Tunnel construction method and machine

A method for constructing natural tunnels, wherein a tunnel under construction has an excavation front, a final lining front upstream of the excavation front in an excavation advance direction, and a work region located between the excavation front and the final lining front, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) advancing the excavation front by a predetermined advance length by point excavation with one or more self-propelled excavating machines;
• b) removing excavated material from the work region with one or more dump trucks;
• c) applying a primary lining onto walls exposed by the excavation at the advance length of the excavation front;
• d) advancing the final lining front by a predetermined advance length by creating a final lining onto the primary lining applied at the same advance length in a previous advance cycle;
• e) repeating steps a) to d) until the tunnel is completed,
• wherein step d) of advancing the final lining front comprises assembling at least one full ring of prefabricated segments and is carried out simultaneously with step a) of advancing the excavation front,
• wherein step d) of advancing the final lining is carried out with a segment placing machine having a tubular frame, and
• wherein the passage or displacement of operating machines, vehicles, or equipment from/to said work region during step b) of removing excavated material and step c) of applying the primary lining takes place through the tubular frame of the segment placing machine.