Abstract
Earth pressure balance (EPB) shield excavation in cohesive strata frequently encounters cutterhead clogging, consuming time and economic costs. Engineering practice shows that cutterhead aperture ratio, soil chamber pressure and soil conditioning have important influences on the clogging behavior of EPB shields. In order to study these factors, a series of laboratory tests were conducted using a setup that can closely simulate the shield tunnelling process. The indicators analyzed were excavation speed, torque, specific energy and soil distribution on the cutterhead. The results indicate that cutterhead aperture and cutter arrangement are important factors in clogging potential. Clogging creates a significant reduction in excavation speed. Torque is not a sensitive parameter reflecting clogging because of the effect of the consolidated soil on the cutters. The presence of soil chamber pressure makes it difficult to remove the clogging through the shearing action of the excavation surface. The injection of a sufficient amount of foam can reduce the risk of shield clogging, but it may lead to an increase of soil adhesion on the cutterhead. The amount of soil that adheres to the cutterhead cannot be used as a classification criterion for clogging potential. Based on experimental phenomena and established studies, a mechanical model called ‘beam-bridge’ was proposed to study the behavior of the soil through the cutterhead opening and damage form of clogging. The results will help to the excavation control of EPB shields.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alberto-Hernandez Y, Kang C, Yi Y, Bayat A (2017) Mechanical properties of clayey soil relevant for clogging potential. International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 12(6):529–536, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2017.1311086
Avunduk E, Copur H (2019) Effect of clogging on EPB TBM performance: A case study in akfirat waste water tunnel, Turkey. Geotechnical and Geological Engineerin 37(6):4789–4801, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-019-00938-6
Barzegari G, Tirkhooni M, Khabbazi A (2020) Experimental assessment of clayey layers for clogging of TBM in Tabriz subway lines, Iran. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 105:103560, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2020.103560
Basmenj AK, Ghaffoori M, Cheshomi A, Azandariani YK (2016) Adhesion of clay to metal surface; Normal and tangential measurement. Geomechanics and Engineering 10(2):125–135, DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/GAE.2016.10.2.125
Burbaum U, Sass I (2017) Physics of adhesion of soils to solid surfaces. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 76(3):1097–1105, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0875-5
Chen Z, Bezuijen A, Fang Y, Wang K, Deng R (2022) Experimental study and field validation on soil clogging of EPB shields in completely decomposed granite. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 120:104300, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2021.104300
Cui J, Fang Y, Xu G, Wu C, Liu S, Chen S, Liu F (2021) Transportation performance of large-sized pebbles in slurry circulation system: A laboratory study. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering 46(11):10519–10539, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-05394-0
de Oliveira, Thewes M, Diederichs MS, Langmaack L (2018) EPB tunnelling through clay-sand mixed soils: Proposed methodology for clogging evaluation. Geomechanics and Tunnelling 11(4):375–387, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/geot.201800009
Fang, Y, Wang K, Tao L, Liu P, Deng R (2020) Experimental study on clogging of cutterhead for panel earth-pressure-balance shield tunneling in cohesive strata. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 42(9):1651–1658, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11779/CJGE202009009 (in Chinese)
Fu J, Xia Y, Lan H, Wu D, Lin L (2021) A case study on TBM cutterhead temperature monitoring and mud cake formation discrimination method. Scientific Report 11(1):19983, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99439-x
Grasmick J, Mooney M (2021) A probabilistic geostatistics-based approach to tunnel boring machine cutter tool wear and cutterhead clogging prediction. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 147(12):05021014, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002701
Hollmann FS, Thewes M (2013) Assessment method for clay clogging and disintegration of fines in mechanised tunnelling. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 37:96–106, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2013.03.010
Kang C, Wu Y, Yi Y, Bayat A (2019) Assessment of the clogging potential of two clays. Applied Clay Science 178:105134, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.105134
Kang C, Yi Y, Bayat A (2020) Performance evaluation of TBM clogging potential for plain and conditioning soil using a newly developed laboratory apparatus. International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 14(5):463–472, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2018.1439671
Kang C, Zhou Y, Bayat A (2022) Improved index to quantitatively assess clogging potential based on mixing test results. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 120:104251, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2021.104251
Khabbazi A, Ghaffoori M, Tarigh azali S, Cheshomi A (2019) Experimental and laboratory assessment of clogging potential based on adhesion. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environmen 78(1):605–616, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-017-1044-1
Khabbazi BA, Mirjavan A, Ghafoori M, Cheshomi A (2017) Assessment of the adhesion potential of kaolinite and montmorillonite using a pull-out test device. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 76(4):1507–1519, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0921-3
