Fields of application

ROCK Foam 205 is a foaming admixture with an anti-clay polymer especially designed for conditioning of clayey, adhesive soils in shielded tunnel boring machines. Effective ground treatment significantly improves the machine performance and enhances control of the soil flow through the screw conveyor. ROCK Foam 205 is able to contribute to better advance rates, even where clogging and adhesions are to be expected due to clayey soils. The carefully developed admixture allows the production of robust, reliable and steady foam, which is generally able to provide the following benefits:
>  Reduced clogging and adhesion on the cutter head
>  Easy excavation and transport
>  Increased productivity of TBM
>  Optimised advance rates
>  Reduced abrasiveness at the cutter head, screw conveyor and conveyor which can lead to
>  Decreased wear costs and
>  Lower replacement frequencies
>  Facilitated soil extraction and conveyance
>  Effective pressure control
>  Reduced permeability
>  Easier ‘mucking’.

Working principle

ROCK Foam 205 consists of carefully selected components, which enable the production of high-quality foam. The produced foam shows a soft and steady consistency, which allows an increased soil behaviour. This provides several technical, economic and ecological advantages.