Effects of data smoothing and recurrent neural network(RNN)algorithms for real-time forecasting of tunnel boring machine(TBM)performance

Tunnel boring machines(TBMs)have been widely utilised in tunnel construction due to their high efficiency and reliability.Accurately predicting TBM performance can improve project time management,cost control,and risk management.This study aims to use deep learning to develop real-time models for predicting the penetration rate(PR).The models are built using data from the Changsha metro project,and their performances are evaluated using unseen data from the Zhengzhou Metro project.In one-step forecast,the predicted penetration rate follows the trend of the measured penetration rate in both training and testing.The autoregressive integrated moving average(ARIMA)model is compared with the recurrent neural network(RNN)model.The results show that univariate models,which only consider historical penetration rate itself,perform better than multivariate models that take into account multiple geological and operational parameters(GEO and OP).Next,an RNN variant combining time series of penetration rate with the last-step geological and operational parameters is developed,and it performs better than other models.A sensitivity analysis shows that the penetration rate is the most important parameter,while other parameters have a smaller impact on time series forecasting.It is also found that smoothed data are easier to predict with high accuracy.Nevertheless,over-simplified data can lose real characteristics in time series.In conclusion,the RNN variant can accurately predict the next-step penetration rate,and data smoothing is crucial in time series forecasting.This study provides practical guidance for TBM performance forecasting in practical engineering.

Vibrations induced by tunnel boring machine in urban areas: In situ measurements and methodology of analysis

Excavation with tunnel boring machine(TBM)can generate vibrations,causing damages to neighbouring buildings and disturbing the residents or the equipment.This problem is particularly challenging in urban areas,where TBMs are increasingly large in diameter and shallow in depth.In response to this problem,four experimental campaigns were carried out in different geotechnical contexts in France.The vibration measurements were acquired on the surface and inside the TBMs.These measurements are also complemented by few data in the literature.An original methodology of signal processing is pro-posed to characterize the amplitude of the particle velocities,as well as the frequency content of the signals to highlight the most energetic bands.The levels of vibrations are also compared with the thresholds existing in various European regulations concerning the impact on neighbouring structures and the disturbance to local residents.

Tunnelling performance prediction of cantilever boring machine in sedimentary hard-rock tunnel using deep belief network

Evaluating the adaptability of cantilever boring machine(CBM) through in-depth excavation and analysis of tunnel excavation data and rock mass parameters is the premise of mechanical design and efficient excavation in the field of underground space engineering.This paper presented a case study of tunnelling performance prediction method of CBM in sedimentary hard-rock tunnel of Karst landform type by using tunneling data and surrounding rock parameters.The uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),rock integrity factor(Kv),basic quality index([BQ]),rock quality index RQD,brazilian tensile strength(BTS) and brittleness index(BI) were introduced to construct a performance prediction database based on the hard-rock tunnel of Guiyang Metro Line 1 and Line 3,and then established the performance prediction model of cantilever boring machine.Then the deep belief network(DBN) was introduced into the performance prediction model,and the reliability of performance prediction model was verified by combining with engineering data.The study showed that the influence degree of surrounding rock parameters on the tunneling performance of the cantilever boring machine is UCS > [BQ] > BTS >RQD > Kv > BI.The performance prediction model shows that the instantaneous cutting rate(ICR) has a good correlation with the surrounding rock parameters,and the predicting model accuracy is related to the reliability of construction data.The prediction of limestone and dolomite sections of Line 3 based on the DBN performance prediction model shows that the measured ICR and predicted ICR is consistent and the built performance prediction model is reliable.The research results have theoretical reference significance for the applicability analysis and mechanical selection of cantilever boring machine for hard rock tunnel.

