Feasibility study of tar sands conditioning for earth pressure balance tunnelling

This paper presents the results of laboratory test on the feasibility of soil conditioning for earth pressure balance (EPB) excavation in a tar sand, which is a natural material never studied in this respect. The laboratory test performed is based on a procedure and methods used in previous studies with different types of soils, but for this special complex material, additional tests are also conducted to verify particular properties of the tar sands, such as the tilt test and vane shear test usually used in cohesive materials, and a direct shear test. The laboratory test proves that the test procedure is applicable also to this type of soil and the conditioned material can be considered suitable for EPB excavations, although it is necessary to use a certain percentage of fine elements (filler) to create a material suitable to be mixed with foam. The test results show that the conditioned material fulfils the required standard for an EPB application.