The excavator is expected to be used in water conservancy, hydropower, mining and highway and railway construction projects, according to Chen Jiale, a researcher at the China Railway Science and Technology Corporation (CRSIC).

"The development of the blasting machine can solve the current challenges in long and large-scale tunnel construction, providing a new solution for such large-scale projects," said Mr. Chen.

The BBM machine uses a combination of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, sensor, mechanical and guidance technologies, allowing the simultaneous use of traditional drilling and blasting methods with the power of modern tunnel boring machines.

The machine has two cutting heads and takes advantage of the complementary advantages of each method, improving efficiency while being environmentally friendly.

"It effectively combines the functions of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) with traditional drill and blast methods, with multiple excavation modes," Chen said.

According to China Science and Technology , the BBM machine has completed tests under three different working conditions. The test results show that "under extremely hard rock conditions, the efficiency of the hollow cutting head can be increased by 30% after pre-cracking treatment".

One limitation of conventional TBMs is that they often get stuck and cause delays when encountering complex geological conditions such as sudden rockfalls, fault zones and large deformations in soft rock strata.

The BBM machine, jointly developed by CRSIC and the National Key Laboratory of Hydrological Science and Engineering of Tsinghua University, can handle a wide range of complex geological conditions.

For example, when BBM encounters a large fracture area, the smaller equipment can pre-treat the area with the BBM's circular cutting head. In the event of a sudden inflow of mud or water, BBM can use the circular cutting head to drain and remove dirt, and then perform the ground treatment and waterproofing.

Mr. Chen emphasized three important features of BBM, including the hollow cutting head that creates a path through complex geological conditions for pre-processing, avoiding detours.

BBM's dual-mode operation, integrating a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) with a drill-and-blast method, allows simultaneous excavation and blasting. This mode combines the safety and efficiency of a TBM with the flexibility of drill-and-blast, improving construction efficiency.

Finally, when surrounding rock conditions are favorable, the center rock can be used to create on-site aggregate, reducing project costs and promoting green construction.

According to expert Qin Pengxiang at Tsinghua University, BBM “has extensive application value and great potential.”

CRSIC, part of China Railway Group, has contributed to the development of large heavy construction equipment used in some of the country's most challenging infrastructure projects.

The company, based in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, built the Jiang Cheng Pioneer, a large tunnel boring machine; and the Lu Wu, China's first 1,000-ton single-girder bridge-building machine.

CRSIC is also the manufacturer of China's largest lifting capacity 2,000-ton double-rail gantry crane and Yuehai, the world's largest 1,800-ton box girder erector.