• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.403-413
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• 2015

This paper presents the cutter bit damage due to the rotation speed of shield TBM cutter head in the mixed ground. The efficient of cutter bits and disk cutter are very important for tunnelling in mixed ground. In particular, this research is focused on the performance of cutter bits during excavation in mixed ground which is consist of the weathered soil and rock formation. In order to carry out this research, the experimental works are prepared performed by using the scaled shield TBM cutter bits evaluation machine developed. The mixed ground is prepared considering with a scale effect of tunnel size. Three different rotation speeds of shield TBM cutter head (i.e. 2, 3, 4 rpm) are applied in the experimental work. The drag forces acting on the cutter bits are measured at each cutter bit during rotation of cutter head. It is also analysed the variation of drag forces due to the rotation speed of shield TBM cutter head. The results of this research are clearly shown that the drag forces acting on the cutter bits are jumped up at the boundary between weathered soil and rock. It is also indicated that the jamping drag forces are increased with increasing the rotation speed of the cutter head. It is found from the research that the higher rotation speed of shield TBM cutter head will be high risk in the mixed ground. It is, therefore, suggested that the use of lower rotation speed of shield TBM cutter head is recommended for reducing the cutter bit damage in practice.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.67-76
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• 2012

This study is a research about cutter bits arrangement of shield-TBM and carried out a scale model test and numerical analysis according to a space of cutter bits. A cutter head pressures and an advance time are measured to be followed by the space of cutter bits with an advance speed through the scale model test. We conducted the numerical analysis to verify the result of the scale model test, and to compare with the scale model test. There are three cases of space : unification 1.0D and 1.5D. In case TBM is excavated and space is 1.0D, the advance speed is much faster than the other cases, and pressure of face of ground deformation and cutter head is maintained stably. If additional researches about bits arrangement of cutter head of sand ground based on the result of this research are performed, substantial results may be obtained.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.57-78
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• 2022

The disc cutter and cutterbit, which are the most important factors to increase the excavation efficiency of TBM, are key factors in the design and construction of the cutter head. The arrangement, spacing, number, size, and material of disc cutters suitable for the ground conditions determine the success or failure of TBM construction. The disc cutter, which is a representative consumable part in TBM construction, can cause enormous disruption to the construction cost as well as the construction cost unless accurate prediction of wear and replacement cycle is accompanied. Therefore, in this study, the method of calculating the replacement cycle of the disc cutter calculated at the time of design for the slurry shield TBM field, and the depth of wear and replacement location of the disc cutter that occurred during actual construction were compared by analyzing the field data. For a quantitative comparison, weathered soil/weathered rock, soft rock, and hard rock were classified according to the ground in the section showing constant excavation data, and the trajectory of circle was different depending on the location of the disc cutter, so it was compared and analyzed.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2010

Shield method is the tunnel boring method that propels a steel cylinder in the ground and excavates tunnels at once. After Marc Isambard Brunel started using the method for the Thames Riverbed Tunnel excavation in London, many kinds of TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) developed and applied for the construction of road, railway, electricity channel, pipeline, etc. In comparison with NATM concept that allows to observe ground condition and copes with difficulty. The machine selected before starting construction is not able to be changed during construction in shield TBM. Therefore the machine should be designed based on the ground survey result and experiment, so that the tunnel might be excavated effectively by controlling penetration speed, excavation depth and cutter head speed according to the ground condition change. This research was conducted to estimate penetration depth, excavate speed, wear of disc cutter on Boondang Railway of the Han Riverbed Tunnel ground condition by TBM performance prediction models such as NTNU, $Q_{TBM}$, Total Hardness, KICT-SNU and compare the estimated value with the field data. The estimation method is also used to analyze the reason of poor excavation efficiency at south bound tunnel.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.689-698
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• 2019

