Owing to benefits such as ability to build tunnels at high speeds, high safety with low overbreaks, lesser disturbance to surrounding rocks, and less manpower, the tunnel boring machine is experiencing rapid adoption as opposed to drilling and blasting method, thus fostering remarkable progress in global tunnel boring market.

The size of the global market for Tunnel Boring Machine is expected to reach USD 4218.1 million by 2028, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.9%.

Covid-19 Impact & Market Status

The covid-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the world including global tunnel boring machine market. The shortage of workers, site accessibility, dearth of construction materials, and inappropriate prevention measures at construction site materials due to pandemic led mobility restrictions, panic, and operational halts are the most known challenges encountered by tunnelling projects across the world leading to reduced growth of global tunnel boring machine market. However, the risk response strategies implied by the market players for design, budget, supply chain, and project management are allowing market players sustain the pandemic. Furthermore, easing pandemic restrictions increasing focus on micro-tunnelling, government regulations regarding construction of networked rail and road infrastructure have propelled the global tunnel boring machine market.

Double-shield Tunnel Boring Machine Tunnel Boring Machine Type to Emerge as the Most Lucrative Segment

The global tunnel boring machine market is classified into gripper tunnel boring machine, double-shield tunnel boring machine, single-shield tunnel boring machine, earth pressure balance machines, slurry tunnel boring machine, mixshield technology, partial-face excavation machine, and others based on Machine Type. Among these, the double-shield tunnel boring machine is expected to grow at a substantial percentile every year. 

Hard Rock Geology Type Is the Largest Segment

The global tunnel boring machine market is classified into hard rock, soft ground, soils, heterogeneous geologies, homogeneous, and semistable ground on the basis of Geology Type. Among these, the hard rock geology type is the largest segment in the global tunnel boring machine market because the large number of rail transport and metropolitan rail transport activities.

Road Transport to Ensure Revenue Maximization

Based on end-user, the global tunnel boring machine industry is fragmented into mining, oil and gas, road and rail transport. Among these, the road transport end user segment is made a substantial contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of global tunnel boring machine market owing to key factors like improving existing road infrastructure requiring time speedy and safe tunnelling machines, increasing capital investment in construction, and other factors.

North American Region to Render Ample Investment Avenues

In the last few years, the North American region has experienced a growth spurt for the global tunnel boring machine market with significant developments in the Canadian and the US markets. The trend is likely to continue further as the region continues to witness magnificent advances in the road and rail transportation construction, oil and gas, as well as mining verticals.

The need to produce much smaller disturbed zone to the surrounding ground and producing a smooth tunnel of any type of geology including soft, wet, rock, or unstable ground with a speed and safety has improved the reliance on tunnel boring machine.

Rapid end-use applications across industries such as oil & gas, offshore drilling, mining, rail transport, road transport, metropolitan railways are fostering remarkable progress in global tunnel boring machine market.

Advantages such as significant reductions in cost of lining tunnel, suitable for use in heavily urbanized areas, superlative capabilities to construct smooth tunnel wall, and capability to allow any type of ground to be tunnelled with a speed and safety which could not be achieved earlier with other methods encourage further adoption.

Tunnel boring machine is a uniquely designed machine to make tunnelling safer and more economically feasible machine for creating underground space and tunnels possible where it was not feasible before. The unique feature of TBM is that it produces lesser disturbed zone to surrounding rock limiting further mishaps and requires lesser rock support. Thus its use across the world is increasing thereby boosting the global tunnel boring machine market.

Factors such as increasing focus on micro-tunnelling, increasing government regulations regarding construction of networked rail and road infrastructure have propelled the global tunnel boring machine market. However, the costs higher than that of the drilling and blasting method, lack of advancements in under-developed nations limiting market growth are some key factors likely to hamper global tunnel boring machine market.

Conversely, TBM’s safe & speedy operations, technology advancements in deep drilling coping with specific demands are anticipated to be growth opportunity to the global tunnel boring machine market.

The major players in global tunnel boring machine market are Hitachi Zosen, Qinhuangdao Tianye Tolian Heavy Industry, Northern Heavy Industries Group, Komatsu, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, IHI, Herrenknecht, Dalian Huarui, and China Railway Construction Heavy Industry among others. The manufacturers in global tunnel boring machine market continue to develop new and improved machines whilst integrating new technologies to meet specific demands. Further, renowned industry players are unravelling new product portfolios and technological advancements for market fortification amidst Covid-19 impact.

Latest Innovations in the Global Tunnel Boring Machine Market: a Snapshot

• Recently, the HRBT Expansion Project which is the largest highway construction project in Virginia officially unveiled tunnel boring machine called “Mary”. The TBM will be used for digging the tunnels for the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) expansion project. It will do soil excavation, installing pre-cast concrete shell segments, and do several other operations.
• HS2 recently launched tunnel boring machine called “Dorothy” to help transform journeys from across Britain.

Tunnel Boring Machine Market Scope

Key Segments of the Global Tunnel Boring Machine Market

Machine Type Overview, (USD Million)

• Gripper Tunnel Boring Machine
• Double-Shield Tunnel Boring Machine
• Single-Shield Tunnel Boring Machine
• Earth Pressure Balance Machines
• Slurry Tunnel Boring Machine
• Mixshield Technology
• Partial-Face Excavation Machine
• Others

Geology Type Overview, (USD Million)

• Hard rock
• Soft ground
• Soils
• Heterogeneous geologies
• Homogeneous & semistable ground

End User Overview,  (USD Million)

• Road Transport
• Rail Transport
• Mining
• Oil & Gas
• Others

Regional Overview,  (USD Million)

North America

• U.S
• Canada

Europe

• Germany
• France
• UK
• Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

• China
• India
• Japan
• Rest of Asia Pacific

South America

• Mexico
• Brazil
• Rest of South America

Middle East and South Africa