High-capacity separation and bentonite recovery systems for tunnel boring machines driving beneath live rail corridors. Reynolds & Bauhm delivers compact, noise-attenuated slurry treatment plants engineered for constrained rail compounds, night-time possessions, and strict environmental compliance.
Comprehensive water treatment for high-speed and heavy-rail infrastructure across tunnels, cuttings, and viaducts.
Dissolved air flotation for oil, grease and fine-solids removal from rail construction washdown water.
Treatment of variable groundwater ingress with sediment removal, metals polishing and compliant discharge.
Attenuation, clarification and pH control for weather-driven site stormwater from rail construction works.
Rail tunnel boring machines operate under operational trackbeds with minimal surface disruption. EPB and slurry TBMs produce high-flow, high-solids bentonite streams that demand robust separation, rapid mobilisation, and quiet operation within strict possession windows.
Closed-loop bentonite conditioning recovers suspension for reuse at the TBM face, reducing consumable demand by over 80% and cutting spoil transport volumes.
Multi-stage screening and hydrocyclone classification remove coarse gravel, sand, and silts from excavated rock and alluvium, protecting downstream pumps and centrifuges.
Plant rated for slurry solids up to 30% w/w at peak excavation rates. Buffer tanks and duty/standby pump arrangements smooth hydraulic surges.
Automated control and remote monitoring enable reliable unattended operation during 4–8 hour night possessions, maximising productive TBM time.
Acoustic enclosures, anti-vibration mountings, and low-speed equipment selections keep noise below 55 dB at the site boundary, protecting live-track operations.
Containerised and skid-mounted modules arrive pre-commissioned for fast installation in rail compounds with limited cranage and restricted access.
High-capacity vibrating screens remove gravel, cobbles, and debris greater than 100 micron from the raw slurry feed, protecting downstream hydrocyclones and centrifuges from abrasion and blockage.
Banks of desanding and desilting cyclones classify the suspension by particle size, progressively removing sand and coarse silt while returning conditioned bentonite to the active slurry circuit.
High-rate inclined-plate thickeners raise solids concentration of the cyclone underflow from 4–8% to 12–18% w/w, reducing hydraulic load on the dewatering stage and improving cake yield.
High-G decanter centrifuges dewater the thickened fine fraction to stackable cake exceeding 25% dry solids, with centrate clarified for discharge or bentonite recovery.
Recovered bentonite is monitored for density, viscosity, and sand content before reconditioning and return to the TBM slurry circuit, maintaining face-support rheology within design bands.
Online turbidity, pH, suspended solids, and flow instrumentation provide real-time performance verification with automated data logging for discharge consent reporting.
Every system is designed for your specific wastewater characteristics, flow profile, and effluent targets. No off-the-shelf assumptions – just validated process engineering.
Equipment selected from manufacturers with proven field performance in similar applications. Duty/standby arrangements and robust construction minimise unplanned downtime.
Design targets are set at 50–70% of consent limits, providing a safety margin for process variation. Continuous monitoring and automated reporting demonstrate compliance.
Intuitive controls, clear instrumentation, and accessible maintenance points reduce training requirements. Standard operating procedures written in plain language.
Direct access to our process engineers for operational advice, troubleshooting, and optimisation. Remote diagnostics and rapid on-site response keep your plant running.
Modular, skid-mounted and containerised packages minimise site installation time. Pre-commissioned at factory, ready for rapid connection and start-up on constrained rail compounds.
Contact our engineers for rail infrastructure slurry treatment solutions designed around your TBM specification, possession windows, and discharge consent.
Comprehensive water treatment for high-speed and heavy-rail infrastructure across tunnels, cuttings, and viaducts.
View PageContainerised dissolved air flotation for oil removal and solids separation on rail construction sites.
View PageHigh-rate clarification for construction runoff, groundwater, and slurry thickening in compact footprints.
View PageMobile screw press dewatering plants for excavated spoil and sludge volume reduction on rail sites.
View PageSlurry separation and bentonite recovery for urban metro tunnel boring machines.
View PageComprehensive water treatment solutions for underground construction, TBM slurry, and metro discharge compliance.
View PageRail TBM slurry streams are characterised by high flow, high solids, and coarse particle grading driven by geology and tunnel diameter. Bentonite suspension circulates through the machine to support the excavation face and transport spoil to the surface, where it must be continuously separated to maintain TBM advance. The treatment train progresses from coarse screening through hydrocyclone classification, thickening, and centrifuge dewatering, with recovered bentonite returned to the circuit and dewatered cake removed for disposal. Each stage is sized to the instantaneous excavation rate, possession window, and compound constraints typical of live-rail corridors.
Vibrating deck screens remove debris and particles above 100 micron, protecting pumps and cyclones from abrasion and ensuring stable downstream hydraulic loading.
Desanding and desilting cyclones classify the slurry by particle size, progressively removing excavated solids while returning conditioned bentonite to the TBM circuit.
Lamella or drum thickeners raise solids concentration of the fine fraction before dewatering, reducing hydraulic load on centrifuges and improving cake dryness.
Decanter centrifuges or filter presses dewater the thickened underflow to stackable cake exceeding 25% dry solids, with clarified centrate discharged or recycled.
| TBM Diameter | 6 – 12 m |
| Slurry Flow | 100 – 800 m³/h |
| Solids Loading | 5 – 30% w/w |
| Particle Size | 0.001 – 100 mm |
| Cake Solids Target | >25% |
| Bentonite Recovery | >80% |
| Operating Window | 4 – 8 h |
| Noise Limit | <55 dB |
TBM slurry centrate and site drainage discharge meets local authority consent for suspended solids, pH, hydrocarbons, and dissolved metals. Design targets are set below consent limits with continuous online monitoring and automated reporting.
Groundwater treatment and spoil handling comply with Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) and Global Standards Reference requirements. Mitigation measures protect aquatic habitats along rail corridors.
Dewatered TBM spoil is characterised for landfill acceptance or beneficial reuse as engineered fill. Water recycling is prioritised over discharge, reducing both consumptive demand and tanker transport volumes.
Reynolds & Bauhm designs and deploys slurry treatment packages matched to your rail programme, geology, TBM specification, and discharge consent.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.