Tunnel Design and Construction: Mechanized Tunnelling with EPB Shields

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Tunnel Design and Construction

- Mechanized Tunnelling
Chungsik Yoo, Ph.D.

Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
Vice-President, International Geosynthetics Society
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY @ SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY

About Lecture
Outline
1. General
2. Soft ground TBMs : EPB Shield
3. Soft ground TBMs : Slurry Shield
4. Soft ground TBMs : Unconventional shapes
5. Mixshields
6. TBM Tunnel : Design aspects
7. Case Histories
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Mechanized Tunnelling
General: Conventional vs. TBM Tunnelling
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General : Types of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

• Soft ground TBMs
 Slurry supported tunnel face (Slurry Shield, Hydroshield,
Mixshields)
 Convertible TBMs
 Earth Pressure Balance Shields
• Hard Rock TBMs

 Shielded Hard Rock TBMs (Single Shield TBMs, Double
Shield TBMs)
 Gripper TBMs
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General : Types of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)
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General : Range of Products
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General : Soft Ground TMBs – typical use
Gas Power Supply Water Supply Sewage Line
Common Telecommun
Utility ication
Conduit Conduit
Roads 1398 Railways

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Types of Shield
Excavated soil (mud) TBMs
Cutter
Chamber Blukhead Earth Pressure Balance Type (EPB)
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Slurry Slurry SINCE
Type
Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield
EPBS (earth-pressure balance shields) are TBMs used for the excavation of
soils where face support and counter-effect of ground water pressure is
obtained by means of the material excavated by the cutting wheel, which
serves as support medium itself
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield
• Cutterhead serves as means of excavation whereas face support is
provided by excavated earth which is kept under pressure inside
excavation chamber by thrust jacks on the shield
• Thrust Jacks transfer the pressure to separation bulkhead between
shield and excavation chamber, and hence to the excavated earth
• Excavated debris is removed from excavation chamber by a screw
conveyor which allows the gradual reduction of pressure
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Soft Ground TBMs – EPB Shield
Excavated Soil (mud)
Additives
Screw Conveyor
Plastic Flow
• Stabilize the tunnel face using excavated soil (mud) in chamber.

• Mix some additives into the excavated soil to maintain its fluidity.
Control the earth (mud) pressure by adjusting the quantity of
removed soil through screw conveyor. 1398
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Soft Ground TBMs – EPB Shield (machine layout)
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Soft Ground TBMs - EPB Shield – Excavation method
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (Soil requirements)

• To be useable as support medium, the soil has to fulfil
following requirements:
 Capability to extrude
 Cohesive and plastic
 Soft to stiff consistency
 Lower internal friction angle
 Low water permeability
 Good elasticity
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (Soil conditioning)

• If the soil requirements are not met, the soil has to be
conditioned.
• The conditioning is dependent on following soil parameters:
 Grain size distribution

 Water content, w (%)
 Liquid limit, wL (%)
 Plasticity Index, IP and
 Consistency Index, IC
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (injection material)

• The following additives can be used as a conditioning
material
 Bentonite
 Water
 Polymers
 Foam
• The initial state of the soil should be kept unchanged as

possible; the consistency of the soil should guarantee the
transport to the disposal site and should be economical
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (advantages of conditioning)

• Low density
• Optimum mixing with soil
• Reduction of internal friction
• Reduction of cutting wheel torqu
• Reduce soil adhesion to metal o
shield/ cutting wheel
• Reduce soil permeability.
• Reduction of wear.
• Higher temporary face stability
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Soft Ground TBMs - EPB Shield – Soil conditioning (foam)
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield – Soil conditioning
Soft Soil Hard rock
• Reduction of friction angle of soil • Reduction of dust
• Short term cohesion of soil • Reduction of choking disc cutters, clean
• Plasticity and lower permeability of soil disc and faster changing possible
• Lower wear • Greater coaling effect with foam than
• Lower torque with water
• Short term stabilization of face • Lower wear, abrasion
• Lower clogging • Lower torque
• Soil structuring
Short term
cohesive
by foaming
Low cohesive soil (sand) 1398

