Slurry Shield Additives
Slurry Shield Additives
39th U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, Cambridge MA, June 22-25, 2003
Abstract
For tunneling projects in saturated soils tunnel boring machines (TBMs) with slurry shields are widely used.
However, in coarse, highly permeable soils the suspension penetrates the ground and the required support pressure
cannot be built up.
For the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel near Zurich permeabilities much greater than 10-3 m/s were expected. This value
is usually considered as the critical limit for the applicability of slurry shields. Therefore it was aimed to find
additives for the bentonite suspension which would allow it to attain a higher suspension pressure.
For these investigations an apparatus has been developed, which allows the maximum attainable support pressure
for a given suspension and a ground to be determined. It reflects the real situation, produces reproducible results
and is insensitive to the inevitable variation of individual parameters.
In the tests the additives polymer, sand and vermiculite were studied and their effects on the attainable maximum
suspension pressure investigated. For the best combination, i.e. with a well defined proportion of the individual
components, suspension pressures could be attained which were about 10 to 20 times higher than those with an
ordinary bentonite suspension.
Successful excavation of the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel proved the validity of the laboratory tests.
Resumen
Son populares para proyectos de tneles en suelos saturados los escudos de frente presurizado con lodo
bentnitico. Sin embargo en suelos de gravilla gruesa con alta permeabilidad el lodo penetra en el suelo y la
presin requerida para el frente no puede ser establecida.
Para el tnel de base de Zimmerberg cerca de Zurich se esperaba permeabilidades por arriba de 10-3 m/s.
Normalmente este valor se considera como lmite para la aplicacin de escudos con lodo. Por esto se requiri
investigar aditivos para que la bentonita soportara presiones mayores.
Para estas investigaciones se desaroll un aparato que permite determinar la presin mxima alcanzable para una
suspensin especifica y un suelo. El aparato simula la situacin real, produce resultados reproducibles y es
insensible a las variaciones inevitables de parametros individuales.
Durante los ensayos se estudiaron los aditivos polmero, arena y vermiculite, y sus efectos a la presin alcanzable.
Para la mejor proporcin de los componentes individuales, se alcanz una presin entre diez y veinte veces ms
alto que solo con bentonita.
Los resultados de los ensayos en el laboratorio se comprobaron durante la excavacin eficaz del tnel
Zimmerberg.
1 MOTIVATION
For tunneling projects in saturated, non cohesive soils tunnel boring machines (TBMs) with
slurry shields are widely used. However, in
coarse, highly permeable soils the suspension pe-
swelling is higher for Na-bentonites than for Cabentonites, resulting in higher attainable support
pressures for the former. Ca-bentonites may be
converted (activated) to Na-bentonites by
replacing Ca-ions by Na-ions by means of soda
(Na2CO3).
Our investigations for two different Nabentonites revealed a better quality for the
activated HT-X than for the natural MX-80.
Polymer
From pure bentonite suspensions it is known,
that when adding 0.5 kg/m3 polymer about 30%
less bentonite may be used. However, for the
suspension discussed here with various additives
this effect may be much less pronounced. As a
matter of fact, the quantity of polymer added is
determined solely by aiming to get the best
possible results for the combined action of all
additives.
When adding polymer to water in the laboratory
it was noted that it was not completely dissolved.
However - if before adding the polymer - the
water was heated to 400 C, the solubility was
much better. This procedure was also adopted at
the construction site Hermetschloo, but not at the
Zimmerberg Tunnel due to logistic problems.
Sand
If sand penetrating the ground fulfills the filter
criteria of Terzaghi and Peck (1956) it may plug
the pores and lead to a welcome progressive
filtration process. However, for the coarse gravel
considered here the sand would also require a
larger grain size than just the 1 mm used, so that
the positive influence of the sand seen in
laboratory experiments may only be explained by
the combined action together with other additives.
As a rule limestone sand has been used. In
addition, on one occasion quartz sand was also
tried: the attainable support pressure was
comparable, but it did not separate as quickly
when no longer stirred. However, for practical
application quartz sand was too expensive.
Vermiculite
The effect of vermiculite is based on its large
grain size and its small density (Fig. 3).
