• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.163-176
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• 2017

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been widely used in civil engineering as well as various industrial fields to simulate granular materials. In this study, DEM was adopted to predict the performance of the face plate-type earth pressure balance (EPB) shield TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine). An analysis of the TBM excavation performance was conducted according to two pre-defined excavation conditions with the different rotation speeds per minute (RPM) of the cutterhead. The TBM model which was used in this study has a 6.64 m of diameter and six spokes. Also, 37 precutters and 98 scrapers at an each spoke were modeled with a real-scale specification. From the analysis, compressive forces at the cutterhead face, shield and cutting tools, resistant torques at the cutterhead face, muck discharge rate and accumulated muck discharge by the screw auger were measured and compared.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-74
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• 2016

This paper presents a case study on the ground settlement and volume loss estimation for slurry pressure balanced shield TBM tunnelling in weathered zone of granite rock. Settlement at each stage of shield tunnelling was analyzed and the volume losses and settlement trough factors were estimated from observations. In addition, using the existing volume loss evaluation method in literature, volume losses were estimated considering ground properties and actual driving parameters. Most of ground settlement occurred during passage of shield skin passage and after backfill grouting, and the measured total volume loss and trough curves appeared to coincide with literature. Shield and tail loss obtained from field measurement were found to be around 90% and 60% of the predictions, where tail loss indicated larger deviation than shield loss.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.831-840
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• 2013

The noise levels of workers in tunnel sites are likely to be high because tunneling work places are confined space. However, research on the noise exposure levels of tunneling workers have not been performed intensively due to restricted accessibility to tunnel construction sites. The aim of this study is to evaluate the noise exposure levels for workers engaged in tunneling work sites. Noise dosimeters were used for monitoring workers' noise exposure level in 5 tunneling work sites in accordance with the Notification of the Ministry of Labor. Among 5 tunneling work sites, 4 of them used NATM tunneling method and 1 work site used shield TBM tunneling method. The average noise exposure levels of NATM tunneling workers was 81.1 dB(A) and 15.4 % of the workers' noise level were exposed more than 90 dB(A) which is the exposure limit value. In Shield TBM tunneling method, 4.3 % of the workers were exposed more than 90 dB(A) of noise level, the average noise exposure levels of TBM tunneling workers was 84.1 dB(A).

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.562-570
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• 2010

This study was conducted to estimate the number of disc cutter consumption and to predict amount of disc cutters when a shield TBM(Tunnel Boring Machine) of the Han Riverbed Tunnel was applied. In fact, it is almost impossible to change the machine after starting the excavation using the shield TBM method. Therefore, it is important to design an appropriate equipment in the shield method - an efficiency choice of the operation equipment plays a key role in the shield tunnel processing. For the above reason, the disc cutter consumption prediction is quite important so that the detailed analysis is required. A number of disc cutter consumption was predicted by the three methods, viz. KOMATSU, MITSUBISHI and NTNU. In addition, the predicted results were compared with field data. The prediction of disc cutter consumption showed that 237 for KOMATSU, 501 for MITSUBISHI, and 634 for NTNU, respectively. However, a total number of 1,263 disc cutter consumption were investigated during the tunnel construction. It was found that there was a huge difference between the predicted and real values of the disc cutter consumption. The more detailed investigation showed that the disc cutter was worn out bluntly in the northbound tunnel, meanwhile it was worn out sharply in the southbound tunnel. In particular, the disc cutter consumption in the southbound tunnel was increased rapidly because of rear abrasion for remaining mucks in the chamber.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.683-697
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• 2012

In this paper, a risk analysis methodology applicable to shield TBM tunnels was studied. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) was utilized to identify all risk items and to calculate the probability of failure of each item and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to obtain the impact of each risk item. Finally, a risk level of each risk item can be assessed. Developed methodology is applied to a Seoul subway site in which EPB shield tunnel method was utilized and it was found that risk analysis results matched reasonably well with field data.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.243-256
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• 2019

