In shielded mechanized tunneling, the annular gap caused by the tunnel boring machine (TBM) driving must be backfilled instantaneously using a suitable grout. A two-component grout composed of a chemically retarded cement slurry and an accelerator is pumped into the annular gap behind the TBM shield, where it gels and attains sufficient mechanical stiffness in a very short time. This property of the grout helps restrict immediate ground movements adjacent to the TBM tail shield and reduce volume loss. In this study, the hardened two-component mix is tested using a confined oedometric condition, and a complete time-dependent hardening stiffness evolution is developed. Moreover, the freshly prepared grout is tested in terms of its performance suitability (storage and transportation) and serviceability owing to permeability and dewatering. The obtained parameters from the oedometer tests are incorporated into a numerical simulation of an earth pressure balance (EPB) excavation focusing on modeling of the backfilling procedure using finite-difference method (FDM) software. The study also focuses on distinguishing between two commonly used backfilling techniques implemented in numerical analyses. The numerical model consists of testing a regular tunnel section using a newly introduced hardening soil (HS) constitutive model with the soil parameters obtained from the Torino, Italy, metro case. Another set of synthetic softer soil parameters are chosen to highlight the soil properties in the model response. The two-component grout satisfies all the prerequisites for a good backfilling material in its fresh and hardened state. The grout attains sufficient mechanical strength in a very short time, remains impermeable, and achieves a stiffness of 43 MPa in 28 days. The results obtained from the oedometer tests enable development of a complete time-dependent stiffness evolution of the grout. The implementation of hardening behavior of the two-component grout is evident in terms of ground settlements when compared with the conventional backfilling simulation technique.

The wear phenomenon evaluation in EPB shield tunneling machines is not a simple issue, as a large number of parameters are involved, such as soil and tool material properties, soil conditioning and pressure in the bulk chamber. The evaluation of the influence of these parameters and predicting this influence is a complex task and the research has proposed different test procedures and approaches. In this paper a new procedure for testing wear of tools with an innovative concept and design is presented. The experimental results obtained using conventional steel and hard material tools, tested with natural and conditioned soils, are discussed. The outcomes show the feasibility of the proposed procedure and the quality of the measurements that can be obtained using the proposed wear tool shape

The study takes into account different classes of tunnel boring machines (TBM), with the aim of identifying correlation models which are meant to estimate, at a preliminary design phase, the construction time of a tunnel and to evaluate the mechanical and operational parameters of the TBMs, starting from the knowledge of the tunnel length and the excavation diameter. To achieve this goal, first of all a database was created, thanks to the collection of the most meaningful technical parameters from a large number of tunnels; afterwards, it was statistically analyzed through Microsoft Excel. In a first phase, forecasting models were identified for the three types of machines investigated, separately for compact rocks (open TBM) and fractured rocks (single and double shield TBM). Then, the mechanical parameters collected through the database were analyzed, with the aim of obtaining models that take into account, in addition to the type of TBM, the geological aspect and the type of rock characterizing the rock mass. Finally, the validation of the study was proposed in a real case, represented by the Moncenisio base tunnel, a work included in the new Turin–Lyon connection line. The estimated values were compared with the real ones, in order to verify the accuracy of the experimental models identified.

In the tunnelling industry, a large share of the market is occupied by EPB (Earth Pressure Balance) machines. To operate this kind of machine, a radical change in the rheological behaviour of the excavated soil must be performed, and this is achieved by adding water, foam, and, eventually, polymers. The stability of the foam is assessed through a half-life test. The main limitation of this test is that only one value is used in the characterization of the foam degradation process, which is insufficient to describe the whole evolution of the phenomenon. The results of more than 270 tests were modelled through a five-parameter mathematical formulation that suited the experimental data. The results show that the influence of concentration on the stability of the foam is not always present and that the flow rate used during production bears an influence on the characteristics of the foam.