, on the rock to stabilise it. - **TBM:** a rotating cutter head with disc cutters that excavate the full circular face, with continuous support and muck removal. - **Ventilation fans:** supply fresh air and remove dust and blast fumes. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. What is a drill jumbo? A. A rig with several booms and drifters that drills the face pattern quickly and accurately B. A machine that sprays concrete C. A fan for ventilation D. A single hand-held drill Answer: A. The drill jumbo carries several booms with drifters on a truck or rail frame. (Key point: Drill jumbo) 2. What does a roadheader do? A. Supplies air B. Sprays shotcrete C. Grinds soft to medium rock with a cutter head without blasting D. Loads muck Answer: C. A roadheader has a boom-mounted cutter head for soft to medium rock. (Key point: Roadheader) 3. Why is a shotcrete machine used? A. To cool the drills B. To remove muck C. To spray concrete with accelerator on the rock to stabilise it D. To drill holes Answer: C. Shotcrete stabilises the rock surface as support. (Key point: Shotcrete purpose) 4. What do ventilation fans do in a tunnel? A. Supply fresh air and remove dust and blast fumes B. Excavate rock C. Detonate explosives D. Lift the lining Answer: A. Fans supply fresh air and remove dust and fumes. (Key point: Ventilation) ## Related in Construction Management - [Equipment used in hydropower construction](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Ahydropower-equipment) — Construction Management, chapter 4 - [Road construction equipment, paver and bitumen sprayer](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aroad-equipment-paver-sprayer) — Construction Management, chapter 4 - [Equipment for highway and pavement construction](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Ahighway-pavement-equipment) — Construction Management, chapter 4, asked 3× - [Equipment for concrete construction and functions](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aconcrete-equipment-functions) — Construction Management, chapter 4 - [Advantages and disadvantages of construction equipment](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aequipment-advantages-disadvantages) — Construction Management, chapter 4, asked 6× - [Factors in selecting construction equipment](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Aequipment-selection-factors) — Construction Management, chapter 4, asked 6× ## Related in other subjects - [Tunnelling in hard rock and lining types](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Atunnelling-hard-rock-lining-types) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 5 - [Road construction equipment and mass haul characteristics](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Amass-haul-diagram-equipment-plants) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 3, asked 3× - [Geological problems in tunnel construction](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fengineering_geology_ii%3Atunnel-construction-problems) — Engineering Geology II, chapter 4, asked 3× - [Purchase or hire construction equipment](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fengineering_economics%3Apurchase-or-hire-equipment-1000000) — Engineering Economics, chapter 4