Abstract: The invention discloses a method for detecting service performance of a tunnel lining based on defect characteristics of the tunnel lining. A tunnel, an external load and stratum conditions are simulated by establishing a model using a model test method. A structural stress failure test for the model is carried out, and test results of the defect characteristics of a simulation lining of the model are recorded. A corresponding relationship between the defect characteristics of the simulation lining and the remaining bearing capacity interval is established according to the recorded test results. Detection results of defect characteristics of the tunnel lining are recorded using an in-situ detection method, and a remaining bearing capacity interval of the tunnel lining is determined based on the detection results according to the corresponding relationship between the defect characteristics of the simulation lining and the remaining bearing capacity interval of the model.

Abstract: An operating arrangement for operating a tunnel boring machine for constructing a tunnel in a ground, the operating arrangement including a feed drive that is configured to advance the tunnel boring machine in the ground; a tool drive that is configured to drive a mining tool of the tunnel boring machine so that a successive removal of the ground is performable; at least one fluid tank for storing a drive fluid; at least one filtering arrangement for filtering the drive fluid; at least one cooling arrangement for cooling the drive fluid; and at least one control arrangement by which the feed drive and/or the tool drive is controllable wherein at least the feed drive and the tool drive are jointly arrangeable in a container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vibration and strain monitoring method for key positions of a tunnel boring machine (TBM), and belongs to the technical field of real-time monitoring for underground construction of the TBM. The present invention aims to provide a monitoring device and an all-weather monitoring and forecasting system thereof. The present invention acquires monitoring data through vibration and strain sensors and a wireless data transmission system, thereby realizing long-term real-time monitoring for vibration and strain states of key positions of a main machine system of the TBM during operation, reminding operators in time for maintenance and repair, preventing fatigue breakage on key weak positions of the main machine system of the TBM and ensuring safe and reliable operation of the TBM. The present invention further provides an evaluation method for strain states of positions which cannot be measured, i.e.

Abstract: A boring machine comprises a forward section, a rear section, an articulation point, a parallel link mechanism, an input component, an articulation point position computer, and a jack controller. The parallel link mechanism includes a plurality of thrust jacks that change the position of the forward section with respect to the rear section. The articulation point position computer computes the position of the articulation point on the basis of the control inputs received by the input component, and the positions of the center line and center point of the rear section and the center point of the forward section. The jack controller controls the stroke amounts of the thrust jacks to produce movement corresponding to a curve generated from the positions of the center point of the rear section, the articulation point, and the center point of the forward section.

Abstract: Piston steering devices and methods for use of piston devices. One aspect as disclosed herein provides a ball piston device including: a sleeve in fluid communication with a fluid source and a ball received within the sleeve. The ball is movable within the sleeve from a recessed position and an extended position.

Abstract: A boring machine includes a steering head which is located behind a cutter head. The steering head has a plurality of steering openings spaced around its periphery. A steering component is mounted adjacent to each steering opening, and each steering component includes a steering paddle that is pivotally mounted with respect to the steering head so as to pivot about a paddle pivot axis. Each steering component also includes a linear actuator and a force multiplier. The linear actuator operates to direct an actuating force along a line that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering head, and it cooperates with the force multiplier and the steering paddle so that upon operation of the linear actuator, a pivot force which is the product of the actuating force and a multiplier factor greater than one causes the steering paddle to pivot about the pivot axis.

Abstract: A guided boring machine includes a cutter head, a steering head and an internal casing with an auger therein for conveying material cut by the cutter head towards the rear end of the auger. The boring machine bores a tunnel from a launch pit to a target pit along a desired boring direction and simultaneously installing a selected one of a plurality of differently-sized product casings in the tunnel. When the internal casing is placed within a selected product casing with its internal casing longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the selected product casing, an annular space is formed with respect to the selected product casing. The guidance assembly includes a laser that is mounted behind the boring machine and oriented so as to direct its beam in a desired boring direction within the annular space. A target mount is mounted to the steering head inside surface. The target mount includes a roll correction slot which is parallel to the adjacent steering head inside surface.

