A shield tunneling method with cabin opening and cabin connection under pressure

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of shield construction with pressure cabin opening construction method, before shield construction with pressure cabin opening operation, the front preparation of man lock system and soil cabin pressure maintaining system is completed, and the soil cabin working pressure matched with the water and soil pressure of working face is established in soil cabin;Make first operation team enter man lock main cabin and stage pressurization, after pressure balance, enter soil cabin and carry out pressure opening operation;First operation team is withdrawn to man lock main cabin after completing operation, shifts to man lock auxiliary cabin and carries out stage decompression;Before first operation team is not completed all decompression cabin, make second operation team enter man lock main cabin isolated with man lock auxiliary cabin and stage pressurization, after pressure balance, enter soil cabin and continue operation;Subsequent operation team is sequentially circulated and connected operation.The application realizes the continuation of operation of subsequent operation team in the decompression process of previous operation team, thereby shortens the empty window period of shift, keeps the stability of soil cabin pressure, and improves the continuity and safety of pressure opening operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction technology, specifically to a method for pressurized, open-chamber, and connected TBM construction. Background Technology

[0002] During tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction, the cutterhead tools are constantly exposed to a high-wear, high-disturbance working environment, making them prone to wear, chipping, or failure. This can affect the normal tunneling progress of the TBM. In such cases, it is usually necessary to enter the soil chamber to remove and replace damaged tools, and to carry out tasks such as mud cake removal, face treatment, and equipment maintenance, depending on the site conditions. For special construction conditions such as water-rich soft strata, highly permeable strata, and rivers or seabeds, directly opening the chamber to release pressure can easily disrupt the original water and soil pressure balance at the face, leading to face instability, water and sand inrush, and ground subsidence. In severe cases, it may even damage surrounding buildings and underground pipelines. To mitigate these risks, current TBM construction typically employs a pressurized chamber opening method. This involves injecting compressed air into the soil chamber to create a stable pressure, matching the chamber pressure with the water and soil pressure at the face. Combined with a manhole pressurization and depressurization system, this allows workers to enter the soil chamber under controlled pressure to complete their tasks, thereby maintaining the stability of the excavation face and ensuring worker safety.

[0003] However, as the burial depth of shield tunnels continues to increase, the pressure of pressurized chamber opening operations increases accordingly, and the time required for pressurization and depressurization by workers is significantly prolonged. Conventional pressurized chamber opening operations usually adopt a non-continuous operation method, that is, after the previous shift completes the soil chamber operation, they need to go through the complete depressurization process and exit the chamber, and then the next shift repressurizes and enters the soil chamber. There is no overlap between the two shifts, and the soil chamber operation process is intermittent. This method will result in the working face being unattended for a long time during shift changes, and the mud film on the working face will be idle and prone to cracking and failure, thereby increasing the risk of air leakage, grout leakage, water and sand inrush, and ground settlement and instability. At the same time, on-site hidden dangers are difficult to detect and deal with in a timely manner during the shift change window, and emergency rescue channels may also be blocked due to the personnel depressurization and exit process, affecting personnel transfer and rescue in case of emergencies. In addition, because the work processes of decompression, exiting the chamber, repressurizing, and entering the chamber need to be completed sequentially by the front and rear shifts, the effective time for working in the soil chamber is severely compressed, resulting in low construction efficiency. The overall construction period, cost, and safety control are all difficult to meet the requirements for continuous pressurized chamber opening operations in deep-buried, water-rich, and high-risk strata. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a method for pressurized opening and connecting of tunnel chambers in tunnel boring machines. By independently controlling the pressure of the main and auxiliary chambers of the personnel lock and organizing the overlapping operations of the preceding and following work teams, the subsequent work team can enter the chambers to continue operations during the decompression process of the preceding work team. This shortens the shift change window, maintains stable pressure in the earth chambers, and improves the continuity and safety of pressurized opening operations.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A method for pressurized, open-chamber, and connected tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction includes the following steps: S1. Before the shield tunneling pressurized opening operation, complete the pre-preparation of the personnel gate system and the soil chamber pressure holding system, conduct pressure holding tests on the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber of the personnel gate respectively, and after confirming the airtightness and pressure holding at the tunnel face, establish the working pressure of the soil chamber that matches the water and soil pressure at the tunnel face. S2, allowing the first work team to enter the main compartment of the manhole, pressurizing the main compartment of the manhole in stages until the pressure in the main compartment of the manhole is balanced with the working pressure in the soil compartment, then opening the partition door between the main compartment of the manhole and the soil compartment, allowing the first work team to enter the soil compartment to carry out pressurized opening operations. S3, after the first work team completes its shift, it withdraws from the soil compartment to the main compartment of the personnel lock, closes the partition door between the main compartment and the soil compartment, and the first work team moves from the main compartment to the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock and closes the partition door between the main compartment and the auxiliary compartment. S4, the first work team located in the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock is depressurized in stages according to the preset stage depressurization plan, while maintaining pressure isolation between the main compartment and the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock. S5. Before the first work team completes all decompression and exits the chamber, the second work team enters the main chamber of the manhole, which is isolated from the auxiliary chamber of the manhole, and pressurizes the main chamber of the manhole in stages until the pressure of the main chamber of the manhole is balanced with the working pressure of the earth chamber. Then, the partition door between the main chamber of the manhole and the earth chamber is opened, allowing the second work team to enter the earth chamber to continue the pressurized opening operation. S6, the first work team completes the remaining decompression stage in the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock according to the preset graded decompression plan until the pressure in the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock drops to normal pressure. Then, the first work team exits the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock and performs emptying, airtightness check and reset for standby. S7, in accordance with the overlap method between the first and second work teams, the subsequent work teams will sequentially cycle through pressurization and entry into the cabin, earth chamber operations, withdrawal from the main cabin of the personnel lock, transfer to the auxiliary cabin of the personnel lock for decompression, and the next work team to continue the cabin entry operations. During the docking process between two adjacent work teams, by controlling the start interval of the latter work team relative to the former work team, at least one compartment in the main and auxiliary manholes of the personnel lock can be kept in an emergency docking state that can be used for pressure matching, personnel transfer or emergency rescue.

