Publications / 1988 Proceedings of the 5th ISARC, Tokyo, Japan

Automatic Shield Tunneling Method with a Small Cross-Sectional Area

Shoji Kondo, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki, Masanobu Kuroiwa
Pages 859-866 (1988 Proceedings of the 5th ISARC, Tokyo, Japan, ISSN 2413-5844)
Abstract:

In Japanese urban areas, almost all conduits for telecommunication cables are laid under public roads having heavy traffic. Therefore, we have developed and continued to refine, a new tunneling method (M2) for small cross-sectional area tunnels not requiring personnel in tunnels. A centralized control system installed in a vertical shaft has made tunnel construction work safe and efficient by automating processes from excavation to lining. All shield machine operations are controlled by a central control system using digital signals. Automatic transportation of excavated soil and lining material in the tunnel is accomplished by developing an unmanned system for transportation cars which move without rails. Furthermore, this method employs the cast-in-place lining system, which is controlled by a central control system, using quick-hardening resin mortar as the lining material. This automatic tunnel-lining system permits long distance driving (over 500m) and a curved driving (R>=100m) which are not impossible for the hume-pipe-jacking method. NTT conducted several field tests and a Practical Application Test (P.A.T.) under a public road and the practicability of this method was demonstrated. In the near future, this method will also be applicable for constructing infrastructures, such as sewage, electricity, water and gas.

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