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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield – hard rock conditioning
• Foam for structuring
• Wet and dry foams
 Foaming capacity
 Stability
 Anti-clay capacity
 Rheological impact
(liquefaction/softening
)
 Drying-up capacity
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Soft Ground TBMs – EPB Shield (equipment)
EPB Shield System Facility
Back Fill Plant Hopper
• The ground facility simply consists of crane and hopper, and can fit in a narrow
space
• Muck from the machine is loaded in wagons, and transported to the access
shaft 1398
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Soft Ground TBMs – EPB Shield (equipment)
Plant at surface
Muck removal
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Soft Ground TBMs – Characteristics of EPB shield
1. Simple facility on the ground
• As excavated soil can be transported without treatment, the
main facility is crane and hopper
2. Impossible to reuse soil taken out without treatment
• As the soil becomes a fluid state, it can not be used for
backfilling without secondary treatment at a soil disposal area
3. Applicable to a wide variety of soil types
• Cohesive and plastic, soft to stiff consistency, low permeability
• By the injection of additives to create plastic workability, it is
suitable for a wide variety of soil types from clays to gravels
except large boulder
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Soft Ground TBMs – EPB Shield (key points at job site)
1. Control of earth pressure in front chamber
• While measuring earth pressure, control advancing speed and
rate of discharged soil by adjusting the revolution rate of screw
conveyor
2. Quality control of excavated soil (mud)
• Evaluate its fluidity by apparent quality of discharged soil,
efficiency of screw conveyor, operating torque of cutter head
3. Control of excavation volume
• Measure it quantitatively using load cells and ultra sonic
censors
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield
• Slurry shields are TBM fitted with a full face cutterhead which provides
face support by pressurizing boring fluid inside the cutterhead chamber.
• These machines are most suited for tunnels through unstable material
subjected to high groundwater pressure or water inflow that must be
stopped by supporting the face with a boring fluid subjected to pressure
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• Cutterhead acts as the means of excavation, whereas face support is provided
by slurry counter-pressure, a suspension of bentonite or a clay and water
mix(slurry)
• This suspension is pumped into the excavation chamber where it reaches the
face and penetrates into the ground forming the filter cake, or the impermeable
bulkhead (fine ground) or impregnated zone (coarse ground) which guarantees
the transfer of counter-pressure to the excavation face
• Excavated debris by the tools on the rotating cutterheads consists partly of
natural soil and partly of the bentonite or clay and water mixture (slurry)
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield – Filter cake by slurry
Principle characteristics
• Creates an impermeable membrane port medium so that can develop adequate
confinement pressure to ensure face stability
• Viscosity of the slurry must allow a high velocity in the pipes for adequate
mucking
• Slurry should limit wear by reducing friction
• Slurry must allow for easy separation / mud treatment
• Slurry must be confirm with environment restriction
Thickness of filter cake
• 4% loose bedding
• 5% medium dense
bedding
• 6% dense bedding
Function of filter cake
• For easy transport of excavated soil
• For face support
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Slurry Feed Pipe
Slurry Discharge Pipe

Slurry
• Treated slurry is sent to the chamber through the slurry feed pipe and can create
• slurry membrane on the ground.
• Water and earth pressure from tunnel face is balanced by slurry pressure inside
the chamber.
• Excavated soil is transported as fluid body through the slurry 1398
SINCE discharge pipe.
Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (machine layout)
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (equipment)
Slurry Shield System Facilities Central
Control
Slurry Treatment Facilities
Hopper
Back Fill Plant Hopper
• In the tunnel and shaft, discharge facilities are simply composed of pipes and
pumps.
• On ground surface, Slurry Treatment Facilities for separating excavated soil
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from the slurry water and to keep slurry quality. SINCE
Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (plant)
Excavated material(dehydrated cake)

• No treatment required
Slurry plant
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (flow of slurry)
Second treatment plant (compression type filter press)
Filtering fluid tank Primary

