Effects of Rock Properties on the Wear of TBM Disc Cutter: A Case Study of the Yellow River Diversion Project, China

Abstract

Disc cutters are a key component of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) for rock rolling and crushing, yet their high cost and complicated maintenance process generally increase the construction cost of a project significantly. Therefore, understanding the pattern of disc cutter wear helps to not only improve TBM tunneling efficiency but also reduce construction costs. In this study, the cutter wear data were collected from a length of 4,300 m of TBM tunneling from the No. 2 bid section of the TBM construction of the Yellow River Diversion Project in central Shanxi Province, China. First, the influence of the lithology along the tunnel on the cutter wear rate was analyzed and, in particular, the relationship of the rock elements and the mineral content with the cutter wear rate was further analyzed to investigate the influence of the surrounding rock type on the cutter wear rate. Second, the influence of the lithology on the cutter failure mode was examined. The results showed the following: The cutter wear rate was the highest (1.72 mm · m−1) in the quartzite and the lowest (0.22 mm · m−1) in the dolomite. The cutter wear rate increased linearly with the increase of the quartz content in the quartzite. A higher surrounding rock type led to a higher cutter wear rate. When the joints and fissures of the rock mass were developed, the cutters had a high probability of abnormal wear, which accounted for a proportion of 80% for the dolomite lithology. Finally, some measures were put forward to reduce the cutter wear for TBM excavation with different lithologies, which could be used as a reference for similar projects.