Parametric Performance Study of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) In the Titiwangsa Main Range Granite, Malaysia

This paper presents a case study on the performances of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) opted for the construction of the Interstate Raw Water Transfer (ISRWT) project currently constructed in Selangor-Pahang, Malaysia. The performance of TBM is affected by various properties of rock mass such as the strength of rock, the occurrence of fault zone, the joint orientation and the existence of a water bearing zone. In this project, the 44 km Interstate Raw Water Transfer tunnel is designed to cross solid rock along the alignment with the overburden ranges from just several meters at each portal to more than one thousands meters at the centre of the tunnel. Geology of the alignment comprises of metasedimentary rock at the northern end and granitic rock to the rest of the tunnel. The method used for this study and the evidence are discussed. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.