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  EPB operation to avoid settlement problems

  An important aspect of the operation of closed-faced Tunnel Boring Machines, either EPB or slurry, is the control of face pressure in order to minimize the effect on the surrounding ground due to movements. This article discusses the available models in current literature, either i) based on analytical models and centrifuge tests, which correlate the surface settlement with the tunnel face stability, or ii) based on equilibrium limit methods. The former are very limited because they are only applicable to homogeneous soils with cohesive behaviour and without a frictional resistance component, disadvantages that are overcome by the latter. To check the validity of the approach, settlement estimations both from analytical models and limit equilibrium methods are respectively compared with data gathered from different TBM case histories, either in soft ground and hard clay. A final check with numerical models also proves successful.

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