Anomalies and/or fractured grounds which are not detected by the surface geophysical and geological survey performed during design stage may cause problems when tunnel is excavated. So, it is essential to predict the ground condition ahead of a tunnel...
Anomalies and/or fractured grounds which are not detected by the surface geophysical and geological survey performed during design stage may cause problems when tunnel is excavated. So, it is essential to predict the ground condition ahead of a tunnel face during tunnel excavation in order to minimize the construction time or to prevent drastic accident.
Various studies on tunnel prediction method of the ground condition ahead of the tunnel face have already been done and applied to in-situ tunnelling job sites, for example, TSP (Tunnel Seismic Profiling), probe drilling, etc. However, most of these applications focus on conventional tunnelling methods. Few studies are tried in case of mechanized tunnelling because of the limitation in available spaces to perform prediction tests with the existence of disk cutter, cutter head, chamber and other various apparatus in Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
So, in this thesis, all the methods used in both conventional and mechanized tunnelling to predict ground conditions ahead of the tunnel face are reviewed. A questionnaire surveying Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operators with at least 10 years’ experience in TBM operation was used to determine the requirements for prediction methods as well as the distance from the tunnel face that must be assessed. Based on the identified requirements for prediction methods, the most feasible prediction methods applicable to mechanized tunnelling with TBMs are suggested.
A method predicting the ground condition ahead of a tunnel face in TBM tunnels is developed. A theoretical model to predict anomaly at ahead of the tunnel face is derived utilizing the principle of electrical field, and inverse analysis program using the harmony search algorithm is developed. A resistance measuring system applicable to the TBM is developed. The extruded electrode and/or disc cutter itself can be used as a source and receiver. Laboratory tests were performed to verify the proposed prediction method. Results of laboratory tests match reasonably well with the results from the prediction methods. Also, field tests were performed to verify the prediction method at a site excavated by the TBM method. Results from the prediction results for the ground condition ahead of the tunnel face were consistent with the actual ground condition.
Moreover, an electrode system predicting ground condition ahead of the tunnel face utilizing horizontal borehole pre-drilled from the TBM tunnel face is developed. A correlation to assess rock mass rating from electrical resistivity is obtained by collecting and analyzing all the data performed beforehand. Numerical simulations and laboratory tests are performed to determine electrode array applicable to the TBM. As a result, the modified dipole-dipole array was chosen to be the best to predict anomaly and mixed ground reasonably well. Field tests are performed to verify the proposed prediction method performed utilizing pre-drilled borehole. The prediction method was found to predict ground condition and location of fault zone reasonably well.
In the in-situ TBM job sites, a number of prediction methods may be used at the same time. Ground conditions obtained from different prediction methods respectively may be different. Therefore, in this thesis, the synthesised model that can systematically combine each prediction method using probabilistic analysis and analytic hierarchy process is proposed.