Chances & Limits of Soil ConditioningPrague, 16th June 2008

Lars LangmaackBASF Construction Chemicals, UGC Underground Construction Group

EPB projects around the world

Change of soil rheologywith MEYCO Fix SLF foam

TBM choice by geologyin soft ground

Lyon (F) ‘96NFM EPB, Ø=10.98m1.5-3 bar waterFoam + Polymer + Bentonite

Botlek (NL) ‘99HK EPB, Ø=9,76m3.6 bar waterFoam + Polymer

Aviles (ESP)‘99Lovat EPB, Ø=3.4m2.5 bar seawaterFoam + Polymer

Toulouse (F) ‘03HK EPB, Ø=7.72mmainly under water tableFoam + Anti-Clay

Torino (I) ‘2004Lovat EPB, Ø=7.7mmainly abovewater tableFoam + Polymer

BARCELONA ‘03HK EPB, Ø=12.06m2.0 bar water foam + polymer + filler suspension

Where can EPB machines be used?weak ground under groundwater pressure

0.001 0.010 0.100 1 10 100

clay silt sand gravel

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Particle size [mm]

very coarse, frictioned soiluse Foam & special Polymers

+ fine filler

silty sandsuse Foams

coarse, frictioned soiluse Foam & Polymers

clay adhesion & clogginguse foam and

anti-clay-additives

creation of tunnelfoam

water

water

air

FoamG

enerator

air

soil conditioning system on TBMschematic view

P1

SLF

water

air

soil conditioning IIanti-clay-additives

change of clay behaviourwith Rheosoil anti-clay-additives

Bologna Clay + water & foam

Bologna Clay +foam & Rheosoil

Madrid MetroLam project – belt view

foam foam + Rheosoil 211

soil conditioning IIIlong chain polymers (against water)

Hartgesteins-Chips, Stollen BodioFeinkornanteil reduziertÜberschuß an Wasser

how do polymers work ?

MEYCO Fix SLF P1MEYCO Fix SLF P2

foam with 5% SLF P1too much polymer usedblock creation

Singapore Metro - Polymer P1

only foam usedwater content too high

foam with 3.5% SLF P1 acceptable situation2-3% polymer would be sufficient

Flexibility of soil conditioning agents

Foam

Polymer (coarse soil, groundwater)

Anti-Clay-Agent (clay, silt)

Anti-Abrasion / Anti-Dust-Agents

MEYCO Fix SLF 30MEYCO Fix SLF 33MEYCO Fix SLF 41

MEYCO Fix SLF P1MEYCO Fix SLF P2

Rheosoil 211Rheosoil 212Rheosoil 143

MEYCO Fix ABR 2MEYCO Fix ABR 3MEYCO Fix ABR 5

TBM site examples

The Aviles project, Spain

Aviles geology

Difficult clay excavation

Segment installation

Aviles Collector, sieve curve

Aviles (ESP)‘99Lovat EPB, Ø=3.4m2.5 bar sea waterFoam + Polymer

effect of structurizing polymers

2,5 bar sea water pressureuse of foam

2,5 bar sea water perssureuse of foam & polymer

TBM inside view

TBM parameters & advance rates

Toulouse Metro L2soil conditioning in difficult groundconditions

Alban Martinotto, Campenon Bernard S.A. (Group Vinci)Lars Langmaack, BASF Construction Chemicals (UGC)

The TBM

Herrenknecht EPB TBM S-208• shield length: 8,50m• shield diameter: 7,750m• cutterhead diameter: 7,785m• TBM speed ≤ 80 mm/minute• EPB pressure ≤ 3 bar. • installed power: 2.000 kW, • driving force: 55,75 kN• jack force: 6.000 tons.

Segments• diameter: 6,80m (5+1) • lenght: 1,40m• thickness: 340mm. • total segment number: 26.000 • total muck excavation: 225.000m³

or 517.000 tons.

Excavated soil

no pressureopen mode

> =water pressure

importance of EPB driving modesin soft ground

=soil pressure

+ water pressure

p [bar]

earth pressure

air pressure

Cutterhead in station ‚La vache‘

Toulouse Metro projectsieve curves

Toulouse (F) ‘2003HK EPB, Ø=7.72mmainly under water tableFoam + Anti-Clay-Agent

Toulouse soil parameters(clogging risk after Thewes)

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1

1,1

1,2

1,3

1,4

1,5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Plasticity Index

Toulouse Molasse

high clogging risk

medium clogging risk

low clogging risk

Toulouse Metro projectconditioned soil comparison

homogeneous & plastic soil with SLF 30 and Rheosoil 211

dry excavation

Toulouse Metro Lot 2 cutterhead comparison

plastic mode & full chamberwith Rheosoil®

dry mode & empty chamber

conditioned soil

Landfilling with excavated soilmachinery used

Landfill of excavated soil in Toulouse

Lixiviation data (24h, DIN 38-414 4)Acute toxicity tests (Daphnids, NF EN ISO 6341)

... not to forget: ecotoxicology!

ground water land filling worker security

necessity of risk assessments

Foams & Polymers Rheosoil® TSG