How students from Munich hope to revolutionise tunnel construction with the help of compressed air
It’s a cold winter’s morning on the research campus at Garching. The sun glints off a thin layer of ice covering the test ground. Despite the chill, it’s a hive of activity. Huddled up against the cold, a handful of students are working on the prototype of a tunnel boring machine that aims to revolutionise tunnel construction. They belong to TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V., a team from the Technical University of Munich. Their goal: To help shape the future of underground infrastructure. But before their idea can become a reality, some tough tests lie ahead – beginning here in the icy temperatures on the test ground.
“We develop tunnelling machines and enter them in a worldwide competition with the aim of building the fastest tunnel boring machine in the world,” explains Project Manager Felix Blanke. The challenge: The competition in question is no less than the “Not-a-Boring Competition” initiated by Elon Musk – a global showdown of the brightest minds in tunnel construction.
Since the competition began in 2020, the team from Munich has won it twice already. This year in Texas, the team aim to prove they’ve earned the title for a third time with their next-generation boring machine that sets new standards in both speed and technical know-how.
The team from TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V. (Technical University of Munich) aim to build the fastest tunnel boring machine in the world.
Engineering meets ingenuity
At the core of the new machine is the lead tunnel section – the “Power Pipe” – housing all the systems needed to operate the cutting head. This removes material with a rotating cutting wheel whilst being pushed forward from behind, together with the tunnel lining, by a hydraulic press frame. “The spoil is extracted centrally using a suction excavator,” explains Technical Director
Anton Vierthaler. It may sound simple, but this breakthrough is the result of months of intensive development.
The students significantly increased the torque at the cutting head, relocated the drive system underground, and developed a new pipe-joining system capable of transmitting both compressive and tensile forces – enabling machine operators to respond flexibly to different ground conditions. In other words: the machine is now quicker, narrower and more efficient than ever before.
A flurry of activity at the competition site: For the competition in Texas, KAESER USA provided a MOBILAIR M 59.
The challenge underground
Yet innovation brings its own challenges, and the sticky clay in the Texan soil proved particularly troublesome. To tackle this, the team developed a sophisticated soil conditioning system using a specially formulated foam to reduce stickiness – and this is where another key player entered the story: the MOBILAIR M 65 from KAESER.
- KAESER’s MOBILAIR M 65 portable compressor optimises the soil conditioning system and ensures a decisive competitive advantage thanks to dependable compressed air technology.
This portable compressor not only cleans the cutting head, but also foams the soil conditioning agent – a crucial process for maintaining steady progress in difficult ground conditions. “When it came to selecting a compressed air partner for our project, KAESER was our first and only choice,” says Felix Blanke. “That was partly based on recommendations from other companies in the tunnelling industry, but also because we needed absolute reliability to have any chance of winning the competition. And KAESER’s quality is second to none.” This gave TUM Boring a clear advantage,
and the strategic use of compressed air proved to be a real game-changer.
KAESER’s MOBILAIR M 65 portable compressor delivers the required compressed air efficiently, dependably and quickly.
The big moment in Texas
All the hard work paid off. At the final of the 2025 Not-a-Boring Competition in Bastrop, Texas, the TUM Boring team hit a new milestone, with their machine achieving a bore length of 22.5 metres and setting a new competition record.
It secured them not only the overall win, but a place in the history of cutting-edge tunnel construction. Three competitions, three clear victories, and each by a wide margin.
It’s a testament to the team’s tireless dedication, technical ambition and strong partnerships, such as the one with KAESER. “This success confirms that we’re on the right path, as a team and with our concept,” says Felix Blanke with pride. “It shows what can be achieved when passionate people work together towards a shared vision.”
The future underground
With this triumph in the bag, the team are already looking ahead. The vision remains unchanged: to shape the underground infrastructure of the future – efficiently, quickly and sustainably. And who knows – maybe soon the innovative technology from Munich will be tunnelling its way through infrastructure projects the world over.
Satisfied winners: The team secures the competition’s award for the third time and can return proudly to Germany in high spirits!