Design Theory of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine Transition Cutter Edge Angle and Its Application

At present, the inner cutters of a full face rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) and transition cutter edge angles are designed on the basis of indentation test or linear grooving test. The inner and outer edge angles of disc cutters are characterized as symmetric to each other with respect to the cutter edge plane. This design has some practical defects, such as severe eccentric wear and tipping, etc. In this paper, the current design theory of disc cutter edge angle is analyzed, and the characteristics of the rock-breaking movement of disc cutters are studied. The researching results show that the rotational motion of disc cutters with the cutterhead gives rise to the difference between the interactions of inner rock and outer rock with the contact area of disc cutters, with shearing and extrusion on the inner rock and attrition on the outer rock. The wear of disc cutters at the contact area is unbalanced, among which the wear in the largest normal stress area is most apparent. Therefore, a three-dimensional model theory of rock breaking and an edge angle design theory of transition disc cutter are proposed to overcome the flaws of the currently used TBM cutter heads, such as short life span, camber wearing, tipping. And a corresponding equation is established. With reference to a specific construction case, the edge angle of the transition disc cutter has been designed based on the theory. The application of TBM in some practical project proves that the theory has obvious advantages in enhancing disc cutter life, decreasing replacement frequency, and making economic benefits. The proposed research provides a theoretical basis for the design of TBM three-dimensional disc cutters whose rock-breaking operation time can be effectively increased.

Wear Analysis of Disc Cutters of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine

Wear is a major factor of disc cutters’ failure. No current theory offers a standard for the prediction of disc cutter wear yet. In the field the wear prediction method commonly used is based on the excavation length of tunnel boring machine（TBM） to predict the disc cutter wear and its wear law, considering the location number of each disc cutter on the cutterhead（radius for installation）; in theory, there is a prediction method of using arc wear coefficient. However, the preceding two methods have their own errors, with their accuracy being 40% or so and largely relying on the technicians’ experience. Therefore, radial wear coefficient, axial wear coefficient and trajectory wear coefficient are defined on the basis of the operating characteristics of TBM. With reference to the installation and characteristics of disc cutters, those coefficients are modified according to penetration, which gives rise to the presentation of comprehensive axial wear coefficient, comprehensive radial wear coefficient and comprehensive trajectory wear coefficient. Calculation and determination of wear coefficients are made with consideration of data from a segment of TBM project（excavation length 173 m）. The resulting wear coefficient values, after modification, are adopted to predict the disc cutter wear in the follow-up segment of the TBM project（excavation length of 5621 m）. The prediction results show that the disc cutter wear predicted with comprehensive radial wear coefficient and comprehensive trajectory wear coefficient are not only accurate（accuracy 16.12%） but also highly congruous, whereas there is a larger deviation in the prediction with comprehensive axial wear coefficient（accuracy 41%, which is in agreement with the prediction of disc cutters’ life in the field）. This paper puts forth a new method concerning prediction of life span and wear of TBM disc cutters as well as timing for replacing disc cutters.

Excavation of underground research laboratory ramp in granite using tunnel boring machine: Feasibility study

Underground research laboratory(URL)plays an important role in safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste(HLW).At present,the Xinchang site,located in Gansu Province of China,has been selected as the final site for China’s first URL,named Beishan URL.For this,a preliminary design of the Beishan URL has been proposed,including one spiral ramp,three shafts and two experimental levels.With advantages of fast advancing and limited disturbance to surrounding rock mass,the tunnel boring machine(TBM)method could be one of the excavation methods considered for the URL ramp.This paper introduces the feasibility study on using TBM to excavation of the Beishan URL ramp.The technical challenges for using TBM in Beishan URL are identified on the base of geological condition and specific layout of the spiral ramp.Then,the technical feasibility study on the specific issues,i.e.extremely hard rock mass,high abrasiveness,TBM operation,muck transportation,water drainage and material transportation,is investigated.This study demonstrates that TBM technology is a feasible method for the Beishan URL excavation.The results can also provide a reference for the design and construction of HLW disposal engineering in similar geological conditions.2020 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics,Chinese Academy of Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Load-sharing Characteristic of Multiple Pinions Driving in Tunneling Boring Machine

