• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.6D
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• pp.839-848
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• 2011

TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) tunnel should be carry out with the adopted machine until the end of excavation because of impossibility of replacement or modification of machine. Observation of the face of the tunnel is difficult, especially in EPB(Earth Pressure Balance) shield TBM, predict changes in the ground condition with analyzing data, collected during the excavation, and it should be reflected in construction. Until recently, subjects of studies on TBM are mainly the determination of machine and the development of advance rate prediction model, according to the characteristics of ground which is the target of excavation. However, study focused on the estimation of ground conditions and the improvement in operational methods using excavation data of TBM equipment, the principal of the excavation, has been done not so much. This study examine the variances in advance rate depending on changes in operating conditions and evaluate the optimal operating conditions of adopt machine, using working data obtained from EPB shield TBM project. The result of this study is suggested as follows. First, cutter head RPM and total thrust force are biggest influences on advance rate, Second, it is recommended for proper advance rate that total thrust force is controlled while optimum cutter head RPM is kept, Third, according to the increasing trend of total thrust force, the changes in ground conditions can be predicted, the appropriate operating conditions can be determined.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.526-532
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• 2000

The uniaxial compressive strength of rock mass is known as the major factor in the assessment of drillability and the optimum excavation design in full-face tunnel excavation by TBM. Referring to worldwide cases, TBM has been applied mostly to the rock mass within the strength range of 80~250 MPa. Recently, a water way tunnel has been constructed as a part of Milyang dam project by TBM within the rock masses where the rock type is mainly granite with some granophyre, hornfels and andesite. Their uniaxial compressive strengths in extended area are estimated higher than 260 MPa. In this paper, the relation between the penetration rate and the rock mass properties is analyzed and TBM application to the very hard rocks is discussed. As a result that three suggestions to predict the TBM net penetration rate are analyzed, NTH method seems a better approach than other methods in the extremely hard rocks. NTH prediction matches with the results of actual values with the variations of 2~20%. Hardness measurement by Schmidt hammer and RMR estimation are carried out along the L = 5.3 km entire TBM tunnel alignment. The net penetration rate measured monthly is shown to be reciprocally proportional to Schmidt rebound hardness and RMR where coefficients of correlation, $R^2$are 0.705 and 0.777 respectively. As a result, they are good quantitative indices for the prediction of TBM net penetration rate in the extremely hard rocks. Magnitude of in-situ stress has a certain effect on TBM performance, and it is required to measure the in-situ stresses in TBM excavation design.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.144-155
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• 1994

This research is designed to assess current achievement levels for mechanized excavation systems in Korea adn suggest the model predictive of TBM performance using statistical approaches. A test section in the TBM construction sites is selected to measure and analyze TBM performance. The field records including operating data, time allocation into downtime catagories, and machine design are analyzed on a shift basis. There are a total of 240 shifts, with most days operating two shifts per day. Examples of the probability density functions produced from the test section are presented and discussed. Relationships between TBM penetration rate and rock physical properties are investigated and the empirical equations for TBM performance prediction are also assessed with the field data.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.451-468
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• 2021

Predicting hazardous ground conditions ahead of a TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) tunnel face is essential for efficient and stable TBM advance. Although there have been several studies on the electrical resistivity survey method for TBM tunnelling, sufficient experimental data considering TBM advance were not established yet. Therefore, in this study, the laboratory-scale model experiments for simulating TBM excavation were carried out to analyze the applicability of an electrical resistivity survey for predicting hazardous ground conditions ahead of a TBM tunnel face. The trend of electrical resistivity during TBM advance was experimentally evaluated under various hazardous ground conditions (fault zone, seawater intruded zone, soil to rock transition zone, and rock to soil transition zone) ahead of a tunnel face. In the course of the experiments, a scale-down rock ground was provided using granite blocks to simulate the rock TBM tunnelling. Based on the experimental data, the electrical resistivity tends to decrease as the tunnel approaches the fault zone. While the seawater intruded zone follows a similar trend with the fault zone, the resistivity value of the seawater intrude zone decreased significantly compared to that of the fault zone. In case of the soil-to-rock transition zone, the electrical resistivity increases as the TBM approaches the rock with relatively high electrical resistivity. Conversely, in case of the rock-to-soil transition zone, the opposite trend was observed. That is, electrical resistivity decreases as the tunnel face approaches the rock with relatively low electrical resistivity. The experiment results represent that hazardous ground conditions (fault zone, seawater intruded zone, soil-to-rock transition zone, rock-to-soil transition zone) can be efficiently predicted by utilizing an electrical resistivity survey during TBM tunnelling.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.513-527
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• 2018

The Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM) is relatively insufficient to cope with unpredicted changes in ground conditions as compared with Conventional Tunnelling Methods. Therefore, it is very important to predict the TBM performance at the design stage and estimate the advance rate for the calculation of the construction period. In this study, we added data to 211 TBM databases constructed in the previous study and analyzed the correlation between TBM outer diameter, maximum thrust, maximum cutterhead torque, cutterhead driving power and RPM, which are the main design and manufacturing specifications of TBM. As a result of the analysis from results obtained in the previous studies, it was confirmed that TBM outer diameter is very effective and important in estimating maximum thrust, maximum cutterhead torque, and cutterhead driving power of the TBM. As a result of comparing the regression equations derived from other TBM databases outside the country and the regression equation obtained from the present study results, the maximum thrust showed a similar tendency to each other, but the maximum torque estimated from the regression equation of this study was higher than that of other countries in the case of the large scale TBM.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.186-192
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• 2018

The German Tunnelling Committee (DAUB) recently published new recommendations for face support calculations; Zdenek Zizka and Markus Thewes of Ruhr University Bochum actively discuss and explain these new recommendations where these recommendations are intended to assist in choosing between various calculation methods which are also dependent on ground conditions. The guidelines also discuss important scientific approaches with face stability calculations, mainly those due to earth pressure and groundwater pressure on the tunnel face. This paper aims to explain these recommendations through Zdenek Zizak and Markus Thewes's discussion on these Tunnel Face Support Calculation Methods.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-30
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• 2016

This paper concerns the development of an optimized TBM segmental lining design system for a subsea tunnel. The subsea tunnel is normally laid down under the sea water and submarine ground which consists of soil or rock. The design system is the series of process which can predict segmental lining member forces by ANN (artificial neural network system), analyze suitable section for the designated ground, construction and tunnel conditions. Finally, this lining design system aims to be connected with a BIM system for designing the subsea tunnel automatically. The lining member forces are predicted based on the ANN which was calculated by a FEM (finite element analysis) and it helps designers determine its segmental lining dimension easily without any further FE calculations.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.393-401
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• 2015

In the construction of a TBM tunnel, it is very important to acquire accurate information of the excavated rock mass for an efficient and safe work. In this study, we developed the prediction system of TBM tunnel face ahead using probe drilling equipment and drilled hole imaging equipment to predict rock mass conditions of the tunnel face ahead. The prediction system consists of the probe drilling equipment, drilled hole imaging equipment and analysis software. The probe drilling equipment has been developed to be applicable to both non-coring and coring. Also the probe drilling equipment can obtain the drilling parameters such as feed pressure, torque pressure, rotation speed, drilling speed and so on. The drilling index is converted to the drilling index RMR through the correlation between a drilling index and core RMR. The developed system verification was carried out through a slope and tunnel field application. From the field application result, the non-coring is four times faster than a coring and the drilling index RMR and core RMR are similar in the distribution range. This system is expected to predict the rock mass conditions of the TBM tunnel face ahead very quickly and efficiently.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.549-560
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• 2021

Forces exerted on a shield TBM (tunnel boring machine) such as cutter head torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and upward force are key factors determining TBM performance. However, the forces acting on the TBM when tunnelling the mixed ground have different tendencies compared to that of the uniform ground, which could impair TBM performance. In this study, the effect of mixed ground tunnelling was numerically investigated with torque, thrust force, chamber pressure, and upward force. A coupled discrete element method (DEM) and finite difference method (FDM) model for TBM driving model was used. This numerical study simulates TBM tunnelling in mixed ground composed of upper weathered granite soil and lower weathered rock. The effect on the force acting on the TBM according to the location and slope of the boundary of the mixed ground was numerically examined.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.79-94
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• 2022

The demand for tunnel construction is increasing as part of underground space development due to urban saturation. The shield TBM method minimizes vibration and noise and minimizes ground deformation that occurs simultaneously with excavation, and shield TBM is generally applied to tunnel construction in urban areas. The importance of urban ground settlement prediction is increasing day by day, and in the case of shield TBM construction, ground deformation is minimized, but ground settlement due to tunnel excavation inevitably occurs. Therefore, in this study, the correlation between shield TBM, which is highly applicable to urban areas, and ground settlement is analyzed to suggest the shield TBM construction factors that have a major effect on ground settlement. Correlation analysis was performed between the shield TBM construction data and ground settlement measurement data collected at the actual site, and the degree of correlation was expressed as a correlation coefficient "r". As a result, the main construction factors of shield TBM affecting ground settlement were thrust force, torque, chamber pressure, backfill pressure and muck discharge. Based on the results of this study, it is expected to contribute to the presentation of judgment criteria for major construction data so that the ground settlement can be predicted and controlled in advance when operating the shield TBM in the future.