• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.153-163
• /
• 2005

This paper presents two case studies for tunnelling in Bangkok: a subway tunnel site and a flood diversion tunnel site. The first case study is related to ground displacement response for dual tunnel Bangkok MRT subway. The MRT subway project of Bangkok city consists of dual tunnels about 20 km long with 18 subway stations. The tunnels are seated in the firm first stiff silty clay layer between 15-22 m in depth below ground surface. The behavior of ground deformation response based on instrumentation is presented. The back analysis based on plain strain FEM analysis is also presented and agrees with field performance. The shear strain of FEM analysis is in the range of 0.1-1% and in accordance with the results of self boring pressuremeter tests. Meanwhile, the second case study is related to the EPB tunnelling bored underneath through underground obstruction. The Premprachakorn flood diversion tunnel is the shortcut tunnel to divert the flood water in rainy season into the Choapraya river. The tunnel was bored by means of EPB shield tunnelling in very stiff silty clay layer at about 20-24 m in depth. During flood diversion tunnel bored underneath the existing Bangkok main water supply tunnel and pile foundation of the bridge, instrumentation was monitored and compared with predicted FEM analysis. The prevention risk potential by means of predicting damage assessment is also presented and discussed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.277-291
• /
• 2020

Shield TBM is a tunnelling method that has a wider range of applications in the poor ground condition compared to conventional tunnels (Drill and Blast). Currently, a 13.3 m large-diameter slurry shield TBM is preparing for construction to pass under the Han River. Shield TBM is divided into slurry and EPB shield TBM, and management items during construction are different depending on each characteristic. In this paper, the equipment type, origin, application case and trouble case were analyzed for slurry shield TBM, which is mainly constructed in soft ground. In addition, 2D and 3D model tests were conducted on the condition of soil depth for the possibility of slurry leakage into front of the equipment, with appropriate chamber pressure. Based on this paper, it proposed to provide basic and reference data for proper excavation surface pressure and chamber pressure during construction of slurry shield TBM under soft ground conditions, and proposed measures to minimize stability and environmental decline due to slurry ejection.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.379-393
• /
• 2019

For the economical construction of a tunnel by TBM, the selection of TBM optimized with the various project conditions is important, and also necessary to predict the performances of selected TBM in advance. This study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the performance of the EPB shield TBM screw conveyor by the discrete element method. The sticky particles were used for the excavated material models, and screw conveyor with 11 different inclined angles were simulated to evaluate the performance depending on the different inclined angles. The four different rotational speed conditions of the screw were used, and torque, required power, extra energy for muck discharge, and the muck discharge rate were selected as four performance indicators. As a result, the optimized inclined angle was selected, and selected angle accords with the fact that EPB shield TBM screw conveyor is generally installed and adjusted at the inclined angle between 20.0° and 30.0° in the field.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.1049-1060
• /
• 2018

Soil conditioning is one of the key factors for successfull tunnel excavations utilizing the earth pressure-balanced (EPB) shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) by increasing the tunnel face stability and extraction efficiency of excavated soils. In this study, conditioning agents are mixed with the weathered granite soils which are abundant in the Korean peninsula and the workability of the resulting mixture is evaluated through the slump tests to derive and propose the most suitable conditioning agent as well as the most appropriate agent mix ratios. However, since it is cumbersome to perform the slump tests all the time either in the laboratory or in-situ, a simpler test may be needed instead of the slump test; the fall cone test was proposed as a substitute. In this paper, the correlation between the slump value obtained from the slump test and the cone penetration depth obtained from the proposed fall cone test was obtained. Test results showed that a very good correlation between two was observed; it means that the simpler fall cone test can be used to assess the suitability of the conditioned soils instead of the more cumbersome slump test.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.323-345
• /
• 2019

It is essential to predict ground conditions ahead of a tunnel face in order to successfully excavate tunnels using a shield TBM. This study proposes a forward prediction method for a mixed soil ground and/or a ground containing core stones by using electrical resistivity and induced polarization exploration. Soil conditioning in EPB shield TBM is dependent upon the composition of mixed soils; a special care need to be taken when excavating the core-stoned soil ground using TBM. The resistivity and chargeability are assumed to be measured with four electrodes at the tunnel face, whenever the excavation is stopped to assemble one ring of a segment lining. Firstly, the mixed ground consisting of weathered granite soil, sand, and clay was modeled in laboratory-scale experiments. Experimental results show that the measured electrical resistivity considerably coincides with the analytical solution. On the other hand, the induced polarization has either same or opposite trend with the measured resistivity depending on the mixed ground conditions. Based on these experimental results, a method to predict the mixed soil ground that can be used during TBM tunnel driving is suggested. Secondly, tunnel excavation from a homogeneous ground to a ground containing core stones was modeled in laboratory scale; the irregularity of the core stones contained in the soil layer was modeled through random number generation scheme. Experimental results show that as the TBM approaches the ground that contains core stones, the electrical resistivity increases and the induced polarization fluctuates.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.65-74
• /
• 2020

