• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2024

Owing to the high strength and abrasive characteristics of cobble-boulders, cutters are easily worn and damaged during shield tunneling, making construction inefficient. In the present work, the stress on the ripper and scraper on the cutterhead was analyzed by the PFC3D-FLAC3D coupling model of shield tunneling to get insight into the performance of the cutterhead for cutting underground cobble and boulders. The numerical calculation results revealed that the increase in trajectory radius leads to a rising stress on the cutters, and the stress on the front cutting surface is greater than that on the back of the cutters. Moreover, the correlation between cutter wear and stress is revealed based on field measurement data. The distribution of the cutter stress is consistent with the cutter wear and breakage characteristics in actual construction, in which more extensive cutter stress is exhibited, extreme cutter wear appears, and more cutter breakage occurs. Finally, the relationship between the cutterhead opening area's layout and cutter wear distribution was investigated, indicating that the cutter wear extent is the most severe in the region where the radial opening ratio dropped sharply.

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

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.519-534
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• 2019

Mechanized tunneling methods, including shield TBM, have been increasingly used for tunnel construction because of their relatively low vibration and noise levels as well as low risk of rock-falling accidents. In the excavation using the shield TBM, it is important to design penetration rate appropriately. In present study, both subsurface investigation data and shield TBM excavation data, produced for and during ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}{\sim}{\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ high-speed railway construction, were analyzed and used to compare with shield TBM penetration rates calculated using existing penetrating rate prediction models proposed by several foreign researchers. The correlation between thrust force per disk cutter and uniaxial compressive strength was also examined and, based on the correlation analysis, a simple prediction model for penetration rate was derived. The prediction results using the existing prediction models showed approximately error rates of 50~500%, whereas the results from the simple model proposed from this study showed an error rate of 15% in average. It may be said, therefore, that the proposed model has higher applicability for shield TBM construction in similar ground conditions.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.455-478
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• 2019

In this paper, we conducted experimental investigation on the field applicability through the verification of reinforcement effect of the steel pipe reinforcement grouting using high strength steel pipe. SGT275 (formerly known as STK400) steel pipe is generally applied to the traditional steel pipe reinforcement grouting method. However, the analysis of tunnel collapse cases applying the steel pipe reinforcement grouting shows that there are cases where the excessive bending and breakage of steel pipe occur. One of the reasons causing these collapses is the lack of steel pipe stiffness responding to the loosening load of tunnels caused by excavation. The strength of steel pipe has increased due to the recent development of high strength steel pipe (SGT550). However, since research on the reinforcement method considering strength increase is insufficient, there is a need for research on this. Therefore, in this study, we conducted experiments on the tensile and bending strength based on various conditions between high strength steel pipe, and carried out basic research on effective field application depending on the strength difference of steel pipe through the conventional design method. In particular, we verified the reinforcement effect of high strength steel pipe through the measurement results of deformed shape and stress of steel pipe arising from excavation after constructing high strength steel pipe and general steel pipe at actual sites. The research results show that high strength steel pipe has excellent bending strength and the reinforcement effect of reinforced grouting. Further, it is expected that high strength steel pipe will have an arching effect thanks to strength increase.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-278
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• 2022

This paper contains experimental study for the development and performance of TBM backfill material with thixotropic properties. The LW backfill material is widely applied to fill the cavity on the back side of the shield TBM excavation, but has disadvantages such as settlement caused by strength reduction, material separation by groundwater, and reduced plasticity. In this paper, laboratory tests and a model test were conducted to assess the performance of inorganic thixotropic backfill material proposed to improve these problems. The results of laboratory tests show that 1 hr-uniaxial compressive strength of ITB was 12 times higher than LW, and the rate of bleeding of 20 hr was 8.3 times lower, and the result of flow table test was more than 27 times higher. This result indicated that the inorganic thixotropic backfill material has superior properties to LW backfill in terms of strength reduction, material separation, and thixotropy. In the model experiment, a model injection device tester was manufactured and the injection performance and filling rate were verified. When material was injected in the water, it was visually checked whether material separation occurred, and it was confirmed that the filling rate was 96% or more. Comparison results with the test of LW and ITB materials was concluded that ITB can reduce the material separation by groundwater and the occurrence of tunnel cavity.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.1 s.60
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• pp.58-72
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• 2006

In recent years, not only the occurrences but the magnitude of earthquakes in Korea are on an increasing trend and other sources of dynamic events including large-scale construction, operation of hi띤-speed railway and explosives blasting have been increasing. Besides, the probability of exposure fir rock joints to free faces gets higher as the scale of rock mass structures becomes larger. For that reason, the frictional behavior of rock joints under dynamic conditions needs to be investigated. In this study, a shaking table test system was set up and a series of dynamic test was carried out to examine the dynamic frictional behavior of rock joints. In addition, a computer program was developed, which calculated the acceleration and deformation of the sliding block theoretically based on Newmark sliding block procedure. The static friction angle was back-calculated by measuring yield acceleration at the onset of slide. The dynamic friction angle was estimated by closely approximating the experimental results to the program-simulated responses. As a result of dynamic testing, the static friction angle at the onset of slide as well as the dynamic friction angle during sliding were estimated to be significantly lower than tilt angle. The difference between the tilt angle and the static friction angle was $4.5\~8.2^{\circ}$ and the difference between the tilt angle and the dynamic friction angle was $2.0\~7.5^{\circ}$. The decreasing trend was influenced by the magnitude of the base acceleration and inclination angle. A DEM program was used to simulate the shaking table test and the result well simulated the experimental behavior. Friction angles obtained by shaking table test were significantly lower than basic friction angle by direct shear test.