UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

PURUSHOTHAM
MEKALA

Mechanical and Tunnel equipment Specialist

5+ years of hands-on TBM operations and heavy equipment engineering across metro tunneling projects in India. EPB, Slurry & Mixed Shield TBM specialist with hyperbaric intervention expertise and $200M+ project exposure.

5 TBMs Commissioned

30+ CHI Interventions

95%+ Equipment Uptime

$200M Project Value

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About Me

I am a Mechanical Engineer and TBM Specialist with deep field expertise in tunnel boring machine operations, heavy equipment lifecycle management, and underground construction safety.

My career spans roles at Larsen & Toubro, Myhome Constructions, and EGIS India — covering EPB, Slurry & Mixed Shield TBMs from leading OEMs including Herrenknecht, Robbins, and CRCHI.

Currently pursuing a Master's in Industrial Engineering at University of Houston (GPA: 3.708), I am actively seeking TBM/tunnel mechanical engineering roles in the US with OPT authorization from July 2026.

My edge: I have performed 30+ Cutterhead Interventions under hyperbaric conditions — a rare, high-value skill that very few engineers in the US possess.

Certifications & Training

NEBOSH IGC

NEBOSH IDIP

ISO 45001

Lean Six Sigma GB

SAP MM

Heavy Lifting Ops

OSHA Rigging & Safety

Power BI / Excel

EDUCATION

M.S. Industrial Engineering

University of Houston · 2024–2026

GPA: 3.708

B.Tech Mechanical Engineering

SVCET · 2013–2017

GPA: 3.6

Experience

SEP 2021 — JUL 2024

Larsen & Toubro

Mechanical Engineer – TBM & Heavy Equipment Operations

Led erection, commissioning, and dismantling of 5 EPB, Slurry & Mixed Shield TBMs from Herrenknecht, Robbins, and CRCHI — 7.5 m cutterhead diameter — on metro tunneling projects valued at $200M+, achieving 100% schedule adherence.
Managed operation and maintenance of 20+ heavy assets including TBM backup gantries, segment erectors, screw conveyors, mucking systems, and grouting plants, maintaining >95% equipment availability.
Performed 30+ Cutterhead Interventions (CHI) under hyperbaric conditions (compressed air up to 2 bar), ensuring zero safety incidents and compliance with international tunneling standards.
Designed and implemented 25+ heavy lifting plans for TBM components (cutterhead, shield sections, gantry assemblies up to 100–250 tons) using AutoCAD.

EPB TBM Slurry TBM Herrenknecht Robbins CRCHI Hyperbaric CHI 7.5m Cutterhead

NOV 2019 — AUG 2021

Myhome Constructions

Mechanical Engineer

Managed 25+ construction equipment assets including tower cranes (10–25T), batching plants (30–60 m³/hr), transit mixers, and concrete pumps (90–120 m³/hr) for G+20 to G+40 high-rise projects.
Led installation and commissioning of tower cranes (20–30 m jib) using crawler/mobile cranes up to 100-ton capacity, zero major incidents.
Developed heavy lifting plans for structural materials and equipment handling up to 25-ton operational loads.

Tower Cranes Batching Plants Heavy Lifting High-Rise Construction

JAN 2018 — AUG 2019

EGIS India

Environment, Health & Safety Engineer

Implemented EHS systems across large-scale infrastructure projects covering 300–500+ workforce, achieving >98% safety compliance during audits.
Conducted 50+ HIRA and JSA assessments for high-risk activities including 100-ton crane ops, work at height >30m, and confined space entry.
Led RCA investigations reducing repeat incidents by 15–20% through CAPA implementation.

HIRA JSA ISO 45001 RCA / CAPA PTW

Key Operations

TBM Assembly – Robbins TBM at CMRL Chennai Metro, L&T

ROBBINS TBM · CMRL CHENNAI METRO · L&T

TBM Commissioning & Assembly

Full erection, commissioning, and dismantling of 5 EPB, Slurry & Mixed Shield TBMs for metro rail tunneling. Coordinated with OEM teams from Herrenknecht, Robbins, and CRCHI.

5 TBMs · 7.5M Diameter · $200M+ Projects

Crew briefing before hyperbaric CHI intervention inside TBM tunnel

CHI CREW BRIEFING · ROYAPETTAH STATION · L&T

Hyperbaric CHI Interventions

Performed 30+ Cutterhead Interventions under compressed air up to 2 bar. Cutter inspection, replacement, and face support operations with zero safety incidents.

30+ Interventions · Up to 2 Bar · Zero Incidents

$TBM lowering into Royapettah launch shaft$

1200T TANDEM LIFT · ROYAPETTAH STATION · CMRL

Heavy Lifting Engineering

Designed 25+ heavy lifting plans using AutoCAD for TBM components including cutterheads, shield sections, and gantry assemblies up to 250 tons.

25+ Lift Plans · Up to 250T · AutoCAD Design

📊 04

Fleet Reliability Program

Built and managed preventive/predictive maintenance programs for 20+ assets. Achieved >95% uptime with 15–20% breakdown reduction across metro project fleet.

20+ Assets · >95% Uptime · 15–20% Fewer Breakdowns

🛡️ 05

EHS Management Systems

Deployed ISO 45001-aligned EHS systems for 300–500 workforce. Conducted 50+ HIRA/JSA assessments. Achieved >98% compliance in all audits.

500 Workforce · 98% Compliance · 50+ Assessments

📦 06

Spare Parts & Inventory Control

Managed 500+ critical spare parts inventory using SAP MM. Reduced downtime from material shortages by 15% while maintaining cost efficiency targets.

500+ Parts · SAP MM · 15% Downtime Reduction

Technical Skills

TBM & Tunneling

EPB, Slurry & Mixed Shield TBM Ops95%

Cutterhead Intervention (CHI)90%

TBM Assembly & Commissioning92%

Segment Erector & Mucking Systems88%

Maintenance & Reliability

Preventive & Predictive Maintenance93%

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)90%

Hydraulic & Mechanical Systems88%

KPI Monitoring (MTBF / MTTR)85%

Engineering & Software

AutoCAD (Lifting Plans)85%

SAP Materials Management80%

Power BI & Excel Analytics82%

Safety & Compliance

OSHA / ISO 45001 Compliance92%

HIRA & JSA Risk Assessment90%

Lean Six Sigma78%

TBM Systems Knowledge

EPB / SLURRY TBM — CROSS SECTION SCHEMATIC

Cutterhead & Disc Cutters

Inspection, cutter change, and bearing replacement. 30+ hyperbaric CHI interventions under 2 bar compressed air.

Main Drive & Hydraulics

Cutterhead drive motor diagnostics, hydraulic circuit troubleshooting, thrust cylinder maintenance and calibration.

Screw Conveyor & Mucking

Muck extraction system operations, screw conveyor maintenance, belt conveyor alignment and tension management.

Segment Erector & Grouting

Precast segment handling and ring build coordination. Tail void grouting plant operations and pressure management.

Contact

linkedin.com/in/purushotham-mekala

📍

Location

Houston, TX · Open to Relocation

Available for Opportunities

Currently completing M.S. Industrial Engineering at University of Houston. Available for full-time roles from July 2026 via OPT work authorization.

Open to positions across the US in tunnel/TBM engineering, with particular interest in metro rail, water infrastructure, and highway tunneling projects.

TBM Mechanical Engineer Tunnel Engineer Equipment Engineer M&R Engineer

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PURUSHOTHAMMEKALA