When the level of precision is a question of life and death Special projects rely on Sandvik DTi jumbos with iSURE®

Sandvik DTi jumbos have gained solid trust with contractors operating in especially demanding projects. Two excellent examples are research projects exploring the possibilities for final repositories of nuclear waste in both Sweden and Finland.

Nuclear waste repository research in Sweden and Finland
In Sweden, contractor Strabag Sverige decided to work with Sandvik DT920i and iSURE tunnel management excavation management tool in a recent project they completed for Svensk Känrbränslehandling AB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management). The purpose of the project was to extend the underground laboratory facilities with three transportation tunnels at about 350 metres and a number of experiment niches. Much of the research on the final repository for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden is being done at this specific laboratory on the island of Äspö. This is where different technical solutions are being tested in a real environment on full-scale with Swedish and international experts.

The Strabag contract included blasting, loading, transportation of rock masses, sealing and reinforcement work on two of these areas, with an option for the third tunnel. The excavation volume was about 13 000 m3, going to the depth of 420 meters. Blasting work itself was a part of the research and development of nuclear fuel repository.

Posiva, a Finnish nuclear waste management expert, with the operating contractor Destia Oy, has also chosen a Sandvik DT920i to excavate an underground rock characterization facility, ONKALO that will be extended to the final disposal depth of approximately -400m. ONKALO facilitates bedrock research and, in addition, also provides an opportunity to develop excavation techniques and final disposal techniques in realistic conditions. Later, the ONKALO facilities can be put into use when building and using the final repository. ONKALO consists of one access tunnel and three shafts: a personnel shaft and two ventilation shafts. The slope of the tunnel is 1:10. It is 5.5 m wide and 6.3 m high. The rock type in the project is medium Gneiss with the strength of 114 kPa.

Intelligent tunneling brings outstanding accuracy
The computer-controlled Sandvik DTi series jumbos are famous for their outstanding accuracy. They come in five different models for excavation of 12 – 231 m2 cross sections, including face drilling, bolt hole drilling and long-hole drilling. The DTi jumbos are designed for automatic use which translates into highest process repeatability and best possible excavation predictability. In addition, the rigs are equipped with Sandvik iSURE tunnel excavation management tool. This combination ensures optimized blasting as per plan, supplying better pull-out, decreased need for scaling, increased rock loadability and smoother collaring in the following round.

Today, thanks to their top-rate usability, the Sandvik DTi series jumbos can be found in nearly every corner of the world. In addition to Finland and Sweden, they have been delivered to South Korea, China, Venezuela, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Australia, Spain, Columbia and Switzerland.

For further information please contact:

Satu Rämö
Global Marketing Communication Manager
Sandvik Construction
Office Phone: +358 205 44 151
Mobile Phone: +358 40 537 4020
E-mail: satu.ramo@sandvik.com