ACCIONA – Western Harbour Tunnel Custom Grout Plant, Automation & Underground Transfer Systems
Metsel Marine & Civil (MMC) was engaged to design, manufacture, and supply a custom grout spread to support rock bolting operations on the Western Harbour Tunnel project delivered by ACCIONA.
The grout spread was engineered and built in-house by MMC to meet the operational constraints of a large tunnelling environment, with a strong emphasis on repeatability, quality assurance, and production efficiency. Central to the system was the integration of a Rice Lake Weighing Systems 9100 automatic batch controller, enabling fully automated grout batching and mixing.
The automated control system allowed precise management of mix proportions while providing full QA/QC data capture, including batch weights, water addition, and production records. This ensured traceability and consistency of grout quality throughout the tunnelling works and supported project quality requirements.
In addition to the grout plant, MMC designed and supplied custom grout transfer pods specifically configured for underground operations. These pods were engineered to interface directly with telehandler hydraulic systems, allowing continuous agitation during transport and efficient transfer of grout from the surface plant to rock bolt machines within the tunnel.
The transfer system was purpose-built to handle Crosby Infragrout 110, maintaining grout homogeneity during handling and eliminating segregation risks associated with extended transfer distances in confined underground environments.
This project highlights MMC’s capability to deliver bespoke grouting solutions, combining mechanical design, automation, and practical tunnelling experience to support high-production underground construction works.
