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.

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.

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.

An Optimized System of Random Forest Model by Global Harmony Search with Generalized Opposition-Based Learning for Forecasting TBM Advance Rate

As massive underground projects have become popular in dense urban cities,a problem has arisen:which model predicts the best for Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM)performance in these tunneling projects?However,performance level of TBMs in complex geological conditions is still a great challenge for practitioners and researchers.On the other hand,a reliable and accurate prediction of TBM performance is essential to planning an applicable tunnel construction schedule.The performance of TBM is very difficult to estimate due to various geotechnical and geological factors and machine specifications.The previously-proposed intelligent techniques in this field are mostly based on a single or base model with a low level of accuracy.Hence,this study aims to introduce a hybrid randomforest(RF)technique optimized by global harmony search with generalized oppositionbased learning(GOGHS)for forecasting TBM advance rate(AR).Optimizing the RF hyper-parameters in terms of,e.g.,tree number and maximum tree depth is the main objective of using the GOGHS-RF model.In the modelling of this study,a comprehensive databasewith themost influential parameters onTBMtogetherwithTBM AR were used as input and output variables,respectively.To examine the capability and power of the GOGHSRF model,three more hybrid models of particle swarm optimization-RF,genetic algorithm-RF and artificial bee colony-RF were also constructed to forecast TBM AR.Evaluation of the developed models was performed by calculating several performance indices,including determination coefficient(R2),root-mean-square-error(RMSE),and mean-absolute-percentage-error(MAPE).The results showed that theGOGHS-RF is a more accurate technique for estimatingTBMAR compared to the other applied models.The newly-developedGOGHS-RFmodel enjoyed R2=0.9937 and 0.9844,respectively,for train and test stages,which are higher than a pre-developed RF.Also,the importance of the input parameters was interpreted through the SHapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP)method,and it was found that thrust force per cutter is the most important variable on TBMAR.The GOGHS-RF model can be used in mechanized tunnel projects for predicting and checking performance.

A performance-based hybrid deep learning model for predicting TBM advance rate using Attention-ResNet-LSTM

The technology of tunnel boring machine(TBM)has been widely applied for underground construction worldwide;however,how to ensure the TBM tunneling process safe and efficient remains a major concern.Advance rate is a key parameter of TBM operation and reflects the TBM-ground interaction,for which a reliable prediction helps optimize the TBM performance.Here,we develop a hybrid neural network model,called Attention-ResNet-LSTM,for accurate prediction of the TBM advance rate.A database including geological properties and TBM operational parameters from the Yangtze River Natural Gas Pipeline Project is used to train and test this deep learning model.The evolutionary polynomial regression method is adopted to aid the selection of input parameters.The results of numerical exper-iments show that our Attention-ResNet-LSTM model outperforms other commonly-used intelligent models with a lower root mean square error and a lower mean absolute percentage error.Further,parametric analyses are conducted to explore the effects of the sequence length of historical data and the model architecture on the prediction accuracy.A correlation analysis between the input and output parameters is also implemented to provide guidance for adjusting relevant TBM operational parameters.The performance of our hybrid intelligent model is demonstrated in a case study of TBM tunneling through a complex ground with variable strata.Finally,data collected from the Baimang River Tunnel Project in Shenzhen of China are used to further test the generalization of our model.The results indicate that,compared to the conventional ResNet-LSTM model,our model has a better predictive capability for scenarios with unknown datasets due to its self-adaptive characteristic.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

TK 5440 CNC VERTICAL BORING AND MILLING MACHINE

This machine tool produced by theQinchuan Machine Tool Worksincorporates all the commonmachining functions, and is equipped withan advanced CNC system. It can continuouslyfinish multiple working procedures such asdrilling, milling, boring, reaming and tappingwithin one clamping. Not only is it universaland efficient, but also it can machinecomplicated parts which cannot be machinedon general universal machines, such as variouskinds of precision molds, plates, disks,

复合地层小直径隧道掘进机掘进速度区间预测

合理准确预测隧道掘进机(tunnel boring machine,TBM)的掘进速度是实现TBM智能化控制的关键问题之一,复合地层小直径TBM施工的不确定性较常规地质条件更强,而传统预测方法对施工过程的不确定性考虑不足。在此通过引入区间预测方法,提出基于4种不同Bootstrap方法结合KELM-ANN模型的TBM掘进速度区间预测模型,并以南水北调安阳输水隧洞工程为例,选取142组工程实测数据验证区间预测模型的有效性。研究结果表明:基于Rademacher分布建立的模型预测结果优于其他3种方法,不仅可以得到较好的点预测结果,还可以构造出较为清晰可靠的区间将掘进速度实测值完全包络在内;随着置信水平的提高,区间可容纳的不确定性和风险也逐渐上升,通过变化区间宽度,能较好地量化和解释TBM施工过程中的不确定性因素对掘进速度的影响。研究结果可为TBM掘进性能预测和掘进参数优化提供参考。

基于PSO-LSSVM算法的隧道掘进机掘进参数预测方法

为了规避隧道掘进机(tunnel boring machine,TBM)掘进参数人为设定的主观性,提出了一种基于粒子群-最小二乘支持向量机算法(PSO-LSSVM)的TBM掘进参数预测方法。通过从海量TBM工程掘进数据中探寻参数变化规律,降低了TBM主司机设定掘进参数的主观性,辅助其合理选择掘进参数,有利于提高掘进效率、规避工程风险,经实验和工程数据验证,PSO-LSSVM算法通过对样本粒子全局迭代寻优来优化参数,提升了预测算法泛化能力和预测精度,对推力、扭矩和推进速度参数预测数值偏差满足要求,可辅助指导主司机设定掘进参数。

Soft ground tunnel lithology classification using clustering-guided light gradient boosting machine

During tunnel boring machine(TBM)excavation,lithology identification is an important issue to understand tunnelling performance and avoid time-consuming excavation.However,site investigation generally lacks ground samples and the information is subjective,heterogeneous,and imbalanced due to mixed ground conditions.In this study,an unsupervised(K-means)and synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-guided light-gradient boosting machine(LightGBM)classifier is proposed to identify the soft ground tunnel classification and determine the imbalanced issue of tunnelling data.During the tunnel excavation,an earth pressure balance(EPB)TBM recorded 18 different operational parameters along with the three main tunnel lithologies.The proposed model is applied using Python low-code PyCaret library.Next,four decision tree-based classifiers were obtained in a short time period with automatic hyperparameter tuning to determine the best model for clustering-guided SMOTE application.In addition,the Shapley additive explanation(SHAP)was implemented to avoid the model black box problem.The proposed model was evaluated using different metrics such as accuracy,F1 score,precision,recall,and receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve to obtain a reasonable outcome for the minority class.It shows that the proposed model can provide significant tunnel lithology identification based on the operational parameters of EPB-TBM.The proposed method can be applied to heterogeneous tunnel formations with several TBM operational parameters to describe the tunnel lithologies for efficient tunnelling.