Abstract: Embodiments include ball piston steering devices and methods for use of ball piston devices. In one aspect a ball piston steering device includes a sleeve in fluid communication with a fluid source and a ball received within the sleeve. The ball is movable within the sleeve between a recessed position and an extended position.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a drill head having a drill head main body including a front end portion and a back end portion. The back end portion is configured to be connected to a drill rod. A steering shell is mounted over the front end portion. A drive shaft extends through the back end portion and the front end portion of the drill head main body. The drive shaft has a front end adapted for connection to a cutting unit and the drive shaft is rotatably supported within a bearing at the front end portion of the drill head main body. A steering shell driving arrangement is incorporated into the front end portion of the drill head main body for generating relative radial movement between the steering shell and the drill head main body.

Abstract: Boring apparatus for drilling laser guided microbore tunnels uses a liquid stream to remove soil as slurry and an airstream to conduct the slurry away from the bore head. The cylindrical head houses a drill shaft steered by a pair of remotely controlled rams according to the position of a laser spot on a target fixed close to the end of the drill shaft. Small arcuate steering movements shift the cutter up and down through a first ram alongside the shaft working through a linkage. Side to side steering is provided by a second ram acting directly on the shaft. The components are mounted on an axial base wall which gives repair access and camera view of the target. A drilling platform has rams for advancing the cylindrical head.

Abstract: A micro tunnelling machine has a tunnelling head with a boring bit which is forced in a horizontal direction by a hydraulic thruster. The direction of the head is laser guided. The beam strikes a target in the head and a camera relays an image of the target to an operator located at the tunnel entrance. The operator adjusts the direction by admitting water and draining water from a pair of rams inside the head which move the boring bit up and down or left and right. Water is introduced into the boring bit through the drive shaft of the boring bit. The water forms a slurry which is extracted by a vacuum pipe which enters the slurry as droplets and particles and conducts them away from the tunnelling head.

Abstract: Control apparatus for a horizontal boring tool is described which drives a boring lance via boring rods. The tool includes an input interface for receiving actual values of controlled variables of the horizontal boring tool, and an output unit for issuing control signals for controlling the horizontal boring tool. Between the input interface and the output unit is provided a fuzzy control unit which determines the control signals for activation of the horizontal boring tool from the actual values of the controlled variables and the desired values for the controlled variables by fuzzy logic while taking into account heuristic process values. The control apparatus permits automatic operation of the horizontal boring tool with good course steering and high precision.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a tunnel excavating machine of high-speed construction type and an excavation method which is capable of stopping invasion of water completely and allows covering members to be assembled easily.

Abstract: A mining machine (20) inclu ding a launch vehicle (11) which drives an auger flight (21). The extremity of the Auger flight (21) is a cutter head (22). An inert gas is delivered to adjacent the cutter head (22) by a tube (50). The cutter head (22) is also provided with a ground penetrating radar antenna (42) as well as a microwave transmitting/receiving device (47) which transmits and receives microwave signals for the purposes of controlling the cutter head (22) and transmitting information gathered by means of the antenna (42).

Abstract: An earth boring system is disclosed for guiding and steering a string of pipe casings to form an underground cased bore. The string of pipe casings are guided by a boring end assembly including a front casing and a steering head connected at an interface gap by a plurality of hinge assemblies each having an actuator and a pair of connector parts. A protective enclosure protects the hinge assemblies from loosened earth from the earthen bore and from the earth being removed from within the pipe casings. The protective enclosure can be formed by an inner pipe and an outer pipe of both the front casing and the steering head, plus a closure ring and a retainer belt at the interface gap. Guidance sensors are provided to determine the location of the string of pipe casings and a computer control center computes steering head axial and angular displacements for guiding the string of pipe casings and controlling the extent of the interface gap.