separation
Dehydrated Adjustment tank unit
Cake
Sand
Slurry tank Excess slurry tank
Slurry feed pump
Bulkhead
Cutter
Slurry feed
Slurry Feed Pipe
Cutter face Slurry Discharge
Slurry Discharge Pipe
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (Mud treatment)
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Soft Ground TBMs : Characteristics of slurry shield
1. Substantial ground facilities for slurry treatment (→ requires
wider work space than that of EPB method)
• Slurry control & treatment facilities are necessary for
controlling the slurry pressure, and regulating slurry quality
2. Easy to adjust the cutting face pressure
• Owing to systematic control of slurry pressure, face stability is
easy to control compared to EPB shield
3. Can be applied to a wide range of ground types
• Large boulders are treated by the crusher equipped with slurry
transportation line
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Soft Ground TBMs : Slurry Shield (key points at job site)
1. Control of slurry pressure
• Control slurry pressure within the limits to secure face stability
→ managing of discharge pump with measuring of slurry
pressure in the cutter chamber.
2. Quality control of slurry
• Control density and viscosity of slurry to form a slurry
membranes for face stabilization and smooth discharge of
slurry
3. Control of volume of excavated soil
• Control volume of excavated soil using flow meter and density
meter
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Soft Ground TBMs : Selection criteria
1. Applicability to geological condition
• Examine stability of tunnel face and deformation of
surrounding ground
2. Suitability for construction cost and period
• Consider construction efficiency, cost and period at given
conditions
3. Impact on surrounding area
• Need to investigate influence on the surrounding area adjacent
to stock yard and shaft
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Soft Ground TBMs : Comparison
EPB Shield Slurry Shield
Size of stock yard ○ △

Advancing length △ ○
Treatment of mucks △ ○
High Water Pressure ○ ◎
Drivability ○ △
through coble or gravel
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Soft Ground TBMs : Application range
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB vs Slurry
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Soft Ground TBMs : EPB vs Slurry
Advantages Disadvantages
• Easy to identify the type of • Additives are required to
excavated material maintain earth balance in the
EPB • Less pace and facilities are loose ground
required compared to slurry • Difficult to be used in the ground
type condition with high groundwater
• Disposal process of the table
excavated material is simple
• Can be applicable to clayey
ground
• Face pressure balance is easily • More space and facilities are
maintained by slurry required than EPB
Slurry • Can be applied to various • Additives are required to
ground types separate fine-grained soil
• Good working environment
• Easy to transport excavated
materials to surface
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Soft Ground TBMs : Construction process
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Soft Ground TBMs : Cutter arrangement
Slurry type Earth Pressure Balance type
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Slurry type for rock mass Slurry type for gravel
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Soft Ground TBMs : Unconventional shapes
• Changeable cross section of tunnel from horizontal to vertical multi-circular

shape or vice versa
• Free control of machine steering and orientation, and continuous change of
multi-circular cross section from horizontal to vertical alignment or vice
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versautilizing the cross articulation system SINCE
Soft Ground TBMs : Unconventional shapes
• Excavation of large cross section using multiple cutter heads.

• Diverse tunnel cross sections as well as large circular sections can be driven by
using combination of various cutter heads in size. 1398
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Soft Ground TBMs : Double-O-tube shield
• Simultaneous excavation of two horizontally aligned tunnels using two

interlocking spoke-shaped cutters, so called goggle-shape configuration.
• Efficient method for road/railway tunnel by avoiding excessive1398
excavation. .
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Soft Ground TBMs : Wagging cutter shield
• Excavation of circular, multi-circular and rectangular

cross section using wagging cutters and automatic
control of stretching/drawing back overcutters
• Relatively simple driving mechanism help reduce
weight/length of machine 1398
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Soft Ground TBMs : DPLEX shield
• Excavation of tunnels with arbitrary cross section by selecting the cutter shape
• Appropriate for excavating tunnels of large cross section
• Long life of cutting bit leading to long distance excavationSINCE 1398frequent
without
Soft Ground TBMs : Selection by water pressure
～100 102 476 578
100 72 307 379

～150
Water Pressure （kN/m2)
150 60 169 229

～200
200 54 87 141
～250
250 39 40 79
～300
300～ 97 26 123
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Slurry type EPB 1398

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Soft Ground TMBs : EPBs and Mix-shields
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Soft Ground TMBs : EPBs and Mixshields
EPB
OPEN SHIELD
HARD ROCK
SLURRY
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Mixshields – Safe tunnelling in varying ground
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Mixshields – General layout
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TBM Tunnelling : Design aspects
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TBM Tunnelling : Geotechnical design

Geology and Hydrology
• Grain size distribution

• Unit weigh 𝛾
• Internal friction angle ∅
• Cohesion 𝑐
• Permeability coefficient 𝑘
• Groundwater condition
• Clay minerology
• Atterberg limits 𝑤𝑖 , 𝑤𝑝 , 𝐼𝑝
• Quartz content
• Elastic modulus 𝐸
• Lateral earth pressure coefficient 𝐾𝑜
• Over consolidation ratio 𝑂𝐶𝑅
• Etc. SINCE 1398
TBM Tunnelling : Design concept
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TBM Tunnelling : Structural design

