Selection of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM): A Case Study of Hanoi Metro Line 2 (Nam Thang Long–Tran Hung Dao)
Main Article Content
Abstract
This paper presents the theoretical basis and computational analysis for selecting a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) suitable for the underground section of Hanoi Urban Railway Line 2 (Nam Thang Long–Tran Hung Dao). Based on the geological and hydrogeological assessment together with particle size distribution (PSD) analysis of Metro Line 2, the study identifies the Earth Pressure Balance Shield TBM (EPB) as the most suitable tunnelling solution for the prevailing geological conditions, comprising water-saturated soft soils, mixed-face ground conditions, and a high groundwater table. Subsequently, operational data obtained from the geologically comparable Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon–Hanoi Station) were used to constrain the feasible range of the empirical torque coefficient (α) within the range recommended by JSCE (10–25) for preliminary cutterhead torque estimation. The selected design parameters include a shield diameter of approximately 6.73 m, a shield length of approximately 9.8 m, determined in accordance with JSCE recommendations and practical engineering experience, together with a design cutterhead torque of approximately 5,500 kN·m. Accordingly, the torque coefficient (α = 18) was selected from operational monitoring data obtained from the S9–S10 section of Hanoi Metro Line 3 under geological conditions comparable to those of Metro Line 2, providing a basis for preliminary TBM design. The proposed procedure provides a practical and quantitative framework for preliminary EPB TBM selection and cutterhead torque estimation for metro projects developed under geological conditions comparable to those of Hanoi Metro Line 2.
References
[2] Prime Minister of Vietnam, Decision No. 519/QD-TTg Dated 31 March 2016 on the Approval of the Hanoi Capital Transport Development Master Plan to 2030, with a Vision to 2050, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2016 (in Vietnamese).
[3] Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), Feasibility Study and Basic Design Documentation for Hanoi Metro Line 2 (Nam Thang Long–Tran Hung Dao Section), Hanoi, Vietnam, 2019.
[4] V. Guglielmetti, P. Grasso, A. Mahtab, S. Xu (Eds.), Mechanized Tunnelling in Urban Areas: Design Methodology and Construction Control, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2008.
[5] S. Wang, J. Fu, C. Zhang, J. Yang, Shield Tunnel Engineering: From Theory to Practice, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2021.
[6] Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon–Hanoi Station Section): Project Documentation, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2021.
[7] Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), Standard Specifications for Tunneling–2016: Shield Tunnels, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Tokyo, Japan, 2016.
[8] M. Thewes, TBM Tunnelling Challenges – Redefining the State of the Art, Keynote Lecture, ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress 2007, Prague, Magazine Tunel, Vol. 16, 2007, pp. 13–21.
[9] FECON Corporation, PIC-TEC-TRE-WTO-L10-32001-V-2A, Tunnel – General Description Report, Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon – Hanoi Station Project), Hanoi, Vietnam, 2021.
[10] Herrenknecht AG, Tunnel Boring Machines – Technical Manual, Schwanau, Germany, 2018.
[11] FECON Corporation, TBM Operational Monitoring Data for the Underground Section of Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon–Hanoi Station), Internal Project Database, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2024.