• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.127-136
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• 2019

Tunnel construction by TBMs should be supported by the performance of a screw conveyor in order to obtain the optimum penetration rate, so studies related to the screw conveyor performance have been being conducted. Compared to the study on the performance of the screw conveyor for the soil, however, the research on the performance of the screw conveyor for the rock is insufficient. Considering the domestic tunnel sites with more rock layers than soil layers, simulation of discharge of 6 types of rock chips by the screw conveyor was conducted using DEM. Regardless of the shape and volume of the rock chips, the discharge rates of the rock chips by the parallel placed screw conveyor at a speed of 10 RPM in the same rock mass were about 20% (standard deviation: 1.3%) of the maximum volume of discharge rate by the screw conveyor. It is expected that this study can be used as a reference material for screw conveyor design and operation in TBM excavations in rock masses.