Mikey's Travels: Post #4, PowerPoint, Bar Charts and an Exclusive Look at the World’s Premier Tunnel Equipment Plant

September 25 & 26: Strasbourg Tunnel Seminar and the Herrenknect Plant

New Irvington Tunnel Project Manager David Tsztoo and Construction Manager Dan McMaster have been invited on a prestigious tunneling information and technical exchange with their tunneling counterparts in Europe. Since they are on their own time, they invited our Mikey to join them…. We join them in Strasbourg.

Mikey couldn't wait for the presentations to start!

Dave and Dan enjoy presentations from their tunneling colleagues but you haven’t met anyone more excited about a day-long tunnel seminar than Mikey! 

A presentation on the Port of Miami Tunnel?  Forget about breakfast this is what gets Mikey going in the morning!

An overview on the successful use of shielded TBMs on a New York City subway project? Mikey likes it! He really likes it!

An in-depth technical discussion on how designers can specify large cross section final lining forming system performance using a new DIN standard for form performance requirements?!?! 

Okay, this one flew over Mikey’s head. But after Dave and Dan explained it to him…Mikey was in awe.

Dave, Dan and Mikey also had dinner with Dr. Martin Herrenknect who delighted them with stories from his life and how the Herrenknecht Group became the premier TBM manufacturer in the world! For the foodies out there, Dr. Herrenknect treated his guests to veal shoulder steak with vegetables and spatzle, pate, salad and snatpz.

The next day our tunnel adventurers departed for the much anticipated tour of the Herrenknecht Plant where all sorts of TBM's are being designed and manufactured.  After welcoming remarks by Dr. Herrenknecht we divided up into groups and saw the plant in action.   Mikey marveled as he watched large tunnel boring machines being assembled and steel segment moulds in fabrication. David and Dan were equally impressed as they watched shop engineers and technicians pre-assemble the full scale TBM's on the grounds to check for quality control.  

Up next? Serpiano, Switzerland - to a railway tunnel using mechanized drill and blast from four different headings!

Before Strasbourg David, Dan and Mikey were checking out Tunneling in Saverne, France.