Selection Criteria of Tunnel Boring Machines Examples

Lars Babendererde
BABENDERERDE
ENGINEERS

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General Selection Criteria

1.Geotechnical behaviour of the ground
2.Presence of ground water and pressure
3.Boundary conditions of the project
4.Experience of the contractor

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Criteria for Selection

Rock Strength
Unilat.
compr.
MPa
> 250

Rock

cohesion
Face
Cu
Support
KN/m
-

Lining
Install.

Jointing
RQD

Grain size

Distance < 0.02 mm < 0.06 mm

Water Ingress

Face
Support

Shield

100
90 %

>2m

Lining
Install.

Volume
per 30 m

Consequences
on

unlimited

pump capacity

behind
TBM

90
75 %

2.0
0.6 m

behind
TBM

unlimited

pump capacity

100
50

behind
TBM

75
50 %

0.6
0.2 m

possible

behind
TBM

> 20 l/s

pump capacity

50
25

recom.

behind
TBM

50
25 %

0.2
0.06 m

possibly
mech.

recom.

in
TBM
area

> 10 l/s

face support

25
5

recom.

mech.

required

under
shield

> 5 l/s

face support

mech.,
possibly required
EPB/Slurry

under
shield

> 2 l/s

methodology

vary

mech.,
possibly required
EPB/Slurry

under
shield

> 2 l/s

methodology

> 30 %

mech.,
possibly required
EPB/Slurry

under
shield

> 2 l/s

methodology

> 2 l/s

methodology

> 2 l/s

methodology

> 2 l/s

methodology

<1

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Rock Structure

250
100

5
1

Soil

Shield

(by Babendererde 1999)

< 25 % < 0.06 m

under
shield

< 25 % < 0.06 m

required

under
shield

< 25 % < 0.06 m

30
10

recom. required

under
shield

10
5

recom. required immed.

5
1

required required

required required

recom. required

> 30

under
shield

grout.
under
shield
immed.
grout.
under
shield
immed.
grout.

> 20 %

< 50 %

EPB /
Slurry

> 10 %

< 30 %

EPB /
Slurry

> 10 %

< 20 %

EPB /
Slurry

under
shield

required immed.
grout.
under
shield
required immed.
grout.
under
shield
required immed.
grout.

TBM type difference by the way of face support

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No face support
Mechanical support
Compressed air
Active, by support medium:
EPB or Slurry

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No face support Hard rock TBMs

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Active face support helps !

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Range of Slurry- and EPB- TBM Application

Considering Grain-size Distribution
Ton

Schluff
fein

Sand

mittel

grob

fein

Kies

mittel

grob

fein

Steine

mittel

Blcke
[%]

grob

100

90

80

70

60
50
40
30

Slurry-TBM drives
1. Lyon
2. Hamburg
3. Grauholztunnel
4. Wesertunnel
5. Zrich, Hermetschloo-Werdhlzli
6. Zrich, Thalwil
7. Portland, Gravel Alluvium
8. Wittenberg (polymer suspension)

20

10
0
0,002

0,006

0,02

0,06

0,2

0,63

6,3

20

63

100

200

1000

100
90
80
70
60
50

40

10

11
30
20
10
0
0,002

0,006

0,02

0,06

0,2

0,63

Grain-size [mm]

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6,3

20

63

100

200

1000

EPB-TBM drives
9. Essen, U-Bahn Los 32/33
10. Milano, Passante Ferroviario
11. Metro Porto

Selection of TBM with active face support

Slurry limitation
High content of fines < 0,06 mm requires expensive separation process

EPB limitation
High permeability k > 10- m/s requires intensive conditioning

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120.000

14.000

100.000

12.000
10.000

80.000

8.000
60.000
6.000
40.000

4.000

20.000

2.000

0
Open TBM Shielded TBM EPB-TBM

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Slurry-TBM

Torque [kNm]

Thrust [kN]

Typical Thrust and Torque of a 9m TBM

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Water Strait Crossings in Northern Germany

River Elbe Tunnel

Hamburg West
14m
River Weser Tunnel
11,7m

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River Elbe Tunnel

4th Tube Hamburg
14m

Herrentunnel
under river Trave
11,7m

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Moscow Metro Escalator Tunnels, Russia

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