In earth pressure balance (EPB) shield TBM tunnelling, the application of soil conditioning which improves properties of the excavated muck by additives injection, is generally used for enhancing the performance of TBM. Therefore it is important to apply the soil conditioning in the numerical model which simulates excavation performance of TBM equipment, but related studies on a method that simulates soil conditioning are insufficient to date. Accordingly, in this study, an laboratory pressurized vane test apparatus was devised to evaluate the characteristics of conditioned soil. Using the apparatus, the vane shear tests were performed on foam-conditioned soil with different shear rates, and the test was numerically simulated with discrete element method (DEM). Finally, the contact properties of particles in DEM were determined by comparing the results of test and analysis, and it indicates that the applicability of pressurized vane test and DEM model for reproducing soil conditioning in TBM excavation model with DEM.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.569-578
• /
• 2003

In this paper a determination of the optimal excavation method and machine type for a tunnel under the Han river between the Sungsoo-dong, Sungdong-Gu and the Chungdaw-dong, Kangnam-Gu in the Bundang railway. The geological investigation results show that some fractured zones exist locally under the northern boundary of the Han river bed, but the other regions consist mostly of hard rocks of good quality in the tunnel excavation level. Also, a hign water pressure of $5kgf/cm^2$ and a flash inflow of river water due to old boring holes are expected during tunnel excavation. A EPB shield TBM is selected as a optimal excavation machine for the Han river tunnel considering the geological and ,site conditions.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.424-442
• /
• 2005

In this paper a design of a large shield Tunnel through weathered soil and weathered rock in 703 section of seoul subway line No.7 extension project is presented. The geological investigation results show that the projecet region consists mostly of weathered soil with some local weathered rock in the tunnel excavation level. A EPB shield TBM is selected as a optimal excavation machine for the large shield Tunnel considering the geological and site conditions. Also, the shield machine head and cutter for the large shield tunnel type are designed considering site geological conditions and average advance rate in similar projects.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.453-467
• /
• 2018

The excavation performance and the cutting tool wear prediction of shield TBM are very important issues for design and construction in TBM tunneling. For hard-rock TBMs, CSM and NTNU model have been widely used for prediction of disc cutter wear and penetration rate. But in case of soft-ground TBMs, the wear evaluation and the excavation performance have not been studied in details due to the complexity of the ground behavior and therefore few testing methods have been proposed. In this study, a new soil abrasion and penetration tester (SAPT) that simulates EPB TBM excavation process is introduced which overcomes the drawbacks of the previously developed soil abrasivity testers. Parametric tests for penetration rate, foam mixing ratio, foam concentration were conducted to evaluate influential parameters affecting TBM excavation and also ripper wear was measured in laboratory. The results of artificial soil specimen composed of 70% illite and 30% silica sand showed TBM additives such as foam play a key role in terms of excavation and tool wear.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.599-614
• /
• 2014

When tunnelling with TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), accessibility to tunnel face is very limited because tunnel face is mostly occupied by a bunch of machines. Existing techniques that can predict ground condition ahead of TBM tunnel are extremely limited. In this study, the TBM Resistivity Prediction (TRP) system has been developed for predicting anomalous zone ahead of tunnel face utilizing electrical resistivity. The applicability and prediction accuracy of the developed system has been verified by performing field tests at subway tunnel construction site in which an EPB (Earth Pressure Balanced) shield TBM was used for tunnelling work. The TRP system is able to predicts the location, thickness and electrical properties of anomalous zone by performing inverse analysis using measured resistivity of the ground. To make field tests possible, an apparatus was devised to attach electrode to tunnel face through the chamber. The electrode can be advanced from the chamber to the tunnel face to fully touch the ground in front of the tunnel face. In the 1st field test, none of the anomalous zone was predicted, because the rock around the tunnel face has the same resistivity and permittivity with the rock ahead of tunnel face. In the 2nd field test, 5 m thick anomalous zone was predicted with lower permittivity than that of the rock around the tunnel face. The test results match well with the ground condition predicted, respectively, from geophysical exploration, or directly obtained either from drilling boreholes or from daily observed muck condition.