Abstract
Recent years have seen a striking application of TBM for tunnels in Japan. To realize rapid excavation of TBM tunnels, it is essential to improve tunnel progress during difficult ground conditions. In the spalling rock conditions, immediate support behind the TBM is necessary to catch and hold the debris from the tunnel crown. For this purpose, the authors developed the light prefabricated steel support, Rock Liner, which is able to install within the tail of the TBM and thus eliminate the downtime.
The article outlines the light prefabricated steel support for TBM tunnels and its application results to the 5m dia. tunnel project.