Lee H, Kim DY, Shin D, Oh J, Choi H (2022) Effect of foam conditioning on performance of EPB shield tunnelling through laboratory excavation test. Transportation Geotechnics 32:100692, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2021.100692
Liu P, Wang S, Ge L, Thewes M, Yang J, Xia Y (2018) Changes of Atterberg limits and electrochemical behaviors of clays with dispersants as conditioning agents for EPB shield tunnelling. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 73:244–251, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2017.12.026
Martinelli D, Peila D, Campa E (2015) Feasibility study of tar sands conditioning for earth pressure balance tunnelling. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 7(6):684–690, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.09.002
Milatz M, Grabe J, Delle M (2019) Bewertung von verklebungen und werkzeugverschleiß im lockergestein anhand von modellversuchen. Geotechnik 42(2):59–75, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/gete.201800017
Mohammadi SD, Firuzi M, Asghari Kaljahi E (2016) Geological–geotechnical risk in the use of EPB-TBM, case study: Tabriz Metro, Iran. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 75(4):1571–1583, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-015-0797-7
Oliveira DGG, Thewes M, Diederichs MS (2019a) Clogging and flow assessment of cohesive soils for EPB tunnelling: Proposed laboratory tests for soil characterisation. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 94:103110, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2019.103110
Oliveira DGG, Thewes M, Diederichs MS (2019b) EPB machine excavation of mixed soils–Laboratory characterisation. Geomechanics and Tunnelling 12(4):373–385, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/geot.201900014
Peila D (2014) Soil conditioning for EPB shield tunnelling. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 18(3):831–836, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-014-0023-3
Peila D, Picchio A, Martinelli D, Negro ED (2016) Laboratory tests on soil conditioning of clayey soil. Acta Geotechnica 11(5):1061–1074, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0406-8
Shirlaw JN (2016) Pressurised TBM tunnelling in mixed face conditions resulting from tropical weathering of igneous rock. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 57:225–240, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2016.01.018
Spagnoli G, Feinendegen M, Ziegler M (2019) Assessing the clogging potential of clay/additivemixtures by cone pull-out tests. Geomechanics and Tunnelling 12(4):362–371, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/geot.201900008
Spagnoli G, Stanjek H, Feinendegen M (2014) Electrical manipulation of the clogging properties of ypresian and boom clays. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 20(1):99–108, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.20.1.99
Teale R (1965) The concept of specific energy in rock drilling. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts 2(1):57–73, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(65)90022-7
Thewes M, Burger W (2005) Clogging of TBM drives in clay–identification and mitigation of risks. Proceedings ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, 737–742
Vinai R, Oggeri C, Peila D (2008) Soil conditioning of sand for EPB applications: A laboratory research. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 23(3):308–317, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2007.04.010
Wan Z, Li S, Yuan C, Zhao S, Wang M, Lu Q, Hou W (2021) Soil conditioning for EPB shield tunneling in silty clay and weathered mudstone. International Journal of Geomechanics 21(9):06021020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002119
Wang S, Liu P, Hu Q, Zhong J (2020) Effect of dispersant on the tangential adhesion strength between clay and metal for EPB shield tunnelling. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 95:103144, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2019.103144
Ye X, Wang S, Yang J, Sheng D, Xiao C (2017) Soil conditioning for EPB shield tunneling in argillaceous siltstone with high content of clay minerals: Case study. International Journal of Geomechanics 17(4):05016002, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000791
Zumsteg R, PLöTZE M, Puzrin A (2013b) Reduction of the clogging potential of clays: New chemical applications and novel quantification approaches. Géotechnique 63(4):276–286, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.SIP13.P.005
Zumsteg R, PLöTZE M, Puzrin AM (2013a) Effects of dispersing foams and polymers on the mechanical behaviour of clay pastes. Géotechnique 63(11):920–933, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.12.P.044
Zumsteg R, Plötze M, Puzrin AM (2012) Effect of soil conditioners on the pressure and rate-dependent shear strength of different clays. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 138(9):1138–1146, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000681
Zumsteg R, Puzrin AM (2012) Stickiness and adhesion of conditioned clay pastes. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 31:86–96, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2012.04.010
Zumsteg R, Puzrin AM, Anagnostou G (2016) Effects of slurry on stickiness of excavated clays and clogging of equipment in fluid supported excavations. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 58:197–208, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2016.05.006
Acknowledgments
This paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 52078428), Sichuan Outstanding Young Science and Technology Talent Project (No: 2020JDJQ0032).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Xu, G., Fang, Y., Wang, Y. et al. Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Aperture Ratio, Chamber Pressure and Soil Conditioning on the Clogging Behavior of EPB Shields. KSCE J Civ Eng 27, 4508–4519 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-1608-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-1608-5