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New technical combination of seawater and ultrasound wave energy for excavation of highly plastic sticky clays in urban EPB tunneling

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Abstract

In urban tunneling with an earth pressure balance-tunnel boring machine (EPB-TBM), highly plastic clays or sticky clay containing fine-grained sediments makes tunneling conditions more difficult. The proper amount and consistency of the ground conditioning chemicals to be used for the excavation of these difficult or complex geological units are also controversial. Due to the lack of proper management and optimization of such chemical foaming agents in accordance with the excavation material and tunneling method, some environmental impacts may occur. However, environmental pollution and its effects, in other words, the ecological costs emerged as a result of exposure to these chemicals, can sometimes be ignored.

In this study, the use of seawater is proposed as a ground conditioning agent in EPB-TBM operations and the use in addition of ultrasound wave energy application on fine-grained and highly plastic sedimentary clays conditioned with seawater.

Preliminary analyses and evaluations of the new eco-technical combination indicate that the seawater can easily compete with existing sodium-based foaming agent (SLES) on a laboratory scale by providing the required dispersive effect, which can be enhanced with ultrasonic applications.

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Acknowledgements

A part of the research was supported within the scope of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) (Project no: 214 M431). The author would like to thank the TUBITAK for financial support. The author also is grateful to Professor M. Dogan Kantarci for his valuable and constructive suggestions. The author would like to express her sincere thanks to Professor Ergin Arıoglu and Professor Nuh Bilgin for their valuable academic supports. The author also thanks to M.Sc. Irfan Serkan Binen, and Mining Eng. Yusufcan Yalciner their helps throughout this research.

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  1. Mining Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Avcılar, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nuray Tokgöz

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Tokgöz, N. New technical combination of seawater and ultrasound wave energy for excavation of highly plastic sticky clays in urban EPB tunneling. Bull Eng Geol Environ 79, 3195–3205 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01720-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01720-x

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