Abstract: A guidance system and method for keeping a tunnel boring, machine continuously on a plan line. The guidance system requires no machine operator calculations and provides the boring machine operator with a graphic display of past, present and projected positions of the boring machine from a horizontal and vertical perspective. The system uses a laser beam transmitter placed to the rear of the tunnel boring machine along with a front opaque target with a horizontal and vertical cross-hair and a rear transparent target with a horizontal and vertical cross-hair. The front and rear targets are disposed on the front and the rear of the boring machine. Also, an on-board programmable computer is installed on the boring machine for imputing data as to horizontal offset and vertical offset readings from the front and rear targets as the boring machine advances forward. Typically the boring machine moves forward in increments of four feet with offset readings taken by the operator after each increment.

Abstract: When a shield tunneling machine is deviated from the scheduled line while being propelled, the deviation of the shield tunneling machine from the scheduled line is detected and according to the data obtained on the deviation of the shield tunneling machine from the scheduled line, the propelling direction of the shield tunneling machine is automatically controlled.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to improve precision in the operation, operating efficiency, and reliability of an excavator. A soil condition at a place where an excavator (1) is advanced is inputted, and a reference number of revolutions of a cutter (9) and a reference advancing speed of the excavator (1) are set in correspondence with the inputted soil condition. Meanwhile, a load on each actuator (17, 18) is detected. The actuator (18) for rotating the cutter is controlled so as to allow the set reference number of revolutions to be obtained for the cutter (9). In a case where the load on each of the actuators (17, 18) is within a predetermined range, the actuator (17) for advancing is controlled so as to allow the set reference advancing speed to be obtained for the excavator (1).

Abstract: A micro tunnelling head and earth boring method is illustrated which includes utilizing a cutting head (G) spaced forwardly of a cylindrical articulated housing (A) having a transverse bulkhead (B) intermediate its ends for carrying a centrally disposed tube (C) carrying a driven auger (F) for operating the cutting head and removing the spoil inwardly from the housing through a chamber (D) which receives cuttings through a passageway (E) provided therein. Steering mechanism includes circumferentially spaced fluid operated cylinder assemblies (I) for pivotal fixation on adjacent ends of the articulated connection between the cylindrical housing (A) and a forward end of a casing for facilitating steering.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and a method for transmitting data in a shield machine and for calculating the filling amount of a void by detecting the distance to the natural ground. The system and the method are capable of transmitting analogue signals or signals of relatively high frequencies with reliability, enabling an unskilled operator to accurately detect buried articles and accurately carry out the back-filling work. Therefore, an optical rotary joint (100) is disposed between a rotary cutter head (10) and a non-rotary shield body (2) to count time taken to detect the peak value of a reflected signal larger than a standard value or time taken to detect the zero cross position present prior to the peak value. In accordance with the counted time, the distance between the antenna and the natural ground is calculated and displayed. Then, the void volume is calculated in accordance with the distance so that a target value of the back-filling amount is set.

Abstract: A system for supporting the drive of an excavating type underground advancing machine is provided to lighten the operator's burden so that an unskilled operator can perform operation comparable to that of the skilled operator. In this system for supporting the drive, output signals from a group of first sensors (12a) for measuring magnitude of operation of a rocking actuator (10) for orientation control and an output signal from a second sensor (12b) for measuring cutter torque pressure are input into an automatic measurement portion (14). These signals are adjusted in an automatic adjustment portion (15) and input to a fuzzy control portion. The rocking magnitude of an excavating cutter is calculated in a rocking magnitude control aiding system portion (16a) in response to the adjusted signal from the group of the first sensors.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and an apparatus for easily controlling the advancing direction of an excavating machine without causing the excavating machine to largely trace in a zigzag way. The direction control is done by the steps of mounting a reflector on a head portion of a shield body so as to receive a light beam directed along an imaginary reference line, mounting a target on a tail portion of the shield body so as to receive the reflected light beam from the reflector, controlling means for correcting the direction so that the reflected light beam may be irradiated at an objective position within the target, and thereby controlling the advancing direction of the excavating machine so that a subjective portion at the front end of the head portion may follow along the reference line.