The failure of the key parts, such as gears, in cutter head driving system of tunneling boring machine has not been properly solved under the interaction of driving motors asynchronously and wave tunneling torque load. A dynamic model of multi-gear driving system is established considering the inertia effects of driving mechanism and cutter head as well as the bending-torsional coupling. By taking into account the nonlinear coupling factors between ring gear and multiple pinions, the influence for meshing angle by bending-torsional coupling and the dynamic load-sharing characteristic of multiple pinions driving are analyzed. Load-sharing coefficients at different rotating cutter head speeds and input torques are presented. Numerical results indicate that the load-sharing coefficients can reach up to 1.2-1.3. A simulated experimental platform of the multiple pinions driving is carried out and the torque distributions under the step load in driving shaft of pinions are measured. The imbalance of torque distribution of pinions is verified and the load-sharing coefficients in each pinion can reach 1.262. The results of simulation and test are similar, which shows the correctness of theoretical model. A loop coupling control method is put forward based on current torque master slave control method. The imbalance of the multiple pinions driving in cutter head driving system of tunneling boring machine can be greatly decreased and the load-sharing coefficients can be reduced to 1.051 by using the loop coupling control method. The proposed research provides an effective solution to the imbalance of torque distribution and synchronous control method for multiple pinions driving of TBM.

Tunnel boring machine vibration-based deep learning for the ground identification of working faces

Tunnel boring machine(TBM) vibration induced by cutting complex ground contains essential information that can help engineers evaluate the interaction between a cutterhead and the ground itself.In this study,deep recurrent neural networks(RNNs) and convolutional neural networks(CNNs) were used for vibration-based working face ground identification.First,field monitoring was conducted to obtain the TBM vibration data when tunneling in changing geological conditions,including mixed-face,homogeneous,and transmission ground.Next,RNNs and CNNs were utilized to develop vibration-based prediction models,which were then validated using the testing dataset.The accuracy of the long short-term memory(LSTM) and bidirectional LSTM(Bi-LSTM) models was approximately 70% with raw data;however,with instantaneous frequency transmission,the accuracy increased to approximately 80%.Two types of deep CNNs,GoogLeNet and ResNet,were trained and tested with time-frequency scalar diagrams from continuous wavelet transformation.The CNN models,with an accuracy greater than 96%,performed significantly better than the RNN models.The ResNet-18,with an accuracy of 98.28%,performed the best.When the sample length was set as the cutterhead rotation period,the deep CNN and RNN models achieved the highest accuracy while the proposed deep CNN model simultaneously achieved high prediction accuracy and feedback efficiency.The proposed model could promptly identify the ground conditions at the working face without stopping the normal tunneling process,and the TBM working parameters could be adjusted and optimized in a timely manner based on the predicted results.

A real-time prediction method for tunnel boring machine cutter-head torque using bidirectional long short-term memory networks optimized by multi-algorithm

Based on data from the Jilin Water Diversion Tunnels from the Songhua River(China),an improved and real-time prediction method optimized by multi-algorithm for tunnel boring machine(TBM)cutter-head torque is presented.Firstly,a function excluding invalid and abnormal data is established to distinguish TBM operating state,and a feature selection method based on the SelectKBest algorithm is proposed.Accordingly,ten features that are most closely related to the cutter-head torque are selected as input variables,which,in descending order of influence,include the sum of motor torque,cutter-head power,sum of motor power,sum of motor current,advance rate,cutter-head pressure,total thrust force,penetration rate,cutter-head rotational velocity,and field penetration index.Secondly,a real-time cutterhead torque prediction model’s structure is developed,based on the bidirectional long short-term memory(BLSTM)network integrating the dropout algorithm to prevent overfitting.Then,an algorithm to optimize hyperparameters of model based on Bayesian and cross-validation is proposed.Early stopping and checkpoint algorithms are integrated to optimize the training process.Finally,a BLSTMbased real-time cutter-head torque prediction model is developed,which fully utilizes the previous time-series tunneling information.The mean absolute percentage error(MAPE)of the model in the verification section is 7.3%,implying that the presented model is suitable for real-time cutter-head torque prediction.Furthermore,an incremental learning method based on the above base model is introduced to improve the adaptability of the model during the TBM tunneling.Comparison of the prediction performance between the base and incremental learning models in the same tunneling section shows that:(1)the MAPE of the predicted results of the BLSTM-based real-time cutter-head torque prediction model remains below 10%,and both the coefficient of determination(R^(2))and correlation coefficient(r)between measured and predicted values exceed 0.95;and(2)the incremental learning method is suitable for realtime cutter-head torque prediction and can effectively improve the prediction accuracy and generalization capacity of the model during the excavation process.

