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Effect of Soil Conditioning on Saturated Sand Layers in EPB Shields: A Microstructural Analysis Based on CT Scanning and SEM

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Abstract

Soil conditioning of an earth pressure balance shield in a saturated sand layer aims to impart adequate flow plasticity and impermeability. Thus, the effect of soil conditioning on the saturated sand layer was analyzed for Harbin Metro Line 2 in the tunnel section project from Harbin North Station to Dagengjia Station, and the optimal soil conditioning ratio was obtained through experiments on medium sand using foam, bentonite, and carboxymethyl cellulose. In addition, the microscopic pores and shape characteristics of the soil before and after conditioning were compared using computerized tomography (CT) scanning and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the microscopic effect of soil conditioning. The current research results revealed that the soil conditioning reduced the particle size dispersion and improved the particle gradation, and the conditioned soil particles were more uniform than the original soil sample. Moreover, the CT scanning images processed using the threshold method illustrated that the pores of the conditioned soil were independent of each other, no continuous channels were formed, and the porosity of each layer was under 4%. In addition, the SEM images confirmed that the clay mineral composition improved the angularity and sharpness of the sand particles, and the flocculent aggregate structure, formed in combination with the sand particles, reduced the soil permeability. Furthermore, the practical application of the optimal ratio of conditioning materials, obtained experimentally and verified through the aforementioned observation, yielded proper results in the field construction, and the spewing of the screw conveyor during the shield tunneling process was avoided.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1261212).

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1261212).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zhiyong Yang, Xing Yang, Yanjie Ding, Yusheng Jiang, Xiaokang Shao, Weiqiang Qi & Nan Liu

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  1. Zhiyong Yang
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Correspondence to Zhiyong Yang.

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Yang, Z., Yang, X., Ding, Y. et al. Effect of Soil Conditioning on Saturated Sand Layers in EPB Shields: A Microstructural Analysis Based on CT Scanning and SEM. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 12387–12397 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-06397-7

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