Abstract: A method for drilling a tunnel in rock which utilizes a drilling apparatus comprising a drill head having tools therein and at least one conveying tube is disclosed. The method utilizes roller units which support the conveying tube to transmit the forward driving force from a power unit at the rear end of the apparatus to the drill head.

Abstract: Magnetic field producers are disposed either at the leading portion of an underground excavator or at a reference position in front of the underground excavator. The magnetic field producers can be constituted by a plurality of rectangular loops disposed to run parallel to one another and to overlap one another. The rectangular loops can be individually excited sequentially or they can be simultaneously excited at different frequencies. The magnetic field produced by a magnetic field producer can be detected by a first magnetic field detector and by a second magnetic field detector disposed to the rear of the first magnetic field detector so that the inclination angle of the underground excavator can be obtained from the difference between the positions of the two detectors. A loop of a magnetic field producing cable can be covered by a non-magnetic metal member so that wear and disconnection are prevented.

Abstract: A drilling apparatus and a method for its control maintains the alignment of a drill head while driving a tunnel. The control is achieved by manipulating the center of gravity of a drill bit unit with respect to a line determined by two supporting points of a protecting tube which are the sole points of the protecting tube supported against the tunnel bottom.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is disclosed an apparatus for controlling the direction of displacement of an underground excavator including a turnable jack to perform excavating operations in the underground region while controlling the direction of the same by turnably displacing a pilot jack, wherein a quantity of turnable actuation of the turnable jack in the vertical direction is determined by employing a fuzzy presumptive theory having two inputs and one output used therefor under conditions that a corrected pitching angle and a steering sensibility sensible in the vertical direction are taken as inputs and a quantity of turnable actuation of the turnable jack in the vertical direction is taken as an output, while a quantity of turnable actuation of the turnable jack in the horizontal direction is determined by employing the presumptive theory having two inputs and one output used therefor under conditions that a corrected yawing angle and a steering sensibility sensible in the horizontal dir

Abstract: An articulated shield tunneling machine suitable for excavation along a curvature with an articulated shield having front and rear shield sections. In contrast to the conventional apparatus which suffers from various disadvantages such as interference between the front ends of shield jacks with front shield section and necessity for expensive strong construction of shield jacks, the articulated shield tunneling machine of the present invention has trunnions (10) to which the shield jacks (7) are connected, and the trunnions (10) are connected to front portions of the rear shield section (1b) for pivotal movement in the radial direction of the articulated shield (1). Each trunnion (10) can have therein an elastic member which urges the front end of the shield jack (7) towards the center of the articulated shield (1).

Abstract: A shield tunnelling machine is provided. Such shield tunnelling machines include a tubular shield body; an excavating cutter assembly disposed on a front end of the body; a partition wall for defining the interior of the body into a front region and a rear region; a rotor having an outer diameter gradually increasing toward the rear; a drive mechanism for turning the rotor around a first axis and rotating the rotor around a second axis eccentric to the first axis; an annular member mounted to the rotor to be turned and rotated together with the rotor and extending around the first axis; and a discharging mechanism for discharging the excavated matter to the rear region.

Abstract: A direction correcting device for a shield tunnelling machine having a shield body provided with a head portion and a tail portion following the head portion corrects the direction of the head portion relative to the tail portion. The device includes three jacks, each jack having two connecting portions relatively displaced in the axial direction of the tail portion, and a connecting body for interconnecting the head portion and the tail portion to permit the head portion and the tail portion to swing and to prevent the head portion and the tail portion from relatively displacing in the axial direction of the tail portion. Each of the jacks is connected at one connecting portion to the head portion and connected at the other connecting portion to the tail portion. The jacks and the connecting body are disposed around the axis of the tail portion at angular intervals.

Abstract: Directional control of a shield excavator is automatically carried out merely by inputting a direction of rotational moment to which the excavator is directed and a magnitude of the moment.

Abstract: Method of controlling the trajectory of a shield-type tunnelling machine equipped with displacement control hydraulic rams (3), characterized in that, these rams being divided into at least three groups of rams (6A, 6B, 6C), the theoretical instantaneous flowrates of fluid to be applied to each of these groups are continuously determined (40) from the curvature characteristics and the overall rate of advance set point trajectory and these groups (7-26-27-28) are supplied with instantaneous flowrates, the values of which correspond to the theoretical values.