[0006] Preferably, during the overlap of two adjacent work shifts, the interval T between shifts satisfies the following: T≥T1-Tw+Ts; Where T1 is the time required for the first stage of decompression by the previous work team, Tw is the estimated time for the next work team to carry out pressurized opening operations in the soil chamber, and Ts is the safety margin time.

[0007] Preferably, in step S4, the manhole auxiliary compartment performs graded decompression according to the graded decompression curve corresponding to the working pressure of the soil chamber. The graded decompression curve includes multiple decompression stages and the residence time corresponding to each decompression stage.

[0008] Preferably, in step S4, the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock maintains a state of interruptible decompression and pressure recovery during the graded decompression process; when personnel injury, gas abnormality, pressure abnormality, face instability, water inrush or sand inrush occur in the soil chamber or the main compartment of the personnel lock, the graded decompression of the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock is suspended, and the pressure of the auxiliary compartment of the personnel lock is restored to match the pressure of the main compartment of the personnel lock, so as to form an emergency connecting passage for personnel transfer or emergency rescue.

[0009] Preferably, in step S1, the confirmation of air tightness and pressure holding at the working face includes the preparation of mud film at the working face and an air tightness test. When the air pressure in the soil chamber does not change within the preset pressure holding time or the pressure fluctuation is within the allowable range, it is determined that the working face meets the conditions for pressurized opening and connecting chamber operations.

[0010] Preferably, in steps S2 and S5, when pressurizing the main cabin of the personnel gate in stages, the pressurization is increased step by step according to the preset pressurization rate, and after each pressurization, the physical condition of the personnel, the communication status inside the cabin, and the gas status inside the cabin are confirmed to meet the preset requirements before continuing to the next stage of pressurization.

[0011] Preferably, in step S3, before the first work team withdraws to the main manhole, the first work team, the cabin operator, and the second work team complete the handover and confirmation of the work content, working face status, equipment condition, risks and hidden dangers, and pending matters; after the first work team withdraws from the soil chamber to the main manhole, it first confirms that the partition door between the main manhole and the soil chamber is sealed and locked, and confirms that the working pressure of the soil chamber remains stable, before transferring the first work team from the main manhole to the auxiliary manhole.

[0012] Preferably, in step S7, after each round of overlapping operations is completed, the status of the main passenger lock compartment, the auxiliary passenger lock compartment, the partition door, the separation door, the pressurization and depressurization system, the communication system, the gas monitoring system, and the soil chamber pressure maintenance system is checked. After the check is passed, the next round of overlapping operations is started.

[0013] Preferably, when the working pressure of the soil chamber is lower than the preset pressure threshold, the work crew located in the auxiliary compartment of the manhole is depressurized once; when the working pressure of the soil chamber is not lower than the preset pressure threshold, the work crew located in the auxiliary compartment of the manhole is depressurized in the first stage, and after the first stage of depressurization is completed, the work crew is transferred to the deck compartment or the external depressurization compartment to continue the second stage of depressurization.