Hybrid ensemble soft computing approach for predicting penetration rate of tunnel boring machine in a rock environment

This study implements a hybrid ensemble machine learning method for forecasting the rate of penetration(ROP) of tunnel boring machine(TBM),which is becoming a prerequisite for reliable cost assessment and project scheduling in tunnelling and underground projects in a rock environment.For this purpose,a sum of 185 datasets was collected from the literature and used to predict the ROP of TBM.Initially,the main dataset was utilised to construct and validate four conventional soft computing(CSC)models,i.e.minimax probability machine regression,relevance vector machine,extreme learning machine,and functional network.Consequently,the estimated outputs of CSC models were united and trained using an artificial neural network(ANN) to construct a hybrid ensemble model(HENSM).The outcomes of the proposed HENSM are superior to other CSC models employed in this study.Based on the experimental results(training RMSE=0.0283 and testing RMSE=0.0418),the newly proposed HENSM is potential to assist engineers in predicting ROP of TBM in the design phase of tunnelling and underground projects.

Performance characteristics of tunnel boring machine in basalt and pyroclastic rocks of Deccan traps–A case study

A12.24km long tunnel between Maroshi and Ruparel College is being excavated by tunnel boring machine(TBM)to improve the water supply system of Greater Mumbai,India.In this paper,attempt has been made to establish the relationship between various litho-units of Deccan traps,stability of tunnel and TBM performances during the construction of5.83km long tunnel between Maroshi and Vakola.The Maroshi–Vakola tunnel passes under the Mumbai Airport and crosses both runways with an overburden cover of around70m.The tunneling work was carried out without disturbance to the ground.The rock types encountered during excavation arefine compacted basalt,porphyritic basalt,amygdaloidal basalt pyroclastic rocks with layers of red boles and intertrappean beds consisting of various types of shales Relations between rock mass properties,physico-mechanical properties,TBM specifications and the cor responding TBM performance were established.A number of support systems installed in the tunne during excavation were also discussed.The aim of this paper is to establish,with appropriate accuracy the nature of subsurface rock mass condition and to study how it will react to or behave during under ground excavation by TBM.The experiences gained from this project will increase the ability to cope with unexpected ground conditions during tunneling using TBM.

3D Finite Element Simulation of Tunnel Boring Machine Construction Processes in Deep Water Conveyance Tunnel

Applying stiffness migration method,a 3D finite element mechanical model is established to simulate the excavation and advance processes.By using 3D nonlinear finite element method,the tunnel boring machine(TBM) excavation process is dynamically simulated to analyze the stress and strain field status of surrounding rock and segment.The maximum tensile stress of segment ring caused by tunnel construction mainly lies in arch bottom and presents zonal distribution.The stress increases slightly and limitedly in the course of excavation.The maximum and minimum displacements of segment,manifesting as zonal distribution,distribute in arch bottom and vault respectively.The displacements slightly increase with the advance of TBM and gradually tend to stability.