• Analytical methods : arching
theory
• Numerical method (FEM, FDM,
etc.)
• Analytical methods : DIN 4085

• Numerical method (FEM, FDM,
etc.)
• Analytical methods : structural

analysis
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TBM Tunnelling : Cutterhead design
• Soft soil: empirical method

• Hard rock: CSM model
• Soft soil: empirical method

• Hard rock: CSM model, NTNU
model
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TBM Tunnelling : TBM performance estimation

Jacking force TBM Torque
• Total jacking force → no. of
jacks
• Max. torque and RPM →
no. of motors and required
capacity
• Max. horse power →
required cutterhead power
Disk spacing Disk cutter • Cutterhead → no. of disk
distribution cutter, no. of spoke, open
ratio
• Screw conveyer → required
RPM, discharge capacity
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TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

Failure mechanism (Horn Calculation
1961) model
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Slurry shield
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Slurry shield
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EPB shield
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EPB shield
• For face stability, the
pressure of the support
medium should be in
balance with the outer
earth and water pressure
• Analytical calculation of
earth pressure based on 3D
arching effect
• Consideration of hydrostatic
pressure/perched
water/tidal water levels
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Non-cohesive soil Cohesive soil
• Coarse and mixed grained • Fine grained soils

soils
• Fracture in spatial zone
• Fracture along slip plane in under continuous
excavation chamber deformation
• Elastic failure • Plastic failure
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TBM Tunnelling : Face stability calculation

DIN 4085 Jancsecz/Kovari
• Considers real failure soil
• Considers pseudo-spatial
mass
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TBM Tunnelling : Face stability calculation

Janscez Model
• Based on consideration of force balance
• Considers a composite, spatial failure model (rectangular soil column and
soil wedge) based on Horn
• Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion
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TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining

• Precast segments are manufactured under controlled conditions
• Directly static sustainable after completion of a ring
• Circular cross section offers static advances – “moments are overlapped by normal
forces”
• Waterproofed immediately after completion of a ring
• Can resist water pressure up to 9 bar
• Neopren sealing can function upto 100 years and more
Key block
Circumferent
ial joint
Longitudinal
joint
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TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining (basic geometry)
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TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining (detail design)
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Real Performed Operational
Mixshields – Operational pr. during excavation Pressure During Excavation
15,0
HALLANDSAS
LAYOUT
WESTERSCHELDE
- MIXSHIELD ø 11,4m - 13,0
SAND; CLAY
12,5
WESERTUNNEL
MÜLHEIM
- MIXSHIELD ø 11,4m -
GRAVEL; CLAY; BOULDERS
SANDSTONE; CLAYSTONE
10,0
HAMBURG
GRAUHOLZ
GRAVEL; CLAY; BOULDERS
SAND; GRAVEL; MOLASSE 8,5
[bar]
7,5
HERA HAMBURG SYDNEY
- MIXSHIELD ø 6,0m - - MIXSHIELD ø 10,4m -
SAND; GRAVEL
SANDSTONE; CLAY 5,5
5,0
4,0
3,5 3,5
2,5
2,5
0,0
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
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00
01
02
03
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19
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20
20
20
DIVERS
ENGAGED 1398
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Mixshields : Case history (Socatop – Paris, France)
• Diameter: 11,565 mm
• Tunnel length: 10,500 m
• Segmental lining
• Geology
 Sand, lime, clay, marl, chalk
• Contractor: Cofiroute
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Mixshields : Case history (Socatop – Paris, France)
Open
Mode EPB Slurry Slurry EPB
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EPB Shields : Case history (Netherlands)

• Tunnel length: 2 x 1,835 m
• Geology: Clay, coarse sand,
gravel
• Contractor
 Ballast Nedam Beton
 en Waterbouw BV
 Hollandsche Beton-en
 Waterbouw BV
 Strukton Betonbouw BV
 Van Hattum en
 Blankevoort BV
 Wayss & Freytag 1398
AG
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• Pressure reduction along the screw
S-144 Botlekspoortunnel
Strecke 1 - Ring 220: Förderschneckendruck und Druckabbau
3,0 0,5
2,7 Pressure at screw bottom
2,4 0,4
Erddruck Schneckenförderer [bar]
2,1
Druckabbau pro Wendel [bar]