[0014] Preferably, the procedure also includes step S8: after the final work team completes all pressurized opening operations, the final work team withdraws from the soil chamber to the main manhole, closes and locks the partition door, and then moves into the auxiliary manhole to complete the graded decompression according to the preset graded decompression plan. After confirming that there are no personnel or leftover tools in the manhole system and soil chamber, the team closes all doors and resets the manhole system and soil chamber pressure holding system.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention utilizes the independently pressurized structure of the main and auxiliary manholes of the personnel lock to create a continuous, interconnected construction method. This method involves the preceding work crew depressurizing in the auxiliary cabin, while the following crew pressurizes in the main cabin and then proceeds into the earth chamber. This changes the traditional sequential operation mode of non-connected cabin operations, where the preceding crew completely depressurizes and exits the cabin before the following crew repressurizes and re-enters. This significantly shortens the shift change window and improves the continuity of pressurized cabin opening operations. By setting start-up intervals between adjacent work crews and ensuring that at least one cabin in the main and auxiliary cabins remains in an emergency docking state suitable for pressure matching, personnel transfer, or emergency rescue, this invention can maintain emergency response capabilities while maintaining continuous operation. It avoids the main and auxiliary cabins being simultaneously unusable in emergency situations, improving the reliability of personnel evacuation and rescue in unexpected circumstances. Because the downtime of the soil chamber operation is shortened, the risk of prolonged idleness, cracking, and failure of the mud film at the tunnel face is reduced. The working pressure of the soil chamber can remain relatively stable, thereby reducing the risks of air leakage, grout leakage, water and sand inrush, and ground settlement instability, and improving the construction safety in water-rich, soft, highly permeable, and deeply buried tunnel conditions. At the same time, this invention eliminates a large number of serial and ineffective procedures such as depressurization waiting, repeated pressurization verification, and personnel standby in traditional processes. It can shorten the total construction period of a single pressurized chamber opening operation, reduce the consumption of high-pressure operation gas, equipment maintenance and personnel standby costs, and reduce the amount of additional pressure maintenance and ground reinforcement work caused by pressure fluctuations and mud film failure. It has good comprehensive benefits in terms of construction period, cost, and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the shield tunneling pressurized opening and connecting chamber construction method according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shield tunneling system cabin structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cyclic timing of the pressurized opening and connecting of the tunnel sections in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Attached diagram labels: 1-Soil compartment; 2-Main compartment of the personnel lock; 3-Secondary compartment of the personnel lock; 4-Separation door; 5-Separation door. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention belong to the present invention.

[0019] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0020] Please see Figure 1-3 The present invention provides a method for pressurized tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction with open and connected compartments, comprising the following steps: S1. Before the pressurized opening of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), complete the preliminary preparations for the manhole system and the soil chamber pressure-holding system. Conduct pressure-holding tests on the main manhole 2 and auxiliary manhole 3 respectively. After confirming the airtightness and pressure holding at the tunnel face, establish a working pressure in soil chamber 1 that matches the water and soil pressure at the tunnel face. This step is used to conduct mandatory acceptance testing of the inter-chamber operation conditions before the formal pressurized opening. Specifically, this may include full-function debugging of the pressurization and depressurization systems, door sealing structures, communication systems, gas monitoring systems, emergency lighting systems, and pressure-holding systems of the main manhole 2 and auxiliary manhole 3, and conducting pressure-holding tests on the main manhole 2 and auxiliary manhole 3 respectively, for example, a 2-hour pressure-holding test, to confirm the manhole... Both the main compartment 2 and the auxiliary compartment 3 have independent pressure bearing and control capabilities. Simultaneously, the face air tightness and pressure holding confirmation includes face mud film preparation and air tightness testing. When the air pressure in the earth chamber 1 remains unchanged within a preset pressure holding time or the pressure fluctuation is within the allowable range (e.g., 2 hours), the face is deemed to meet the conditions for pressurized opening and connecting operations. Furthermore, before operations, the qualifications of the operators, the configuration of the work team, the connecting scheme, the graded pressurization and depressurization scheme, and the emergency rescue plan can be confirmed. Medical personnel, depressurization and treatment equipment, emergency supplies, and on-site personnel must be in place to ensure that subsequent main compartment pressurization, auxiliary compartment graded depressurization, and emergency rescue operations are feasible.

[0021] S2, allowing the first work team to enter the main manhole 2, pressurizing it in stages until the pressure in the main manhole 2 is balanced with the working pressure in the soil chamber 1. Then, the partition door 4 between the main manhole 2 and the soil chamber 1 is opened, allowing the first work team to enter the soil chamber 1 for pressurized opening operations. Specifically, the first work team can bring tools and equipment needed for tool replacement, mud cake removal, face treatment, or equipment maintenance into the main manhole 2, and sequentially close the atmospheric pressure outer door of the main manhole 2 and the partition door 5 between the main manhole 2 and the auxiliary manhole 3. After confirming that all doors are sealed and there is no leakage, the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock is pressurized in stages according to the confirmed pressurization plan. After the first work team enters the soil compartment 1, they can confirm with the central control room that the communication is normal and the concentration of harmful gases does not exceed the allowable range. They can then carry out one or more of the following operations according to the construction plan: tool replacement, mud cake cleaning, face reinforcement, and equipment maintenance. During the operation, the central control room monitors the pressure of soil compartment 1, the gas parameters inside the compartment, and the status of personnel in real time, so as to ensure that the first work team can safely enter soil compartment 1 for operation under pressure matching and environmental control conditions.