The choice of an appropriate grain size
distribution of the vermiculite is important: with a
grain size between 0.7 and 4 mm a suspension
pressure of 1.5 bar could be attained. When
omitting the finer parts and just using grains
between 2 and 4 mm, no pressure at all could be
built up (c.f. Fig. 9).
Fig. 3 Exfoliated
vermiculite,
an
aluminumironmagnesium
silicate
4 TEST METHOD
For pure bentonite slurries various standardized
tests are in use, which lead to characteristic index
values: shear strength, viscosity, stability, density,
and grain size distribution.
However, all these quantities are indirect
quantities, as they only represent physical
properties, but not directly the decisive
parameters. Rules to deduce from these properties
the ability to support the face are, if not
completely impossible, at least hard to establish.
As an example, the density may serve. For pure
bentonite slurries it is often directly used as a
measure of quality. However, for the suspensions
discussed here, it has a much smaller relevance,
because the mode of support for such suspensions
is completely different.
Therefore a more direct test was used where the
suspension pressure and the corresponding
penetration depth are measured with the apparatus
sketched in Fig. 4. First a plastic tube is filled with
gravel e which is then saturated with water. Then
the suspension d is added, the tube is closed and
subsequently subjected to a pressure from a
supply g. The suspension penetrates the gravel
and the amount of water expelled into the vessel
f is measured. With increasing pressure the
penetration depth and water discharge increases.
At a critical value, the so called maximum support
pressure, suddenly the whole suspension is
expelled.
This pressure test has been executed on a daily
basis at both the construction site and the
laboratory of the Division of Geotechnical
Engineering (IGT).
Additionally,
indirect
tests
with
the
"Kugelharfe" (yield limit) and the Filter Press
(stability) have been executed at the construction
site for getting quick indications of the quality of
the suspension and also for the sake of
completeness.
Aging
When
considering
the
influence of the age of the
suspension on its quality two
cases may be distinguished:
improvement of quality by
allowing the bentonite enough
time for swelling,
deterioration of quality with
increasing age of suspension.
2.5
500
450
2.0
400
1.5
300
250
max. support pressure
[bar]
2.5
200
1.0
2.0
pressure [bar]
350
1.5
150
1.0
100
0.5
0.5
0.0
50
10
11
12
13
sample number
0
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
39
42
45
48
51
54
57
60
time [min]
63
66
69
72
75
2.5
2.0
1.5
2.5
0.5
0.5
0
V. 5-1
50
V. 5-2
V. 5-3
V. 5-4
sample number
0.0
0
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
time [min]
500
450
400
350
1.5
300
250
1.0
1.5
pressure [bar]
200
150
100
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.5
0.8
0
50
pressure [bar]
0
0
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
39
42
45
time [min]
3
250
2
1
200
150
100
50
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
pressure [bar]
0.8
Suspension
Additives
Bentonite
(IBECO HT-X)
Polymer
(Carbocel C190)
Sand (grain size
< 1mm)
Vermiculite
(0.7 to 4 mm)
Hermetschloo
Zimmerberg
initial
final
40
50
50
0.5
0.5
0.5
100
100
100
20
40
30
400
350
2.5
300
2
200
150
100
50
1.5
2.5
2
1.5
pressure [bar]
250
Fig. 9
1
0.5
0.5
0
1
sample number
0
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
time [min]
400
350
2.5
300
2
0.5
0.5
7
0
1
50
100
2
1.5
150
1.5
2.5
200
pressure [bar]
250
sample number
7 CONCLUSIONS
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
time [min]
8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author would like to express his gratitude
to Christian Mller and Gianluca Ambrosini of the
Division of Geotechnical Engineering for the big
effort they made when carrying out all the support
pressure tests with a multitude of different
suspensions. He would also like to thank Ildiko
Fonyo and Ingeborg Reichenbach for the careful
determination of the composition of the
suspensions.
And last but not least he acknowledges the
collaboration with the owner, The Swiss Federal
Railways, Zurich, the engineer in charge
Ingenieurgemeinschaft BBPS (Basler & Hofmann,
Balestra, Preisig and SNZ), Zrich, and last but
not least the contractor ARGE Tunnel ZrichThalwil.
REFERENCES