Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation on the Cracking Character of Jointed Rock Mass Beneath TBM Disc Cutter

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

With the purpose to investigate the influence of joint dip angle and spacing on the TBM rock-breaking efficacy and cracking behaviour, experiments that include miniature cutter head tests are carried out on sandstone rock material. In the experiment, prefabricated joints of different forms are made in rock samples. Then theoretical analysis is conducted to improve the calculating models of the fractured work and crack length of rock in the TBM process. The experimental results indicate that lower rupture angles appear for specimens with joint dip angles between 45° and 60°. Meanwhile, rock-breaking efficacy for rock mass with joint dip angles in this interval is also higher. Besides, the fracture patterns are transformed from compressive shear mode to tensile shear mode as the joint spacing decreases. As a result, failure in a greater extent is resulted for specimens with smaller joint spacings. The results above suggest that joint dip angle between 45° and 60° and joint spacing of 1 cm are the optimal rock-breaking conditions for the tested specimens. Combining the present experimental data and taking the joint dip angle and spacing into consideration, the calculating model for rock fractured work that proposed by previous scholars is improved. Finally, theoretical solution of rock median and side crack length is also derived based on the analytical method of elastoplastic invasion fracture for indenter. The result of the analytical solution is also in good agreement with the actual measured experimental result. The present study may provide some primary knowledge about the rock cracking character and breaking efficacy under different engineering conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

α :

Rock joint angle

θ :

Dip angle of the primary crack face

β :

Intersection angles between the primary crack and the joint face

ψ :

The cutting angle of the cutter head on the rock mass

d :

Joint spacing

W :

Rock fractured work

F :

Axial stress in the loading process

E(F):

The expected value of the axial stress

u :

Total rock cutting depth

K r :

Stress intensity factor

K c :

Material toughness K c

E :

The Young’s modulus

c :

The median crack length

c * :

The side crack length

V :

The volume of the plastic zone

H :

The indentation pressure

a :

A characteristic dimension of the indentation

F :

The acting force on the rock mass

\( \nu \) :

The Poisson’s ratio

h :

The height of the side crack to the rock horizontal surface

References

  • Barla G (2000) Lessons learnt from the excavation of a large diameter TBM tunnel in complex hydrogeological conditions. In: Geo2000, an international conference on geotechnical and geological engineering, Melbourne, pp 938–996

  • Barla G, Pelizza S (2000) TBM tunneling in difficult ground conditions. In: Geo Eng 2000, an international conference on geotechnical and geological engineering, Melbourne, pp 20

  • Barton N (2000) TBM tunnelling in jointed and faulted rock. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, p 172

    Google Scholar 

  • Bejari H, Hamidi JK (2009) Simultaneous effects of joint spacing and orientation on the penetration rate of TBM using numerical modeling. In: Proceedings of the international society for rock mechanics (ISRM) international symposium on rock mechanics, SINOROCK 2009, Hong Kong, May 2009

  • Bejari H, Hamidi JK (2013) Simultaneous effects of joint spacing and orientation on TBM cutting efficiency in jointed rock masses. Rock Mech Rock Eng 46:897–907

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruland A (1998) Hard rock tunnel boring. PhD thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao P, Lin QB, Li KH, Han DY (2017) Effects of joint angle and joint space on rock fragmentation efficiency by two TBM disc cutters. J Cent South Univ (Sci Technol) 48(5):1298–1299 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho JW, Jeon S, Jeong HY, Chang SH (2013) Evaluation of cutting efficiency during TBM disc cutter excavation within a Korean granitic rock using linear-cutting-machine testing and photogrammetric measurement. Tunn Undergr Space Tech 35(4):37–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Entacher M, Schuller E, Galler R (2015) Rock failure and crack propagation beneath disc cutters. Rock Mech Rock Eng 48:1559–1572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans AG, Gulden ME, Rosenblatt M (1978) Impact Damage in Brittle Materials in the Elastic-Plastic Response Regime. Proc R Soc 361(1706):343–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong QM, Zhao J, Jiao YY (2005) Numerical modeling of the effects of joint orientation on rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. Tun Under Sp Tech 20(2):183–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong QM, Zhao J, Jiao YY (2006) Numerical modelling of the effects of joint spacing on rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. Tun Under Sp Tech 21(1):46–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth DF (1981) The effect of jointed and fissured rock on the performance of tunnel boring machines. In: Proceedings of the international symposium on weak rock, Tokyo, Japan, September 1981, pp 1069–1074

