Ground conditioning agents are often needed when performing earth pressure balance shield tunneling in sand soils due to its high internal friction, low plastic ductility, and low compressibility. In this work, vane shear and compression tests for standard sand were performed using a homemade test device, and three types of conditioning agents composed of foam, bentonite slurry, and polymer were used in the tests. The effects of the agents on shear strength and compressibility of the conditioned soils were investigated under a typical earth chamber stress level as high as 2 bar. The measured results show that foam does better in reducing shear strength and improving the compressibility of the conditioned soils than bentonite slurry and polymer. Significant increases in the compressibility of foam-conditioned soils can be achieved using foam, and the shear strength of the conditioned sand can be decreased by more than 30% with an initial injection ratio of 40% foam. The bentonite- and polymer-conditioned sands have similar compressibility. The HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) polymer does better in decreasing the shear strength of the conditioned soils than other liquid soil conditioners. The influences of the device shear rate on the shear strength of the conditioned soils are also presented.
Soil is the medium that balances the soil and water pressure on the excavation surface of an earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machine, and the soil flow plasticity directly affects the working performance of the shield machine. The spiral shear stress is the main determinant of the soil flow plasticity. During the progress of the EPB shield screw conveyor normal operation, the shear effects between the muck in the spiral tube and the screw shaft, as well as the flight, are different from the shear action, such as the direct shear or the vane shear. The direct or vane shear test is now widely used to evaluate soil flow plasticity. To better investigate the shear properties between the soil and the shield conveyor casing, a model screw conveyor was developed. Based on the analysis of the stress conditions and the movement of the conditioned soil plug, the theoretical calculation model of the equivalent helical shear stress of the EPB shield screw conveyor was deduced based on the steady-state equilibrium conditions of moment of momentum. The conditioned standard sand was used in the indoor tests. The results of the indoor test of the model machine verified the rationality and effectiveness of the theoretical model. The model provides an important theoretical basis and references for the design and optimization of soil conditioning during shield tunneling.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.