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From lab forces to field lifespans: How rock and operating parameters govern TBM disc cutter wear
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Ehsan Mohtaramia, *, Amin Hekmatnejadb, Georg H. Erharterc, Alvaro Penad
Rock Mechanics Bulletin | 2026, 5(2) : 100278
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Rock Mechanics Bulletin | 2026, 5(2): 100278
From lab forces to field lifespans: How rock and operating parameters govern TBM disc cutter wear
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Ehsan Mohtaramia, *, Amin Hekmatnejadb, Georg H. Erharterc, Alvaro Penad
Affiliations
  • aDepartment of Civil and Geomechanics Engineering, Arak University of Technology, Arak, Iran
  • bDepartamento de Ingeniería de Minería, Escuela de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Cat'olica de Chile, Chile
  • cNorwegian Geotechnical Institute, Sandakerveien 140, Oslo, Norway
  • dEscuela de Ingeniería de Construcci'on y Transporte, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaíso, Chile
Published: 2026-04-10 doi: 10.1016/j.rockmb.2025.100278
Outline
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Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are considered a reliable and fast method for boring long tunnels. However, the wear and failure of disc cutters in hard rock influences the efficiency of equipment, ultimate timeline, and project cost. Therefore, estimating the cutter life under different geomechanical conditions is crucial for TBM manufacturers and tunnel engineers. This study investigates the influence of geomechanical factors, including elastic modulus (E), uniaxial compressive strength (σc), confining stresses, and TBM operational parameters such as penetration rate (P) and disc cutter inclination angle (ϕ), on disc cutter wear using the explicit finite element method. The results revealed that the uniaxial compressive strength, disc cutter inclination angle, rock elastic modulus, and confining stresses, in that order, had the greatest impact on the cutter wear rate. Such that an increase in compressive strength from 31 MPa to 137.9 MPa caused a 2.4-fold reduction in cutter life. Meanwhile, the cutter life in the rock without confining stress was only 15% greater than in the sample under 15 MPa of confining stress. Additionally, to achieve the most optimal and economical drilling conditions, the penetration depth of the disc cutters should be optimized based on the existing conditions. Since the installation location of the disc cutters, their spacing and rotational trajectory significantly influence wear levels, a full-scale simulation of a TBM is conducted according to a real case study. The comparison of results indicated that the proposed method has high capability in estimating the cutter life under various geomechanical conditions.

Rock cutting  /  Tunnel boring machine  /  Explicit finite element method  /  Wear  /  Cutter lifespan estimation
Ehsan Mohtarami, Amin Hekmatnejad, Georg H. Erharter, Alvaro Pena. From lab forces to field lifespans: How rock and operating parameters govern TBM disc cutter wear[J]. Rock Mechanics Bulletin, 2026 , 5 (2) : 100278 - . DOI: 10.1016/j.rockmb.2025.100278
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID), through grant project of Fondecyt Iniciación(11221093)
Year 2026 volume 5 Issue 2
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Article Info
doi: 10.1016/j.rockmb.2025.100278
  • Receive Date:2025-07-28
  • Online Date:2026-06-17
  • Published:2026-04-10
Article Data
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History
  • Received:2025-07-28
  • Revised:2025-10-20
  • Accepted:2025-11-29
Funding
Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID), through grant project of Fondecyt Iniciación(11221093)
Affiliations
    aDepartment of Civil and Geomechanics Engineering, Arak University of Technology, Arak, Iran
    bDepartamento de Ingeniería de Minería, Escuela de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Cat'olica de Chile, Chile
    cNorwegian Geotechnical Institute, Sandakerveien 140, Oslo, Norway
    dEscuela de Ingeniería de Construcci'on y Transporte, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaíso, Chile

Corresponding:

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: (E. Mohtarami).
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表12种不同金属材料的力学参数

Family
属数
Number of
genus
种数
Number of
species
占总种数比例
Percentage of
total species (%)

Genus
种数
Number of
species
占总种数比例
Percentage of total
species (%)
鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae 2 11 5.26 鹅膏菌属 Amanita 10 4.78
小菇科 Mycenaceae 2 12 5.74 丝盖伞属 Inocybe 5 2.39
多孔菌科 Polyporaceae 8 14 6.70 蜡蘑属 Laccaria 5 2.39
红菇科 Russulaceae 3 23 11.00 小皮伞属 Marasmius 6 2.87
小菇属 Mycena 11 5.26
光柄菇属 Pluteus 5 2.39
红菇属 Russula 17 8.13
栓菌属 Trametes 5 2.39
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