Abstract: A device for transmitting a thrust from one of a pair of adjacent pipes so as to propel the other comprises a pair of annular members adapted to be slidable relatively to each other along their spherical surfaces.

Abstract: The knife-shield driving device consists of drive knives (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) which can be acted on via a pushing device and are guided with respect to each other on their longitudinal sides. The guides consist of guide yokes (20) and wedge elements (30) which are guided in said guide yokes (20). For the change in direction of the driving it is sufficient to select any desired suitable guide knife (14) which is controlled in direction during the driving via hydraulic presses (34, 36) arranged on the adjacent knives (12, 16). In this connection, the guide yoke (20) slides on the wedge element (30) of the adjacent knife (12) and the wedge element of the knife (14) slides in the guide yoke on the knife (16).

Abstract: A shield type tunneling apparatus comprises: a shield body having in its front portion a cutter-head compartment for digging a tunnel through bedrock, the cutter-head compartment being rotatably driven by a driving unit; and a transporting means for discharging rock debris produced by the cutter-head compartment from a front area thereof to a rear area of the shield body. The tunneling apparatus is characterized in that: the cutter-head compartment is filled with water which buoys up the rock debris in the cutter-head compartment to enable the rock debris to easily enter the transporting means under the influence of rotational movement of the cutter-head compartment.

Abstract: A shield tunneling machine comprises a shield body provided with a tubular head portion and a tubular tail portion disposed behind the head portion. The head portion and tail portion are interconnected by a plurality of thrusting jacks for moving both portions to and away from each other. In the shield body are arranged a cutter head for excavating the face, a mechanism for rotating the cutter head and a plurality of position-maintaining mechanisms making the natural ground a reaction body to advance the shield body and having press bodies capable of projecting outward of the shield body. The machine, during the excavation has the head portion advanced relative to the tail portion by the thrusting jack and the tail portion next attracted to the head portion by the thrusting jack.

Abstract: The invention refers to an arrangement for underground driving of pipe trains composed of individual pipe lengths of non-man-sized diameters. The arrangement works with a pressing unit driving the pipe trains from driving pits. The soil in face of the arrangement is excavated by means of a scraper. Conveyors transport the excavated waste soil back into the driving pit. The walls of massive material of the pits, which will serve as inspection pits later-on in the pipe trains, when driving are the walls of the driving pits, while the driving unit is propped-up on the wall of the respective driving pit used as a driving pit. The wall of the driving pit has a preferably circular shape and is composed of concrete rings. Above the driving pit a container is arranged with an opening in the bottom through which the driving unit can be hoisted down into the driving pit. In the container all working tools and appliances for operating the driving unit are permanently housed ready for use.

Abstract: A pipe laying apparatus including an excavator propulsion unit located in a starting pit. The excavator includes an excavator body having a first axis, an excavating tool having a second axis and located at a forward end portion of the excavator body, and injection ports formed in the excavating tool for injecting a viscosity imparting liquid into soil as excavated.

Abstract: The invention concerns an improved machine for making underground galleries. This machine comprises a shield consisting of two mutually movable parts, a forward knife casing 1 supporting on its inside a digging device 3 and a rear assembly skirt 2 acting as a guide means for a thrust ring 10. The knife casing and the assembly skirt are mutually connected by a slack fastening system allowing them to pivot with respect to each other in such a manner that their longitudinal axes form an adjustable angle.The machine of the invention applies to making underground galleries provided with coverings bracing the earth; it makes possible marked curves without the requirement of out-of-path earthworks.

Abstract: A tunnel drive shield has a front shield and a rear shield. The front shield is a knife shield, and the rear shield has a hood and a plurality of elongate members. The hood is connected to the front shield so as to be movable in all directions. Between the hood and the front shield (or the support frame for the knives of the front shield) is provided means for holding the two shields at a given angular setting. The connection between the two shields enables them to be angled relatively to each other to a limited extent in all directions, so that the original length of the entire drive shield is shortened, and the ability of the shield to negotiate curves is increased.

