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Effects of mixed-ground condition on tool life and cutterhead maintenance of tunnel boring machines

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Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the impact of mixed ground conditions and the presence of groundwater, which are critical geotechnical variables during mechanized tunneling, on the tool life, reliability, and maintainability of the EPB-TBM cutterhead. To achieve this goal, field data from the Tabriz urban railway project were gathered and classified into two groups: failures occurring in the tunnel's upper section above the water level and failures in the lower section below the water level. A comprehensive analysis of this data was conducted. The examination of various cutting tool types' consumption in mixed ground conditions revealed that scrapers had the highest replacement rate, while other tool types experienced fewer replacements. In terms of maintainability, the analysis showed that under dry ground conditions, there is an 80% probability of completing cutterhead maintenance within less than four shifts. However, in saturated ground conditions, this figure rises to 18.5 shifts. The reliability analysis demonstrated that the mean time between failures in dry ground and below the water level stands at 49.8 and 107.4 h, respectively. The significant contrast between maintainability and reliability findings underscores the influence of ground conditions on machine downtime and operational efficiency. The outcomes of this study provide valuable operational benchmarks that can be applied in EPB mechanized tunneling, enabling better project scheduling and enhancing the reliability of construction contracts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their gratitude to the Tabriz Urban Railway Organization (TURO) for their invaluable technical support and assistance during the data collection process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

    Sayfoddin Moosazadeh

  2. Department of Mining Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 841568311, Iran

    Seyed Hadi Hoseinie

  3. Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    Behzad Ghodrati

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  1. Sayfoddin Moosazadeh
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  2. Seyed Hadi Hoseinie
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  3. Behzad Ghodrati
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Correspondence to Seyed Hadi Hoseinie.

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Moosazadeh, S., Hoseinie, S.H. & Ghodrati, B. Effects of mixed-ground condition on tool life and cutterhead maintenance of tunnel boring machines. Int J Syst Assur Eng Manag 14, 2586–2594 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-023-02121-w

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