Exploration Of A Tunnel Boring Machine And Tunnel Construction (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Title Author’s name Institutional affiliation The design of a tunnel-boring machine Roads are an essential section for the operation of human beings. They ensure that individuals are in a position to access diverse services all over the nation without experiencing many obstructions. In addition to that, transport supplies are needed to ensure that the supply of goods is done uniformly all over the country. The tunnel-boring machine plays a significant role in providing that the transport supplies become successful through the supply of goods and services. Therefore for a successful project, there is a need for ensuring that proper prediction of the working of the machine is done (Robertson and Robertson, 2012). The process is made a reality through the determination of the design parameters associated with the machine and the functions that contribute to it working efficiently. The machine contains the cutting head mainly involved in the cutting process. The head is mainly characterized with a cutting disc of approximately 8 meters in diameter. The head may contain about 50 cutting discs that significantly contribute to increasing its efficiency in working. The cutting discs are further designed to be in a position to provide the forces needed for the cutting head (Font-Capó et al, 2011). The prediction of the performance of a tunnel-boring machine is primarily done basing on the cutting discs that the boring machine does harbor in carrying out its operation. Estimation is an essential section of any machine in ensuring that there is no significant difference in the result and the approximate figures. Most devices do have different ways of carrying out estimation to ensure that most of the variables involved in the whole process are achieved at the end of the day. The tunnel-boring machine does have the linear cutting test that greatly helps in the determination of the various variables established through the operation of the machine (Cho et al, 2013). One of the main parameters determined by the linear cutting test is the appropriate spacing that is needed between any two cuts that may be needed. In addition to that, the operation of the tunnel-boring machine calls for several penetrations that may be needed for its functioning. The linear cutting test does also play a significant role in determining the required penetrations. Furthermore, the device plays a significant role in determining the drive and the cutting speeds that may be needed in carrying out the whole operation process. The cutting forces can also vary depending on the kind of tunnel that is required at the end of the day and the condition of the ground that the boring machine has to encounter. The load cells, as shown in the figure below, greatly help in the measuring of the cutting forces allowing for the operators to carry out minor alterations of the forces being applied in the cutting process. Proper penetration of the machine requires an appropriate positioning of the disc at a particular place to exert the penetration. Hence, there is need of making use of the standard force. The force always has to be applied perpendicular to the rolling direction to be in a position to achieve such a function. Apart from that, the force also helps in determining the thrust of the machine if normally applied to the direction of the roll (Acaroglu, 2011). The operation of the machine requires making use of energy to ensure that it functions efficiently. The energy has to be provided in the needed amount to ensure that the whole process becomes a success. Some of the standard requirements that call for the use of energy include the torque and power requirement needed by the machine. Determining such conditions plays a major role in establishing the specific energy required; hence, openly displaying the importance of the rolling force as it greatly helps in the determination of the power and the torque. In designing the balance of the cutting head, the side force is highly considered. The balance promotes the excellent working of the machine. The working of a tunnel boring Machine The operation of the boring machine requires that there should be a combination of three major components of the apparatus. The cutter head has to be present in addition to the hydraulic bracing systems that ensure proper working of the machine. Moreover, there will be need to have the excavating conveyor and any other host of the other elements. The cutter head is made with a circular metal face as shown (Maidl et al, 2008). Several discs are interspersed in the cutter head allowing for the cutter head to make a complete rotation of 360 degrees. The interspersion leads to a considerable increase in the penetration force hence pushing for the boring machine to penetrate excellently. Through the process, the material on the surfaces is loosened with the cutter discs rolling over the surface. The surface might be made of diverse materials ranging from different rocks to the soils. Over all, the rolling of the discs promotes the breaking of such materials into small pieces being referred to as chips. While the process of the chips formation being still in progress, some of them end up falling into the broad bucket lips. The bucket lips are openings that one may quickly notice on the cutter head (Maidl, Thewes and Maidl, 2014). Shelter hoppers are formed as a result of the combination of the various bucket lips. The hopper plays a role of receiving the excavated material in the boring process. The material is after that, extended on a vast conveyor belt system. The belt after that extends through the central body located within the tunnel-boring machine. There is a backup area at the rear of the tunnel-boring machine (Ramoni and Anagnostou, 2010). The backup area experiences gradual enlargement within the tunnel system and having access to the surface. The wheeled loading unit is after that involved in the scooping of the chips ensuring that they are placed in the muck truck. The truck is a dump vehicle and large that has a significant specialization in the traversing of the tunnel system. The systems serve as storage of the excavated material allowing for further processing of the material. The whole process involves the boring machine carrying out its activities in the tunnel. The stability of the machine in the tunnel through the whole process tends to remain still hence, indicating the high levels of stability trait associated with the machine. The hydraulic braces play a significant role in establishing such stability. The mounting is completed radially on the mega drills of the body. The result is that the braces do push outwards on the walls of the tunnel ensuring to increase the stability of the boring machine. The moving forward of the machine relies on the stabilizing of the machine. The stability is mainly attained through the simultaneous initiation of the braces. Several stretches are always needed to be cleared in the process. The safety of the tunnel significantly contributes in ensuring that the builders’ lives are safe at work and their health remains to be intact through their living. The working of the tunnel-boring machine also ensures that the security of the tunnel is maintained at high levels during the building process. Several devices are used in facilitating such safety of machines. The rock anchors form one of the primary devices; the boring machine ensures that they are well placed in the tunnels to fulfill their functions (Shahriar, Sharifzadeh and Hamidi, 2008). Apart from that, beam supports and metal mashes are also used. However, there is always the need to eliminate such devices before the completion of the tasks. Hence, a mortar and wet concrete mix is also applied before the task coming to completion to ensure that the stability of the tunnel is maintained. Effects of altitude to the operation of a tunnel boring machine Progress is an essential aspect of any activity. Individuals will always tell their performance in the society depending on the progress that they do make at a particular time in the society. Machines greatly help in ensuring that the growth in carrying a specific activity is excellent and one can be in a position to clear a particular task within a short period. However, despite many relying on the machines, the performance of the machines also varies in different occasions. A machine will always offer particular results within particular set environments (Calheiros et al, 2011). Tunnel boring machine works at different rates in different climatic conditions. When the water level is low, the rates at which the boring machine will advance into the ground is much higher compared to the high altitude areas. The case can be easily seen when the machine is used in the boring of granite. It displays high speeds of working compared to areas that the water levels are high. The loading of a boring machine is of much importance in ensuring proper propelling of the machine into the ground. The cutters play a significant role in informing on the kind of load that will be displayed by a particular boring machine. The oscillation of the cutter can be very fast enhancing the speed at which the boring machine will take in penetrating through the ground to create a tunnel. The working will always face different resistance depending on the nature of the ground and the environment. Understanding the forces that the cutter will have to counter as the boring machine works will play a significant role in informing one on the kind of cutters that they will have to use at the end of the day. Most of the tunnel boring machines operators will prefer areas with low altitudes because of the weak forces that the boring machines will encounter through its working. The lesser the force encountered, the lesser the loading will be needed on the cutter (Gong et al, 2012). Furthermore, the machine will make it operating through the ground ...