An evolutionary adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system for estimating field penetration index of tunnel boring machine in rock mass

Field penetration index(FPI) is one of the representative key parameters to examine the tunnel boring machine(TBM) performance.Lack of accurate FPI prediction can be responsible for numerous disastrous incidents associated with rock mechanics and engineering.This study aims to predict TBM performance(i.e.FPI) by an efficient and improved adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system(ANFIS) model.This was done using an evolutionary algorithm,i.e.artificial bee colony(ABC) algorithm mixed with the ANFIS model.The role of ABC algorithm in this system is to find the optimum membership functions(MFs) of ANFIS model to achieve a higher degree of accuracy.The procedure and modeling were conducted on a tunnelling database comprising of more than 150 data samples where brittleness index(BI),fracture spacing,α angle between the plane of weakness and the TBM driven direction,and field single cutter load were assigned as model inputs to approximate FPI values.According to the results obtained by performance indices,the proposed ANFISABC model was able to receive the highest accuracy level in predicting FPI values compared with ANFIS model.In terms of coefficient of determination(R^(2)),the values of 0.951 and 0.901 were obtained for training and testing stages of the proposed ANFISABC model,respectively,which confirm its power and capability in solving TBM performance problem.The proposed model can be used in the other areas of rock mechanics and underground space technologies with similar conditions.

Evaluation of boring machine performance with special reference to geomechanical characteristics

The duration of tunneling projects mostly depends on the performance of boring machines. The performance of boring machines is a function of advance rate, which depends on the machine characterizations and geomechanical properties of rock mass. There were various theoretical and empirical models for estimating the advance rate. In this paper, after determining the geomechanical properties of rock mass encountered in the Isfahan metro tunnel, the performance of the roadheader and tunnel boring machine （TBM） were then evaluated using various models. The calculation results show that the average instantaneous cutting rate of the roadheader in sandstone and shale are 42.8 and 74.5 m^3/h respectively. However the actual values in practice are 34.2 and 51.3 m^3/h. The operational cutting rate of the roadheader in sandstone and shale are 8.2 and 9.7 m^3/h respectively, but the actual values are 6.5 and 6.7 m^3/h. The penetration rate of the TBM in shale is predicted to be 50-60 mm/round.

The Time and Cost Prediction of Tunnel Boring Machine in Tunnelling

Making use of microsoft visual studio. net platform, the assistant decision-making system of tunnel boring machine in tunnelling has been built to predict the time and cost. Computation methods of the performance parameters have been discussed. New time and cost prediction models have been depicted. The multivariate linear regression has been used to make the parameters more precise, which are the key factor to affect the prediction near to the reality.

A residual denoising and multiscale attention-based weighted domain adaptation network for tunnel boring machine main bearing fault diagnosis

As a critical component of a tunnel boring machine(TBM),the precise condition monitoring and fault analysis of the main bearing is essential to guarantee the safety and efficiency of the TBM cutter drive.Currently,under conditions of strong noise and complex working environments,traditional signal decomposition and machine learning methods struggle to extract weak fault features and achieve high fault classification accuracy.To address these issues,we propose a novel residual denoising and multiscale attention-based weighted domain adaptation network(RDMA-WDAN)for TBM main bearing fault diagnosis.Our approach skillfully designs a deep feature extractor incorporating residual denoising and multiscale attention modules,achieving better domain adaptation despite significant domain interference.The residual denoising component utilizes a convolutional block to extract noise features,removing them via residual connections.Meanwhile,the multiscale attention module uses a 4-branch convolution and 3 pooling strategy-based channel–spatial attention mechanism to extract multiscale features,concentrating on deep fault features.During training,a weighting mechanism is introduced to prioritize domain samples with clear fault features.This optimizes the deep feature extractor to obtain common features,enhancing domain adaptation.A low-speed and heavy-loaded bearing testbed was built,and fault data sets were established to validate the proposed method.Comparative experiments show that in noise domain adaptation tasks,proposed the RDMA–WDAN significantly improves target domain classification accuracy by 42.544%,23.088%,43.133%,16.344%,5.022%,and 9.233%over dense connection network(DenseNet),squeeze–excitation residual network(SE-ResNet),antinoise multiscale convolutional neural network(ANMSCNN),multiscale attention module-based convolutional neural network(MSAMCNN),domain adaptation network,and hybrid weighted domain adaptation(HWDA).In combined noise and working condition domain adaptation tasks,the RDMA–WDAN improves the accuracy by 45.672%,23.188%,43.266%,16.077%,5.716%,and 9.678%compared with baseline models.