[0022] S3, after the first work team completes its shift, it withdraws from soil compartment 1 to the main manhole 2 of the personnel lock, closes the partition door 4 between the main manhole 2 and soil compartment 1, and moves from the main manhole 2 to the auxiliary manhole 3, closing the partition door 5 between the main manhole 2 and the auxiliary manhole 3. In practice, after completing its shift, the first work team can conduct a handover confirmation with the crew and the incoming second work team before leaving soil compartment 1. For example, the handover should be completed 10 minutes in advance, including the work content, face condition, equipment status, risks, and pending tasks, so that the second work team can understand the current working status in soil compartment 1 and achieve continuous relay operation. After the handover is completed, the first work team... The team, carrying all tools and equipment, safely evacuated from the soil chamber 1 back to the main manhole 2 of the manhole, and closed the partition door 4 between the main manhole 2 and the soil chamber 1. They confirmed that the partition door 4 was tightly sealed and leak-free. Simultaneously, the control room or central control room verified that the pressure in the soil chamber 1 remained stable and without significant fluctuations during the evacuation of the first work team and the closing of the partition door 4. After the soil chamber 1 and the main manhole 2 were reliably isolated, the partition door 5 between the main manhole 2 and the auxiliary manhole 3 was slowly opened, allowing the first work team to transfer entirely from the main manhole 2 to the auxiliary manhole 3. The partition door 5 was then closed, allowing the auxiliary manhole 3 to be used for the first work team's phased decompression, while simultaneously enabling the main manhole 2 to provide independent compartment conditions for the next work team to pressurize and enter the chamber.

[0023] S4. The first work team located in the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock is depressurized in stages according to the preset depressurization plan, while maintaining pressure isolation between the main compartment 2 and the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock. This step allows the first work team to depressurize step by step in the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock according to the working pressure, working time and safety regulations. At the same time, the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock will not depressurize synchronously due to the depressurization of the auxiliary compartment 3, so that the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock can continue to be used for subsequent teams to pressurize and enter the compartment or maintain emergency docking conditions.

[0024] S5. Before the first work team completes all decompression and exits the chamber, the second work team enters the main manhole 2, which is isolated from the auxiliary manhole 3, and performs staged pressurization on the main manhole 2 until the pressure in the main manhole 2 is balanced with the working pressure in the soil chamber 1. Then, the partition door 4 between the main manhole 2 and the soil chamber 1 is opened, allowing the second work team to enter the soil chamber 1 to continue the pressurized opening operation. Specifically, while the first work team is performing staged decompression in the auxiliary manhole 3, the second work team enters the emptied and continuously pressurized main manhole 2. The main manhole 2 and the auxiliary manhole 3 are separated by the partition door 5. To maintain pressure isolation, the second work team's pressurization, pressure stabilization, entry into the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock, and operations in the soil compartment 1 can be performed in accordance with the procedures of the first work team. This allows the second work team to enter the soil compartment 1 before the first work team has completed all decompression and exit. During this parallel process, the main compartment 2 and the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock are subject to dual-compartment pressure dual-track control, which can be configured with two people on duty. One person is dedicated to monitoring the working pressure of the main compartment 2 and the entry and exit status of the second work team in the soil compartment 1, while the other person is dedicated to monitoring the staged decompression dynamics of the auxiliary compartment 3 and the physical condition of the first work team, so as to ensure the safety of both compartments. Independent pressure control ensures no interference between the two systems. Simultaneously, the main manhole 2 can be designated as the access passage to the working face, while the auxiliary manhole 3 can be designated as a tiered decompression and emergency rescue cabin. This prevents the main manhole 2 and auxiliary manhole 3 from being used interchangeably, which could lead to obstruction of the emergency passage or disruption of the decompression process. During the cabin connection operation, dual-path communication must be maintained with the second work team in the earth chamber 1 or the main manhole 2, and the first work team in the auxiliary manhole 3. The status of both teams must be monitored throughout the process. If the first work team in the auxiliary manhole 3 experiences discomfort during decompression, decompression can be stopped immediately, and if necessary, the pressure in the auxiliary manhole 3 can be increased. The operation of the second work team in the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock and the soil compartment 1 will not be affected. The auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock also retains the emergency pressurization docking function during the staged decompression process. When the second work team in the soil compartment 1 or the working face area experiences emergencies such as personnel injury, sudden illness, geological hazards, abnormal pressure, water inrush or sand inrush, the second work team can immediately withdraw to the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock. By stopping the decompression of the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock and increasing the pressure of the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock, the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock can be made to match the pressure of the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock and the conditions for personnel transfer, thereby achieving the simultaneous maintenance of continuous operation and emergency rescue capabilities.

