A study on the wear and replacement characteristics of the large diameter EPB Shield TBM disc cutter through field data analysis

The disc cutter and cutter bit, which are the most important factors to increase the excavation efficiency of a TBM, are key factors in the design and construction of the cutter head. The suitability of arrangement, spacing, number, size and material of disc cutters for given ground conditions determine the success or failure of TBM construction. The disc cutter, which is a representative consumable part in TBM construction, can cause enormous disruption to the construction cost as well as the construction cost, unless accurate prediction of wear and replacement cycle is accompanied. In this study, based on the field disc cutter replacement data of the earth pressure type shield TBM (EPB Shield TBM), which is a type of shield TBM that is typically applied in Korea, the ground conditions, field conditions, and excavation data with the wear prediction model various correlations were analyzed through comparison.