Making the face a safer place

2008 Apr 01

It may be early days for Atlas Copco’s new Rod Handling System E (RHS E) but reports from the field have been very positive. M&C visits two contractors using the RHS at a tunnel construction project in Stockholm, Sweden, to get their views about the new system.

Work on the Northern Link underground bypass that will go around the northern edge of the city of Stockholm is well under way. Construction commenced in 2006 and involves, in total, the excavation of 11 km of tunnels.

Several contracts have been awarded for the construction of individual sections of the project, with Swedish contractor Oden and Norway?s Veidekke, so far selected for the initial tunnelling work.

At Oden?s site, an access tunnel that leads to the starting point for the excavation of a twin-tube traffic tunnel has now been completed using an Atlas Copco Rocket Boomer XE3 C drill rig, equipped with the Rod Handling System E (RHS E). The system is mounted on the two outer booms of the rig which are used for drilling 24?25 m long grout holes using 64 mm Secoroc retrac bits.

Epiroc operated under the trademark “Atlas Copco” prior to January 1, 2018.