Abstract: A tunnel excavating machine for generating tunnels and galleries in subterranean structures, comprises in addition to the excavating head, a shield which travels with the head and advances along the excavation and lines the tunnels wall at least temporarily. According to the invention, the shield is formed by at least two shield sections which are preferably cylindrical and can be axially spaced apart while being bridged by a seal for the gap between them. The two shield sections are connected by a plurality of angularly equispaced piston-and-cylinder arrangements preferably of the double-acting type to allow angular offsetting of the axes of the two shield sections.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in driving tunnels or the like comprises a front drive shield composed, for example, of elongate cutter knives supported for longitudinal displacement on a frame. In order to control turning motion of the shield the shield is connected via hydraulic control rams to a rear abutment such as a follow-up ring structure. The rams are all inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus. The rams are divided into two groups inclined in opposite directions and the rams of each group can be subjected collectively to pressure fluid to impart a corrective torque to the frame.

Abstract: A tunnel or shaft lining is installed nondisruptively in a medium such as soil by longitudinally advancing an assembly (10) of tunnel lining sections (12-1 to 12-8) arranged in end-to-end relationship and having an inflatable torus (22- 1 to 22-7) interposed between adjacent sections. Worm-like advancement is effected by simultaneously inflating in sequence the tori 22-1, 22-4, 22-7 etc.; the tori 22-2, 22-5 etc. and the tori 22-3, 22-6 etc., and repeating the inflation procedure as necessary until sufficient advance has been achieved.

Abstract: Front and rear shields are telescopically joined together. The front shield carries a power driven rotary cutterhead means. Thrust rams are provided between the two shields for pushing the forward shield forwardly relative to the rear shield while the cutterhead means is being operated to mine the tunnel face, and also to pull the rear shield forwardly relative to the front shield. The rear shield includes a gripper assembly for reacting thrust and torque and a plurality of auxiliary thrust rams which extend rearwardly from the rear shield to react against forward end portions of a tunnel lining which is erected under cover of a tail section of the rear shield. A pair of side placed torque cylinders are interconnected between frame portions of the two shields and serve to transmit counter-rotational torque from the cutterhead support of the front shield back to the rear shield.

Abstract: A pipe jacking apparatus comprises a shield type tunneling machine equipped with direction adjusting jacks, a tubular body joined to the rear of the shield type tunneling machine, and a thrust jack provided within a thrust pit and thrusting forward a pipe member placed between the shield tunneling machine and the thrust jack, in cooperation with the shield type tunneling machine. The aforesaid tubular body includes a panel therein having output gages for the aforesaid jacks and a mark representing the center of the tubular body, and a TV camera for taking a picture of the panel. This TV camera is connected to a TV receiver provided in a remote control unit. In the aforesaid pit, there is provided an optical unit having a line of collimation directed to a predetermined direction to thrust a pipe, or a light source for light beams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for installing a large diameter pipe--in the range of 30 inches diameter--for spanning an obstacle, such as a river, along an invert arcuate underground path. An inclined drill rig, having a mud supply system and power pod, includes an angularly inclined ramp and driven car for crowding, without rotation, a pipe either pre-bent to a preselected and constant radius of curvature or a straight pipe into the ground. The pipe at its head includes an articulated drill head, which by appropriate articulation, assures placement of the pipe along a radius of curvature equal to the pre-bent radius of curvature of the pipe. The articulated drilling head includes a hydraulic system for articulating and driving the cutting head and pumping mud and tailing from the pipe path. Two discrete mud systems are used. The first mud system is utilized to entrain and carry away cuttings.

Abstract: A tunnel drive shield is provided with a plurality of bracing units spaced around its periphery. The bracing units are expansible against the surrounding tunnel wall to control the direction of shield advance. A bracing unit is provided in each of the four shield quadrants defined by the vertical and horizontal center planes of the shield. Each of the bracing units is expansible in a non-radial direction.