Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machines (EPB TBMs) are utilized in the construction of rail tunnels, metropolitan subway systems, highway tunnels, and other projects where the tunnel will be constructed either partly or completely in soft soil.

In many tunnelling projects, a large amount of muck is generated. Bentonite-based drilling lubricants, lubricating foams, and other additives are used to maintain pressure on the over-burden and reduce friction on the large rotating cutting heads located at the front of the tunnel boring machines.

The amount of lubricant used depends on the geology being tunnelled through. The lubricant also facilitates the transport of the debris generated to the rear of the tunnel boring machine where it is transported by a conveyor system or mud car to the surface. When this waste arrives at the surface, it has the consistency of muck, which is often difficult and expensive to dispose of.

The process for muck disposal often looks like this:

1. Specialized vacuum trucks transport the muck to a transfer station
2. Bulking agents such as sawdust are used (usually bulking the slurry up by 50-200%)
3. Dump trucks transport the increased waste load to a final disposal site

This means more trucks needed, more time wasted, higher greenhouse gas emissions and higher disposal costs incurred. Traditional methods can also result in waste with high pH, create corrosive and dangerous waste, and change waste classification.