The way was blocked: driftwood, oil drums, and debris had become wedged together and had to be laboriously cleared underwater. 🚧 These obstacles had to be cleared and removed underwater before access to the TBM was possible.
In addition, the already narrow tunnel was further constricted by the pipe joint’s taps. The diver had to work his way between these components, while at the same time hydraulic lines ran along the tunnel, where equipment could have become entangled at any time.

Another critical point was located directly in front of the machine: The diver had to work his way between these components, while at the same time hydraulic lines ran along the tunnel, where equipment could have become entangled at any time. During the first dive, limited orientation was still possible. But with every movement, sediments and dirt particles were stirred up.
Visibility deteriorated rapidly – ​​at times to less than 10 cm.

The most challenging moment: The diver could only enter the machine headfirst. Turning around was impossible, so the return trip had to be made in reverse. As a safety precaution, a backup diver positioned himself directly behind the diver to intervene in case of an emergency.

Despite the confined space and zero visibility, our team was able to locate the cause and successfully resolve it. An operation that demonstrates just how indispensable specialized commercial divers are in tunnel construction.

Despite the extremely cramped conditions, the long distance inside the flooded tunnel, and virtually zero visibility, our dive team was finally able to locate the cause of the problem on the tunnel boring machine and successfully resolve it.

An extraordinary operation that demonstrates just how important specialized commercial divers can be in unforeseen situations during tunnel construction and pipe jacking.

👏Thank you very much to the entire project team for your professional collaboration.