At Grúas Aguilar, we successfully carried out the lifting and lowering operations of the Mayrit tunnel boring machine (TBM), the machine responsible for excavating the new tunnels for the extension of Madrid Metro’s Line 11. This is one of the most significant infrastructure projects currently underway in the Spanish capital, creating a major diagonal metro line that will connect La Fortuna in the southwest with Valdebebas in the northeast of the city.
Lowering the Mayrit TBM: A lifting engineering challenge
The lowering of the Mayrit TBM required a major deployment of technical resources and highly skilled personnel. During the operation, a total of 21 components were lifted and lowered, some weighing up to 163 tonnes and measuring as much as 9 metres in diameter and 5 metres in length.
Once assembled, these components will form a tunnel boring machine approximately 98 metres long and weighing close to 1,500 tonnes, specifically designed to excavate the new Madrid Metro tunnels.
All lifting operations were carried out to a depth of nearly 27 metres below ground level. Our new Liebherr LR 1800 crawler crane was deployed as the main crane for the project, marking its first operational assignment.
Key components of the project
Among the most remarkable components of the Mayrit TBM were the screw conveyor and the cutterhead, both of which required dedicated engineering studies and specially designed lifting procedures to ensure maximum safety throughout the operation.
Screw conveyor
The screw conveyor, measuring 18.6 metres in length and weighing 50 tonnes, required an exceptionally precise lifting operation. To achieve the correct installation position, a hydraulic jack was used to set the component at an exact inclination of 20.5°. During the manoeuvre, the jack applied a pulling force of 24 tonnes, while the lifting slings were subjected to loads of up to 48 tonnes.
Cutterhead
The rotation and installation of the cutterhead were carried out through a tandem lift involving the Liebherr LR 1800 and a Liebherr LTM 1750, which served as the auxiliary crane. This impressive component, weighing 150 tonnes and measuring 9 metres in diameter, is one of the most iconic parts of the tunnel boring machine, both for its excavation function and for featuring the logo of the Community of Madrid on its structure.
Lifting engineering behind the Mayrit TBM lowering operation
Lifting engineering played a crucial role throughout every stage of the project. Our engineering team carried out detailed studies covering load calculations, working radii, crane configurations and assembly sequences to ensure the safety and efficiency of every operation.
The complexity of the components, the space constraints within the access shaft and the working depth required the development of tailored engineering solutions for each phase of the project. Thanks to meticulous planning and the extensive experience of our professionals in large-scale infrastructure works, all operations were completed successfully, within schedule and in accordance with the highest safety standards.
Grúas Aguilar’s involvement in the lowering of the Mayrit TBM further demonstrates our ability to undertake highly complex heavy lifting projects, reinforcing our position as a leading provider of heavy crane services and lifting engineering solutions for major infrastructure developments across Spain.
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