Technical innovation in the “Beishan No. 1” hard rock tunnel boring machine for high-gradient spiral tunnels

1 Project overview The“Beishan No.1”,the world’s first-ever hard rock Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM)tailored for high-gradient spiral tunnels,constitutes a pivotal element within the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory(URL)initiative in China.Beishan URL,the first URL for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste(HLW)in China,is a national key construction project listed in the“13th Five-Year Plan”.In 2019,subsequent to receiving approval from the China Atomic Energy Authority,the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology(BRIUG),serving as the project’s owner,initiated its construction.This underground facility,categorized as a“third generation”URL for HLW disposal,i.e.,area-specific URL,was located in Beishan,Jiuquan City,Gansu Province,China,following more than three decades of rigorous research on site selection.

From tunnel boring machine to tunnel boring robot: perspectives on intelligent shield machine and its smart operation

Advances in intelligent shield machines reflect an evolving trend from traditional tunnel boring machines(TBMs)to tunnel boring robots(TBRs).This shift aims to address the challenges encountered by the conventional shield machine industry arising from construction environment and manual operations.This study presents a systematic review of intelligent shield machine technology,with a particular emphasis on its smart operation.Firstly,the definition,meaning,contents,and development modes of intelligent shield machines are proposed.The development status of the intelligent shield machine and its smart operation are then presented.After analyzing the operation process of the shield machine,an autonomous operation framework considering both stand-alone and fleet levels is proposed.Challenges and recommendations are given for achieving autonomous operation.This study offers insights into the essence and developmental framework of intelligent shield machines to propel the advancement of this technology.

Enhanced wear prediction of tunnel boring machine disc cutters for accurate remaining useful life estimation using a hybrid model

In tunnel construction with tunnel boring machines(TBMs),accurate prediction of the remaining useful life(RUL)of disc cutters is critical for timely maintenance and replacement to avoid delays and cost overruns.This paper introduces a novel hybrid model,integrating fundamental and data-driven approaches,to enhance wear prediction of TBM disc cutters and enable accurate RUL estimation.The fundamental model is improved by incorporating composite wear mechanisms and load estimation techniques,showcasing superior prediction accuracy compared to single-mechanism models.Additionally,the hybrid model innovatively incorporates a data-driven supplementary residual term into the improved fundamental model,leading to a high-performance wear prediction model.Using actual field data from a highway tunnel project in Shenzhen,the performance of the hybrid model is rigorously tested and compared with pure fundamental and data-driven models.The hybrid model outperforms the other models,achieving the highest accuracy in predicting TBM disc cutter wear(mean absolute error(MAE)=0.53,root mean square error(RMSE)=0.64).Furthermore,this study thoroughly analyzes the hybrid model’s generalization capability,revealing significant impacts of geological conditions on prediction accuracy.The model’s generalization capability is also improved by expanding and updating the data sets.The RUL estimation results provided by the hybrid model are straightforward and effective,making it a valuable tool by which construction staff can monitor TBM disc cutters.

Design Method of Anti-Damage and Anti-Crack for Main Parameters of Tunnel Boring Machine Cutter Head

In the actual service process of the tunnel boring machine(TBM)cutter head,the fatigue failure of the disc body is serious.Aimed at the problem of premature failure of cutter head due to the extreme service environment and complicated structure of the TBM cutter head,the previous TBM cutter head failure data are combined to establish a method for calculating the space crack growth in this paper.Based on the structure of the TBM cutter head itself,the law of the shape and parameters of the stiffened panels on the crack propagation resistance is studied to further present the method of anti-damage and anti-crack for the TBM cutter head.The results illustrate that the basis and methods for the structural design of the TBM cutter head are put forward.