In tunnel excavation by TBMs, a cutterhead, which practically excavates the ground, is an important part directly affecting net penetration rate. Most of the researches on the cutterhead design that have been carried out until now are on the cutter arrangement. It is difficult to find a study for the effect of the scraper installation direction on TBM excavation although same cutterheads except for direction of the scraper are used in Korea. Therefore, this paper shows how the direction of scraper installation affects shield-TBM excavation. Discrete element method was used to identify the effect of scraper installation direction on shield-TBM excavation. When the scraper installation direction was outward, the amount of particles per unit time flowed into the cutter head opening was smaller than when the scraper installation direction was inward, and more loads were applied to the cutterhead.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.281-302
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• 2021

Railway projects have been consistently increasing in Korea. In relation to this trend, the mechanized tunneling using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is preferably applied for mining urban areas and passing under rivers. The TBM tunneling under difficult grounds like mixed faces with high water pressure could require ground improvements for stable TBM advance or safe cutter head intervention (CHI). In this study, pre-grouting works for CHI in Daegok-Sosa railway project are presented in terms of the grouting zone design, the executions and the results, the lessons learned from the experience. It should be mentioned that the grouting from inside TBM was carried out several times and turned out to be inefficient in the project. Therefore, grouting experiences from the surface are highlighted in this study. Jet grouting was implemented on CHI points on land, while permeation grouting off shore in the Han River, which mostly allow to access the cutter head of TBM in free air with stable faces. The results of CHI works have been analyzed and the lesson learned are suggested.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.233-252
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• 2021

This paper is a study to improve the efficiency of mixing technology in the shield TBM chamber. Currently, the number of construction cases using the TBM method is increasing in Korea. According to the increasing use of TBM method, research on TBM method such as Disc Cutter, Cutter bit, and Segment also shows an increasing trend. However, there is little research on the mixing efficiency in chamber and chamber. In order to improve the smooth soil treatment and the behavior of the excavated soil, a study was conducted on the change of the mixing efficiency according to the effective mixing bar arrangement in the chamber. In the scale model experiment, the ground was composed using plastic materials of different colors for ease of identification. In addition, the mixing bar arrangement was different and classified into 4 cases, and the particle size distribution was classified into single particle size and multiple particle size, and the experiment was conducted with a total of 8 cases. The rotation speed of the cutter head of all cases was the same as 5 RPM, and the experiment time was also carried out in the same condition, 1 minute and 30 seconds. In order to check the mixing efficiency, samples at the upper, middle (left or right), and lower positions of each case were collected and analyzed. As a result of the scaled-down model experiment, the mixing efficiency of Case 4 and Case 4-1 increased compared to Case 1 and Case 1-1, which are actually used. Accordingly, it is expected that the mixing efficiency can be increased by changing the arrangement of the mixing bar in the chamber, and it is considered to be effective in saving air as the mixing efficiency increases. Therefore, this study is considered to be an important indicator for the use of shield TBM in Korea.

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

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.321-329
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• 2022

Tunnel site where high water pressure is applied, such as subsea tunnel, generally selects the shield TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) to maintain the tunnel excavation face. The shield TBM has cutters installed, and the cutters wear out during the process of excavation, so it should be checked and replaced regularly. This is called CHI (Cutterhead Intervention). The conventional CHI under high water pressure is very disadvantageous in terms of safety and economics because humans perform work in response to high water pressure and huge water inflow in the chamber. To overcome this disadvantage, this study proposes a new method to dramatically reduce water pressure and water ingress by injecting an appropriate grout solution into the front of the tunnel face through the shield TBM chamber, called New Face Grouting Method (NFGM). The tunnel model tests were performed to determine the characteristics, injection volume, and curing time of grout solution to be applied to the NFGM. Model test apparatus was composed of a pressure soil tank, a model shield TBM, a grout tank, and an air compressor to measure the amount of water inflow into the chamber. The model tests were conducted by changing the injection amount of the grout solution, the curing time after the grout injection, and the water/cement ratio of grout solution. From an economic point of view, the results showed that the injection volume of 1.0 L, curing time of 6 hours, and water/cement ratio of the grout solution between 1.5 and 2.0 are the most economical. It can be concluded that this study has presented a method to economically perform the CHI under the high water pressure.