Abstract: In order to accurately judge and predict the life cycle of disc cutter wear and grantee safe and efficient construction of TBM, disc cutter wear is analyzed through the combination of field tracking test and theoretical prediction model. By analyzing the mechanism of disc cutter wear, it is concluded that abrasive wear is the main mode. The failure mode of disc cutter wear is analyzed through field tracking test in rock-breaking process, and according to the distribution characteristics of cutterhead, the wear characteristics of disc cutter are studied. Based on Rabinowicz abrasive wear simplified calculation model and CSM disc cutter′s rock breaking model, a prediction model of disc cutter wear rate and linear wear rate is established, and then the measured disc cutter wear data for driving 2 km in main Gaoligongshan Tunnel and the prediction results of theoretical mode are compared. The results show that: (1) The wear of positive disc cutter changes regularly, while the central disc cutter tends to slip laterally and the edge disc cutter wears twice. (2) The relative error between theoretical prediction and measured analysis results of TBM disc cutter is less than 10%, which demonstrates that the model can accurately predict disc cutter wear. Meanwhile, the quantitative relationship between the wear rate of the positive disc cutter and physical parameters of the tool and surrounding rock is obtained.

Key words: field test, disc cutter wear, wear prediction, wear rate, tunnel, TBM