The wear phenomenon in mechanized excavation machines is very complex. Many parameters play key roles in wear and in EPB machines wear in all areas where there is a continuous friction between ground and steel. Because of the complex nature of phenomenon, to design a laboratory test procedure and a laboratory test device that can provide correct results in terms of predicting of wear is not simple issue. The paper describes the TUSC soil abrasion testing apparatus that can simulate the wear phenomenon maximizing contact strengths between tool and conditioned soil in EPB tunnelling.