[0025] S6, the first work team completes the remaining decompression stages in the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock according to the preset graded decompression plan, until the pressure in the auxiliary compartment 3 drops to atmospheric pressure. Then, the first work team exits the auxiliary compartment 3 and performs a cleanup, airtightness check, and reset for later use. In practice, the first work team in the auxiliary compartment 3 continues to complete all remaining decompression stages according to the graded decompression plan until the pressure in the auxiliary compartment 3 steadily drops to atmospheric pressure, and it is confirmed that the first work team members have no signs of decompression sickness and no physical discomfort. Then, the personnel lock is slowly opened. The atmospheric pressure outer door of the auxiliary lock compartment 3 allows the first work team to exit the cabin through the auxiliary lock compartment 3. On-site medical personnel can immediately conduct a special physical examination on the first work team members. After confirming that the personnel are free of abnormalities, they can enter the rest area, thus completing the entire process of the first work team's shift. After the first work team exits the cabin, the auxiliary lock compartment 3 is emptied, the atmospheric pressure outer door of the auxiliary lock compartment 3 is closed, and the airtightness of the auxiliary lock compartment 3 is checked, so that the auxiliary lock compartment 3 can be quickly restored to the emergency standby state, preparing for the graded decompression or emergency rescue in the next round of overlapping operations.

[0026] S7. Following the handover method between the first and second work teams, subsequent work teams will sequentially cycle through pressurization and entry into the chamber, operations in earth chamber 1, withdrawal from the main manhole 2, decompression in the auxiliary manhole 3, and the next work team to continue the chamber entry operations. In specific implementation, subsequent third and fourth work teams will also follow the handover process from the first to the second work team. That is, after the work team completes its task, it will enter the auxiliary manhole 3 for decompression. The next work team will use the continuously pressurized main manhole 2 to complete the positioning, verification, and pressurization into the chamber, so as to maintain the continuity of earth chamber 1 operations, the stability of earth chamber 1 pressure, and the availability of emergency functions in the auxiliary manhole 3, until all pressurized chamber opening operations are completed.

[0027] In step S7, after each round of overlapping operations is completed, the status of the main manhole 2, the auxiliary manhole 3, the partition door 4, the isolation door 5, the pressurization and depressurization system, the communication system, the gas monitoring system, and the soil chamber pressure maintenance system is checked. After the check is passed, the next round of overlapping operations is started, thereby avoiding the impact on the safety of subsequent operations due to abnormal equipment status, door sealing failure, or pressure system failure after the previous round of operations.

[0028] During the docking process between two adjacent work teams, by controlling the start interval of the latter work team relative to the former work team, at least one of the main cabin 2 and the auxiliary cabin 3 of the personnel lock is kept in an emergency docking state that can be used for pressure matching, personnel transfer, or emergency rescue. The docking of the cabins is not simply about the two teams occupying different cabins at the same time. Instead, it coordinates the relationship between pressurization of the main cabin 2, depressurization of the auxiliary cabin 3, and emergency rescue needs by controlling the start interval. This avoids the main cabin 2 and the auxiliary cabin 3 being in a state where they cannot be called up in an emergency at the same time. In the event of an anomaly in the earth cabin 1 or the main cabin 2, pressure matching and personnel transfer conditions can still be formed, thereby improving the efficiency of continuous operation while maintaining emergency safety redundancy.

[0029] Furthermore, during the overlap of two adjacent work teams, the interval T between the work shifts satisfies: T≥T1-Tw+Ts; where T1 is the time required for the first stage of decompression by the previous work team, Tw is the estimated time for the next work team to carry out pressurized opening operations in the soil chamber 1, and Ts is the safety margin time. Based on the aforementioned time relationships, the overlap rhythm of adjacent work shifts can be determined according to the decompression progress of the previous work shift and the expected work duration of the next work shift. This ensures that when the next work shift completes its expected work in the soil chamber 1 or needs to evacuate, the previous work shift has already completed or is close to completing the first stage of decompression, thereby avoiding the simultaneous inability to be called upon in emergency situations in the main compartment 2 and the auxiliary compartment 3 of the personnel lock. The time T1 required for the first stage of decompression can be determined based on the working pressure of the soil chamber 1, the exposure time of the workers, and the preset graded decompression plan. The expected work time Tw for the next work shift to perform pressurized opening operations in the soil chamber 1 can be determined based on the specific work content such as tool replacement, mud cake cleaning, face treatment, or equipment maintenance. The safety margin time Ts is used to cover the margin time required for personnel entry and exit checks, door opening and closing confirmation, pressure verification, communication confirmation, and emergency response. By setting the interval T between shifts, it is possible to maintain coordination between the pressurization of the main cabin 2 of the personnel lock, the staged decompression of the auxiliary cabin 3 of the personnel lock, and the emergency rescue needs. This reduces the waiting time for shift changes in traditional non-connected cabin operations and ensures that at least one of the main cabin 2 and the auxiliary cabin 3 of the personnel lock can be used for pressure matching, personnel transfer, or emergency rescue.

[0030] In this embodiment, in step S4, the personnel lock auxiliary compartment performs graded decompression according to the graded decompression curve corresponding to the working pressure of the soil chamber. The graded decompression curve includes multiple decompression stages and the corresponding dwell time for each decompression stage. The first stage decompression table for the first work team is shown in Table 1. The first stage decompression table for subsequent work teams can be set according to the entry time of the corresponding team, the duration of the operation, the working pressure of soil chamber 1, and the personnel decompression safety requirements, and in accordance with the graded decompression stages and dwell logic shown in Table 1.