  • Innaurato N, Oggeri C, Oreste PP, Vinai R (2007) Experimental and numerical studies on rock breaking with TBM tools under high stress confinement. Rock Mech Rock Eng 40(5):429–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Innaurato N, Oggeri C, Oreste P, Vinai R (2011) Laboratory tests to study the influence of rock stress confinement on the performances of TBM discs in tunnels. Int J Miner Metall Mater 18(3):253–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawn BR, Evans AG, Marshall DB (1980) Elastic/plastic indentation damage in ceramics: the medial radial crack system. J Am Cerum Soc 63:574–581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JT, Gu DS, Cao P, Wu C (2009) Interrelated law between mode-I fracture toughness and compression strength of rock. J Cent South Univ (Sci Technol) 40(6):1695–1699 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindqvist PA, Lai HH (1983) Behaviour of the crushed zone in rock indentation. Rock Mech Rock Eng 16:199–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall DB (1983) Geometrical effects in elastic/plastic indentation. J Am Cerum Soc 7(1):57–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall DB, Evansa G (1982) Elastic/plastic indentation damage in ceramics: the lateral cracks system. J Am Cerum Soc 65(11):561–566

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rostami J (1997) Development of a force estimation model for rock fragmentation with disc cutters through theoretical modelling and physical measurement of crushed zone pressure. Colorado School of Mines, Golden

    Google Scholar 

  • Rostami J, Ozdemir L (1993) New model for performance production of hard rock TBMs. In: Rapid excavation and tunnelling conferences, Boston, MA, USA, pp 793–809

  • Sanio HP (1985) Prediction of the performance of disc cutters in anisotropic rock. In: International journal of rock mechanics and mining sciences and geomechanics abstracts, vol 22, no. 3, pp 153–161

  • Su O, Akcin NA (2011) Numerical simulation of rock cutting using the discrete element method. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 48:434–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vergara IM, Saroglou C (2017) Prediction of TBM performance in mixed-face ground conditions. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 69:116–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wanner H, Aeberli U (1979) Tunnelling machine performance in jointed rock. In: Proceedings of 4th congress of the international society for rock mechanics, Montreux, vol 1, pp 573–580

  • Xiao N, Zhou XP, Gong QM (2017) The modelling of rock breakage process by TBM rolling cutters using 3D FEM-SPH coupled method. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 61:90–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang HQ, Wang H, Zhou XP (2016) Analysis on the damage behavior of mixed ground during TBM cutting process. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 57:55–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin LJ, Miao CT, He GW, Dai FC, Gong QM (2016) Study on the influence of joint spacing on rock fragmentation under TBM cutter by linear cutting test. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 57:137–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZX (2004) Estimate of loading rate for a TBM machine based on measured cutter forces. Rock Mech Rock Eng 37(3):239–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao FJ, Li XB, Feng T, Xie SY (2005) Theoretical analysis and experiments of rock fragmentation under coupling dynamic and static loads. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 24(8):1315–1320

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Gong QM, Eisensten Z (2007) Tunnelling through a frequently changing and mixed ground: a case history in Singapore. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 22:388–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao XB, Yao XH, Gong QM, Ma HS, Li XZ (2015) Comparison study on rock crack pattern under a single normal and inclined disc cutter by linear cutting experiments. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 50:479–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zou F, Li HB, Zhou QC, Mo ZZ, Zhu XM, Niu L, Yang FW (2012) Experimental study of influence of joint space and joint angle on rock fragmentation by TBM disc cutter. Rock Soil Mech 33(6):1640–1646 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The financial support from the fundamental research funds for the Natural Science Fund of China (No. 51409026), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2014CB046903), and the general project of Chongqing Foundation (cstc2017shmsA30017) are greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Haiqing Yang, Junfeng Liu & Bolong Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of New Technology for Construction of Cities in Mountain Area, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Haiqing Yang, Junfeng Liu & Bolong Liu

Authors
  1. Haiqing Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Junfeng Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bolong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haiqing Yang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, H., Liu, J. & Liu, B. Investigation on the Cracking Character of Jointed Rock Mass Beneath TBM Disc Cutter. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51, 1263–1277 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1395-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1395-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation