Abstract: During shield tunneling, failing to replace worn cutters in a timely manner can decrease tunneling efficiency. To address this, an accurate prediction model for cutter wear is established, which aims to improve the utilization rate of disc cutters and overall construction efficiency. This model analyzes the relationship between cumulative wear and tunneling parameters with the aid of equivalent wear, and the database is extended to predict cumulative wear. By examining disc cutter wear data from the large-diameter shield tunnel project on the Xingye express line in Zhuhai, China, the wear types and patterns are studied through sectional statistics. The concept of equivalent wear amount is introduced, and its variation characteristics across different strata are analyzed. The relationship between wear amount and excavation parameters is fitted and a wear prediction model is established. The results show the following: (1) The disc cutter wear mainly manifests as uniform and partial wear, with partial wear being more prevalent in uneven soft and hard strata. (2) Disc cutter wear correlates positively with factors such as installation radius, blade width, formation type, and driving distance. (3) In a soft soil layer, equivalent wear changes smoothly, whereas in uneven strata, it progresses through adaptation, stability, and intensification stages. Fitting analysis shows that equivalent wear positively correlates with thrust and torque. The feasibility of the wear prediction model is validated using field measurement data.

Key words: shield tunnel, tunneling parameters, disc cutter, equivalent wear, wear prediction