[0031] Table 1. First Stage Decompression Table

[0032] In step S4, the auxiliary compartment 3 of the manhole maintains a state of interruptible decompression and pressure recovery during the staged decompression process. When personnel injury, gas abnormality, pressure abnormality, face instability, water inrush, or sand inrush occurs in the earth chamber 1 or the main compartment 2 of the manhole, the staged decompression of the auxiliary compartment 3 is suspended, and the pressure of the auxiliary compartment 3 is restored to match the pressure of the main compartment 2 of the manhole, so as to form an emergency connecting passage for personnel transfer or emergency rescue. In this way, the workers in the earth chamber 1 or the main compartment 2 of the manhole can be evacuated in case of an emergency and transferred or treated through the pressure-matched compartment, avoiding the inability to dock with the main compartment 2 due to the continuous decompression of the auxiliary compartment 3 to a low pressure state, thus taking into account both continuous operation efficiency and emergency rescue safety during the docking operation.

[0033] Furthermore, in steps S2 and S5, when pressurizing the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock in stages, the pressurization is increased step by step according to the preset pressurization rate. After each pressurization, it is confirmed that the physical condition of the operators, the communication status inside the compartment, and the gas status inside the compartment meet the preset requirements before proceeding to the next stage of pressurization. In specific implementation, the preset pressurization rate can be determined according to the working pressure, the personnel's adaptability, and the approved pressurization plan, for example, controlled at 0.1 to 0.15 MPa / min. After each pressurization, the operators complete the middle ear pressure adjustment and report their physical condition. At the same time, it is confirmed that the communication inside the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock is normal and the concentration of harmful gases does not exceed the allowable range. Pressurization continues until the pressure of the main compartment 2 of the personnel lock is balanced with the working pressure of the earth chamber 1, thereby reducing the discomfort caused to the personnel by rapid pressurization and ensuring that the pressure and environmental conditions are stable and reliable before the subsequent opening of the partition door 4 to enter the earth chamber 1. After the pressure in the main chamber 2 of the personnel lock and the soil chamber 1 are balanced, the pressure can be stabilized for a preset time, such as 5 minutes. After confirming that there is no pressure drop in the main chamber 2 of the personnel lock or that the pressure fluctuation is within the allowable range, the partition door 4 between the main chamber 2 of the personnel lock and the soil chamber 1 is slowly opened, allowing the work team to enter the soil chamber 1 or the working face area to start pressurized opening operations.

[0034] In this embodiment, when the working pressure of the soil chamber 1 is lower than the preset pressure threshold, the work team located in the auxiliary chamber 3 of the manhole is depressurized once; that is, when the pressure of the pressurized operation is low and the total depressurization time is relatively short, the entire depressurization process can be completed directly in the auxiliary chamber 3 of the manhole according to the preset graded depressurization scheme, so that the work team can exit the chamber from the auxiliary chamber 3 of the manhole after the pressure drops to normal pressure, thereby simplifying the depressurization organization process. When the working pressure of the earth chamber 1 is not lower than the preset pressure threshold, the first stage of decompression is performed on the work team located in the personnel lock auxiliary chamber 3. After the first stage of decompression is completed, the work team is transferred to the deck chamber or external decompression chamber to continue the second stage of decompression. In other words, when the pressure of pressurized operation is high and the total decompression time is long, the first stage of decompression related to the connection of the chambers can be completed first using the personnel lock auxiliary chamber 3. After the personnel pressure drops to the stage pressure that allows the transfer to the chamber, the team can then be transferred to the deck chamber or external decompression chamber to continue the subsequent second stage of decompression. This shortens the time that the personnel lock auxiliary chamber 3 is occupied for a long time, allowing it to be restored to the graded decompression or emergency rescue standby state more quickly, and improving the organizational efficiency and emergency support capability of multi-shift cyclic connection operations.

[0035] This embodiment also includes step S8: After the final work team completes all pressurized chamber opening operations, the final work team withdraws from earth chamber 1 to the main manhole 2, closes and locks the partition door 4, and then moves to the auxiliary manhole 3 to complete the graded decompression according to the preset graded decompression plan. After confirming that there are no personnel or leftover tools in the manhole system and earth chamber 1, all doors are closed and the manhole system and earth chamber pressure holding system are reset. In specific implementation, after the last work team completes all chamber opening operations, it first confirms that the working face is stable, the equipment is in normal working condition, and that all tools have been removed from earth chamber 1. Then, personnel are safely withdrawn from earth chamber 1 to the main manhole 2. The partition door 4 between the main manhole 2 and the earth chamber 1 is closed and locked to reliably isolate the earth chamber 1 from the main manhole 2. Personnel are then transferred from the main manhole 2 to the auxiliary manhole 3, and the entire process of graded decompression is completed according to the approved graded decompression plan until the pressure in the auxiliary manhole 3 drops to normal pressure. After personnel exit the chamber, medical personnel conduct a full physical examination to confirm that there are no abnormalities, and the pressurized operation process is ended. Finally, after checking and confirming that there are no personnel or tools left in the manhole system and earth chamber 1, all manhole doors are closed, and the manhole system, pressurization and decompression system and earth chamber pressure holding system are reset, thus completing this pressurized opening and connecting operation of the shield tunnel.