1,8 0,3
Pressure reduction per spiral

1,5
1,2 0,2
0,9
0,6 0,1
0,3
0,0
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• Belt weighing system
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• Laser scanner for muck control
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EPB Shields : Torque development EPB/Mix
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Hard Rock TBMs
Single Gripper-TBM:
S-155 Tscharner,  9.53 m
Double Gripper-TBM:
S-96 TBM 3000,  3.00 m
Shielded-TBM with articulation joint:

S-163 Sörenberg,  4.56 m
Double Shield-TBM:
S-153 La Réunion,  3.80 m
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Hard Rock TBMs – Single shield TBM
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• Excavation and muck transport
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Hard Rock TBMs – Single shield TBM (Switzerland)

• Tunnel length: 1 x 4,680 m, 1 x 465
m
• Geology: Molasse
 Limy siltstone with varying clay
and sand content and sand
stone
• Contractor
 Marti AG
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Hard Rock TBMs – Single shield TBM (Switzerland)

• 4,680 m in 54 weeks, single shift operation
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Hard Rock TBMs – Gripper TBMs
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Hard Rock TBMs – Gripper TBMs (Gotthard Base)

• Diameter: 8.89m/9.33m/9.58m
• CH Power: 3,500kW
• Weight: 3,200 ton
• TBM length: 410 m
• Tunnel length: 28.75/23.80/22.70
km
• Geology: Molasse
 Granite, Gneiss, Schist
• Contractor
 Zschokke Locher AG, CSC
 Alphine Mayreder Bau GmbH
 Impregilo, SINCE 1398 AG
Hochtief

• 4 Gripper TBMs for a total of 75 km of tunnel
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• 4 Gripper TBMs for a total of 75 km of tunnel
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• Fault zone at Bodio South
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• Fault zone at Bodio South
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Hard Rock TBMs – Gripper TBM special features

• Anchor installation
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• Shotcreting robot
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• Wire mesh erector
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Thank you for your attention!
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Tunnel Design and Construction: Mechanized Tunnelling with EPB Shields

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1398

Tunnel Design and Construction

Chungsik Yoo, Ph.D.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY @ SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY

General: Conventional vs. TBM Tunnelling

General : Types of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

• Hard Rock TBMs

General : Types of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Gas Power Supply Water Supply Sewage Line

Roads 1398 Railways

• Stabilize the tunnel face using excavated soil (mud) in chamber.

Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (Soil requirements)

Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (Soil conditioning)

 Grain size distribution

Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (injection material)

• The initial state of the soil should be kept unchanged as

Soft Ground TBMs : EPB Shield (advantages of conditioning)

Low cohesive soil (sand) 1398

• Wet and dry foams

Back Fill Plant Hopper

Slurry Discharge Pipe

Back Fill Plant Hopper

Excavated material(dehydrated cake)

Filtering fluid tank Primary

EPB Shield Slurry Shield

Size of stock yard ○ △

Slurry type Earth Pressure Balance type

• Changeable cross section of tunnel from horizontal to vertical multi-circular

• Excavation of large cross section using multiple cutter heads.

• Simultaneous excavation of two horizontally aligned tunnels using two

• Excavation of circular, multi-circular and rectangular

～100 102 476 578

100 72 307 379

150 60 169 229

Slurry type EPB 1398

Soft Ground TMBs : EPBs and Mix-shields

Soft Ground TMBs : EPBs and Mixshields

Mixshields – Safe tunnelling in varying ground

Mixshields – General layout

TBM Tunnelling : Design aspects

TBM Tunnelling : Geotechnical design

• Grain size distribution

TBM Tunnelling : Design concept

TBM Tunnelling : Structural design

• Analytical methods : DIN 4085

• Analytical methods : structural

TBM Tunnelling : Cutterhead design

• Soft soil: empirical method

• Soft soil: empirical method

TBM Tunnelling : TBM performance estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

TBM Tunnelling : Face pressure estimation

• Coarse and mixed grained • Fine grained soils

TBM Tunnelling : Face stability calculation

TBM Tunnelling : Face stability calculation

TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining

TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining (basic geometry)

TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining (basic geometry)

TBM Tunnelling : Segment lining (basic geometry)