An investigation into the forces acting on a TBM during driving – Mining the TBM logged data

The state-of-the-art of tunnelling in difficult ground conditions and built-up areas still involves a trial-and-error approach as a complete understanding of the physics governing the interaction between TBM and surrounding soil is still lacking. This paper makes a first attempt to quantifying the driving forces applied to a slurry-shield TBM in sand, together with their spatial and temporal distribution, in order to obtain a better understanding of the TBM–soil interaction process. The monitoring-data of the Hubertus Tunnel in The Hague, The Netherlands, was used, and results show the soil reaction on the TBM needed to equilibrate the system of forces and moments acting on the TBM. This result is validated by the kinematic behaviour of the TBM that has been derived from monitoring as well.

► The forces applied to a slurry-shield TBM driving in sand were analysed.
► The study was based on the TBM logged-data from a real project.
► The understanding of the TBM–shield interaction with soil was improved.
► Stresses and strains at the shield–soil interface need further examination.