[0036] The core difference between this embodiment and the traditional pressurized chamber opening process lies in the addition of overlapping work time. The preceding work team depressurizes in the auxiliary chamber 3 of the manhole, while the following work team pressurizes in the main chamber 2 of the manhole and enters the soil chamber 1 to continue the work, achieving overlapping relay construction. During the operation, if water or sand inrush, mud film rupture, or a sudden pressure drop occurs at the working face, the workers immediately retreat to the main chamber 2 of the manhole and lock the partition door 4. The central control room activates the emergency pressure-maintaining system. If workers are injured, disabled, or poisoned by harmful gases, they retreat to the main chamber 2 of the manhole, and the depressurization in the auxiliary chamber 3 is interrupted and rapidly pressurized to a pressure matching that of the main chamber 2, in order to complete personnel transfer and pressurization treatment. In multi-shift cyclical chamber operation, the principle of "one shift, one handover; one cycle, one verification" is strictly implemented. Before each round of overlapping, the sealing status, pressure system, and emergency system status of the main chamber 2 and auxiliary chamber 3 of the manhole are checked. If the check fails, the next round of overlapping is not initiated. By using the above-mentioned overlapping relay pressurized chamber opening method, compared with the traditional non-connected chamber method where the previous shift depressurizes and exits the chamber after the entire process, and the next shift starts pressurizing and entering the chamber, the serial ineffective processes such as waiting for depressurization and repeated pressurization verification can be reduced. The total construction period for a single complete pressurized chamber opening can be shortened by more than 30%, and the comprehensive construction cost can be reduced by 22% to 35%. At the same time, it is conducive to maintaining the stable working pressure of the soil chamber 1, shortening the exposure time of the working face and the time of unattended operation, and reducing the risk of working face instability, water inrush, sand inrush and mud film failure.

[0037] In summary, this invention discloses a method for pressurized and interconnected tunnel boring machine (TBM) operations. By establishing an independently controlled, parallel-use interconnected operation mode between the main tunnel 2 and the auxiliary tunnel 3, the preceding work crew can move from the soil chamber 1 to the auxiliary tunnel 3 for graded depressurization. Simultaneously, the following work crew can use the main tunnel 2 to complete graded pressurization and enter the soil chamber 1 to continue operations. By controlling the interval between shifts, at least one chamber in the main tunnel 2 and the auxiliary tunnel 3 can remain in an emergency docking state suitable for pressure matching, personnel transfer, or emergency rescue. This method reduces shift change waiting and repeated pressurization processes in traditional non-interconnected pressurized TBM operations, maintains stable working pressure in the soil chamber 1, reduces the risk of mud film failure, water and sand inrush, and ground instability at the tunnel face, and retains the emergency response capability for interrupted depressurization and pressure recovery during the depressurization process in the auxiliary tunnel 3, thus balancing continuous operation efficiency with personnel safety. Therefore, this invention is applicable to pressurized hatching operations under complex conditions such as water-rich, soft, highly permeable strata and deep-buried shield tunnels. It has positive significance for improving the safety, continuity, and engineering organization efficiency of pressurized cutterhead replacement, mud cake cleaning, and equipment maintenance operations in shield tunneling.

