PREDICTING TUNNEL BORING MACHINE (TBM) PENETRATION RATES AND CUTTER COSTS IN SELECTED ROCK TYPES

The capability to predict how a TBM machine will perform (advance rates, cutter costs, and TBM utilization) under the particular conditions of a tunnel contract is of utmost importance to a contractor before he makes his bid. Rock properties are the single most important factor affecting tunnelling rates and cutter costs. Results have shown that several measures of rock hardness utilizing rebound and abrasion, correlate well with tbm penetration rates. Continuing studies are being concentrated on improving this correlation and the evaluation of petrographic parameters which affect rock hardness, penetration rates, and cutter costs. A most significant aspect of the study is the sampling of rock directly adjacent (cores are taken from the tunnel wall) to the machine bore. All tests are performed parallel to the tunnel axis thus reducing the number of variables to be considered and allowing comparison of instantaneous rates with local rock properties. (A) /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources

  580 Booth Street
  Ottawa, Ontario K14 OE4,   Canada 
• Authors:
  • TARKOY, P J
• Publication Date: 1974

Language

• French

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 263-274

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abrasions; Conferences; Costs; Cutting tools; Drilling; Economic efficiency; Equipment; Excavation; Excavation and tunneling; Excavations; Forecasting; Hardness; Pendulum tests; Petrography; Physical properties; Properties of materials; Rebound; Rocks; Tunneling; Tunneling machines; Tunnels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Cutters; Rock properties; Rock tunneling
• ITRD Terms: 8018: Canada; 8525: Conference; 224: Cost; 3871: Drilling; 5911: Efficiency; 3674: Equipment; 5155: Excavation (process); 132: Forecast; 5914: Hardness; 6285: Penetration; 4060: Petrography; 5925: Properties; 4154: Rock; 3374: Tunnel
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Economics; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; I54: Construction of Tunnels;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00139110
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 9 1977 12:00AM