Formation of filter cake with little slurry penetration into the tunnel face ground is an essential factor to successfully apply the slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) for tunnelling work. However, when the bentonite slurry is in contact with seawater, it is not easy to guarantee the filter cake formation due to decrease of the swelling volume and viscosity of the slurry. In this study, in order to evaluate the effect of the seawater on the applicability of the slurry shield TBM method, the slurry injection tests were carried out with the variation of seawater percentage contained in the slurry samples as well as the variation of soil types. And then, the effect of these two factors on the slurry clogging phenomena was theoretically and experimentally figure out. As a result, it was found that the value of the slurry clogging criteria (SCC) indicating the applicability of the slurry shield TBM significantly decreases up to 67% as the percentage of seawater increases from 0% up to 20%. In addition, it was found to be necessary to take into account both the characteristics of slurry and soil types together when judging the applicability of the slurry shield TBM method by assessing the slurry penetration characteristics that will occur during tunnelling work.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.261-275
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• 2012

This paper presents numerical analysis of the mud cake infiltration behaviour which is influenced tunnel face stability during excavation by slurry shield TBM. This analysis method can make useful data to select proper shield TBM type and to set up the construction plan. But effective analysis did not proposed until now. In this paper, we carried out numerical analysis using by $PFC^{2D}$ fluid coupling simulation which is suitable for sandy soil modelling. As a analysis result, we checked that the slurry infiltration behaviour varied with soil permeability and slurry characteristic(specific weight, viscosity etc). This analysis method is helpful safety excavation through anticipating the proper slurry viscosity at the design stage and verifying the slurry quality at initial excavation stage.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.799-812
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• 2017

Backfill grouting and realistic convergence distribution were not properly considered in previous studies on 2D numerical analysis of a shield TBM tunnel. In this study, a modeling method was suggested to cope with this problem by considering a realistic convergence distribution and proper properties of backfill grouting. To this end, the influence of gap parameter and depth of rock cover on volume loss and composed of ground volume loss around tunnel excavation and surface volume loss were analyzed with a single layer of weathered soil. As a result, most of surface settlements were occurred immediately after excavation. Additional, as depth of rock cover and gap parameter increased, the influence range of surface settlement curves obtained from 2D numerical analyses became broader than a suggested theoretical equation. Therefore, it is inferred that gap parameter should be applied based on load distribution ratio and the property of backfill grouting properly considered for the estimation of the precise behavior of a shield TBM tunnel in 2D numerical analysis.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.299-311
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• 2023

Continuous excavation technologies are developed to improve the excavation rate of shield TBM. Continuous excavation is a technology that provides thrust to segments, excluding being installed one, to reduce tunneling downtime. This paper investigated the prior technology related to continuous excavation segments. The main technology was classified into helical segment, honeycomb segment, and conventional segment methods. The helical segment method has not been applied in actual construction yet, and the honeycomb segment method has not succeeded in commercialization. The continuous excavation method using conventional segments has been successfully demonstrated. The thrust force and operation method of the thrust jacks for the semi-continuous technology were analyzed. Continuous excavation TBM research is also progressing in Korea, and through the analysis of successful cases, the need to develop independent continuous excavation methods has been identified.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 2015

In this study, the new segment assembling method using cable tensible force was developed to improve the problem of bolt assembling method of shield tunnel. In the field test construction, cable assembling method reduced the assembling time of segment in comparison with bolt assembling method because of guide role of segment shear-key. In the result of measuring the necessary time for segment assembling process, it took 420sec to assemble one segment in bolt method and 400sec to assemble one segment in cable method, but in case of using the cable automatic feeder, it could reduce the necessary time as 60sec in comparison with bolt assembling method. The cable automatic system modeling using BIM, that connected shield TBM also will be utilized in the area of design TBM, excavation plan, method process understanding, construction management and so on.