[0038] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Under the concept of the present invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the present invention as described above. For the sake of brevity, they are not provided in detail. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for pressurized, open-chamber, and connected tunnel boring machine construction, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Before the shield tunneling pressurized opening operation, complete the pre-preparation of the manhole system and the soil chamber pressure holding system, conduct pressure holding tests on the main manhole (2) and the auxiliary manhole (3) respectively, and after confirming the airtight pressure holding at the tunnel face, establish the soil chamber working pressure in the soil chamber (1) that matches the water and soil pressure at the tunnel face. S2, allowing the first work team to enter the main compartment (2) of the manhole, pressurizing the main compartment (2) in stages until the pressure of the main compartment (2) is balanced with the working pressure of the soil compartment (1), then opening the partition door (4) between the main compartment (2) of the manhole and the soil compartment (1), allowing the first work team to enter the soil compartment (1) to carry out pressurized opening operations. S3, after the first work team completes its shift, it withdraws from the soil compartment (1) to the main compartment (2) of the personnel lock, closes the partition door (4) between the main compartment (2) and the soil compartment (1), and the first work team moves from the main compartment (2) to the auxiliary compartment (3) of the personnel lock and closes the partition door (5) between the main compartment (2) and the auxiliary compartment (3). S4, the first work team located in the auxiliary compartment (3) of the personnel lock is depressurized in stages according to the preset stage depressurization scheme, while the main compartment (2) of the personnel lock and the auxiliary compartment (3) of the personnel lock are kept in pressure isolation. S5. Before the first work team completes all decompression and exits the chamber, the second work team enters the main manhole (2) which is isolated from the auxiliary manhole (3) and pressurizes the main manhole (2) in stages until the pressure of the main manhole (2) is balanced with the working pressure of the soil chamber (1). Then, the partition door (4) between the main manhole (2) and the soil chamber (1) is opened, allowing the second work team to enter the soil chamber (1) to continue the pressurized opening operation. S6, the first work team completes the remaining decompression stage in the auxiliary compartment (3) of the personnel lock according to the preset graded decompression plan until the pressure in the auxiliary compartment (3) drops to normal pressure, then the first work team exits the auxiliary compartment (3) and the auxiliary compartment (3) is emptied, airtightness checked and reset for later use. S7, according to the overlap method of the first work group and the second work group, the subsequent work groups will carry out pressurization and cabin entry, soil cabin (1) operation, withdrawal from the main cabin of the manhole (2), transfer to the auxiliary cabin of the manhole (3) decompression and the next work group to continue cabin entry operation in turn. During the docking process of two adjacent work teams, by controlling the start interval of the latter work team relative to the former work team, at least one of the main cabin (2) and the auxiliary cabin (3) of the personnel lock is kept in an emergency docking state that can be used for pressure matching, personnel transfer or emergency rescue.

2. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the overlap between two adjacent work shifts, the time interval T between the shifts satisfies: T≥T1-Tw+Ts; Where T1 is the time required for the first stage of decompression by the previous work team, Tw is the time expected for the next work team to carry out pressurized opening operations in the soil chamber (1), and Ts is the safety margin time.

3. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the manhole auxiliary compartment (3) performs graded decompression according to the graded decompression curve corresponding to the working pressure of the soil compartment (1). The graded decompression curve includes multiple decompression stages and the residence time corresponding to each decompression stage.

4. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the auxiliary compartment (3) of the manhole maintains a state of interruptible decompression and pressure recovery during the graded decompression process; when personnel injury, gas abnormality, pressure abnormality, face instability, water inrush or sand inrush occur in the soil compartment (1) or the main compartment (2), the graded decompression of the auxiliary compartment (3) is suspended, and the pressure of the auxiliary compartment (3) is restored to match the pressure of the main compartment (2) of the manhole, so as to form an emergency connecting passage for personnel transfer or emergency rescue.

5. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the confirmation of air tightness and pressure holding at the working face includes the preparation of mud film at the working face and the air tightness test. When the air pressure in the soil chamber (1) does not change within the preset pressure holding time or the pressure fluctuation is within the allowable range, it is determined that the working face meets the conditions for pressurized opening and connecting chamber operations.

6. The shield tunneling pressurized hatching and connecting method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In steps S2 and S5, when pressurizing the main cabin (2) of the personnel gate in stages, the pressurization is increased step by step according to the preset pressurization rate. After each pressurization, the physical condition of the workers, the communication status inside the cabin and the gas status inside the cabin are confirmed to meet the preset requirements before continuing to the next stage of pressurization.

7. The shield tunneling pressurized hatching and connecting method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, before the first work team withdraws to the main manhole (2), the first work team, the cabin operator, and the second work team complete the handover and confirmation of the work content, working face status, equipment condition, risks and hidden dangers and pending matters. After the first work team withdraws from the soil cabin (1) to the main manhole (2), they first confirm that the partition door (4) between the main manhole (2) and the soil cabin (1) is sealed and locked, and after confirming that the working pressure of the soil cabin (1) remains stable, the first work team is then transferred from the main manhole (2) to the auxiliary manhole (3).

8. The method for pressurized open-chamber construction of a shield tunnel according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S7, after each round of overlapping work is completed, the status of the main manhole (2), the auxiliary manhole (3), the partition door (4), the partition door (5), the pressurization and depressurization system, the communication system, the gas monitoring system and the soil chamber pressure maintenance system are checked. After the check is qualified, the next round of overlapping work is started.

9. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the working pressure of the soil chamber (1) is lower than the preset pressure threshold, the work crew located in the manhole auxiliary chamber (3) is depressurized once; when the working pressure of the soil chamber (1) is not lower than the preset pressure threshold, the work crew located in the manhole auxiliary chamber (3) is depressurized in the first stage, and after the first stage of depressurization is completed, the work crew is transferred to the deck chamber or external depressurization chamber to continue the second stage of depressurization.

10. The shield tunneling method for pressurized hatching and connecting compartments according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes step S8, after the final work team completes all pressurized opening operations, the final work team withdraws from the soil chamber (1) to the main manhole (2), closes and locks the partition door (4), and the final work team moves to the auxiliary manhole (3) to complete the graded decompression according to the preset graded decompression plan. After confirming that there are no personnel or left-behind tools in the manhole system and soil chamber (1), the doors are closed and the manhole system and soil chamber pressure holding system are reset.

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