Methods for removing spoil during tunnel construction

Abstract

To provide a removal method of debris in tunnel construction advantageous for reducing manpower and improving efficiency in tunnel construction.SOLUTION: A removal method of debris in tunnel construction includes the steps of: after blowing and drilling a pit face 10, forming a debris temporary placing area 24; transporting the debris from the pit face 10 to the temporary placing area 24 and piling up the same; transporting the debris to a crusher 18 from the temporary placing area 24 using a debris loader 26; detecting an amount of the debris piled up in the temporary placing area 24 by a debris amount detection unit 32 in the temporary placing area side as an amount of debris in the temporary placing area while transporting the debris crushed by the crusher 18 to a wellhead by a long belt conveyor 22; and controlling the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor 22 by a main control unit 28A provided separately from the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor 22 on the basis of the amount of debris in the temporary placing area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for discharging squeezed soil in tunnel construction.

Background Art

[0002] In tunnel construction, when conveying the squeezed soil excavated by blasting and rock drills to the shaft, a crusher is arranged on the face side, and a continuous belt conveyor device extends from the crusher toward the shaft. Then, the squeezed soil generated at the face is scraped up by a hydraulic excavator such as a wheel loader, transported to the crusher and loaded into the crusher, and the excavated squeezed soil crushed by the crusher is loaded from the crusher onto the continuous belt conveyor device, and the squeezed soil is conveyed toward the shaft by the continuous belt conveyor device. By the way, since there is an upper limit to the amount of squeezed soil that can be loaded into the crusher at one time, a large amount of squeezed soil cannot be loaded into the crusher at one time, and it is necessary to gradually load the squeezed soil into the crusher over time. Therefore, it takes a certain amount of time to load the squeezed soil into the crusher. For each blasting operation, the wheel loader reciprocates dozens of times at a distance of 100 m to 130 m, which of course requires a great deal of time for the reciprocating movement of the wheel loader. Furthermore, as described above, it also takes time to load the squeezed soil into the crusher by the wheel loader. Therefore, there is room for improvement in increasing the efficiency of discharging the excavated squeezed soil. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed a method for discharging squeezed soil in tunnel construction that can complete the post-treatment of the squeezed soil at the face after blasting in a shorter time than before by providing a temporary storage place at an intermediate point between the face and the crusher, transporting the squeezed soil at the face to the temporary storage place by a hydraulic excavator, and loading the squeezed soil into the crusher using a soil loading machine provided near the temporary storage place (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7097286 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Incidentally, the crusher and continuous belt conveyor system are designed to operate only for the operating time set by the timer, and to stop operating after the operating time has elapsed. Therefore, it is necessary for workers to visually assess the amount of excavation at the temporary storage area and set the timer to an appropriate operating time based on that amount. This is because the amount of excavation generated by the demolition process is not constant and varies with each demolition. Therefore, with each demolition process, workers must visually assess the amount of excavation at the temporary storage area and set the timer accordingly, estimating the appropriate operating time based on that amount. This process requires the presence of workers, and because the assessment of excavation is done visually, variations in the set operating time can occur due to differences in the workers' experience. As a result, it is difficult to set the timer for an accurate operating time that matches the amount of excavation, and there is room for improvement in efficiently operating the crusher and continuous belt conveyor system. This invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a method for removing excavated tunnel material that is advantageous in reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for transporting spoil in tunnel construction, in which the excavated spoil is transported from the tunnel face to the tunnel entrance after the tunnel face has been excavated by blasting, characterized in that a temporary storage area is provided at a location near the tunnel face in the direction of extension of the tunnel, the excavated spoil is transported from the tunnel face to the temporary storage area and loaded, a crusher for crushing the spoil is provided near the temporary spoil storage area, a spoil loading machine is provided to transport the spoil from the temporary storage area to the crusher, a long belt conveyor device is provided to transport the spoil crushed by the crusher toward the tunnel entrance, a temporary storage area spoil amount detection unit is provided to detect the amount of spoil loaded in the temporary storage area as the temporary storage area spoil amount, and a main control unit that controls the crusher and the long belt conveyor device based on the temporary storage area spoil amount is provided separately from the crusher and the long belt conveyor device. One embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the temporary storage area side shear amount detection unit comprises a temporary storage area side 3D laser scanner that irradiates the temporary storage area and its surroundings with laser light to acquire point cloud data, a temporary storage area side 3D image information generation unit that generates 3D image information from the point cloud data, and a temporary storage area shear amount estimation unit that estimates the temporary storage area shear amount based on the 3D image information. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the excavated spoil is transported and loaded to the temporary storage area by a transport heavy machine, the transport heavy machine is equipped with a first surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires first surrounding information including information about the conditions inside the tunnel, including the tunnel face, around the transport heavy machine, and the main control unit is equipped with a function to control the operation of the transport heavy machine based on the first surrounding information. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first peripheral information acquisition unit is characterized by comprising a transport heavy machine-side 3D laser scanner that irradiates laser light into the tunnel pit, including the face, around the transport heavy machine to acquire point cloud data, and a transport heavy machine-side 3D image information generation unit that generates 3D image information as the first peripheral information from the point cloud data. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the 3D laser scanner on the transport heavy equipment side also serves as the 3D laser scanner on the temporary storage area side, and the 3D image information generation unit on the transport heavy equipment side also serves as the 3D image information generation unit on the temporary storage area side. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the spoil loading machine is equipped with a second surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires second surrounding information including information regarding the conditions inside the tunnel, including the temporary storage area around the spoil loading machine, and the main control unit is equipped with a function to control the operation of the spoil loading machine based on the second surrounding information. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the second peripheral information acquisition unit is characterized by comprising a 3D laser scanner on the mould loader side that irradiates laser light into the tunnel surrounding the mould loader to acquire point cloud data, and a 3D image information generation unit on the mould loader side that generates 3D image information as the second peripheral information from the point cloud data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a temporary storage area shear amount detection unit detects the amount of shear loaded in the temporary storage area as the temporary storage area shear amount, and a main control unit, which is provided separately from the crusher and the long belt conveyor device, controls the crusher and the long belt conveyor device based on the temporary storage area shear amount. Therefore, automatic control of the crusher and long belt conveyor system can be achieved, and since the crusher and long belt conveyor system can be controlled based on the accurate amount of shear detected by the temporary storage area side shear amount detection unit, it is advantageous for efficiently operating the crusher and continuous belt conveyor system, and is advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, since the main control unit is installed separately from the crusher and long belt conveyor system, it is advantageous in that adjustments, design changes, and maintenance of the main control unit can be carried out efficiently without being affected by the operating status of the crusher and long belt conveyor system. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the amount of excavated material in the temporary storage area can be accurately estimated based on three-dimensional image information, it is advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the crusher and the long belt conveyor device based on the amount of excavated material in the temporary storage area, and is advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, not only is it possible to automatically control the transport heavy machinery based on the first surrounding information, but it is also advantageous in accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the transport heavy machinery, thereby reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the first peripheral information is composed of three-dimensional image information, it is more advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the operation of heavy transport machinery, and is more advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the number of 3D laser scanners and 3D image information generation units can be reduced, simplifying the configuration and reducing the number of parts, which is advantageous in reducing costs. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the spoil loading machine can be automatically controlled based on the second surrounding information, it is possible to reduce the number of people required. Moreover, the main control unit can accurately grasp the amount of spoil in the temporary storage area based on the second surrounding information, which is advantageous in accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the spoil loading machine, and is advantageous in reducing the number of people required and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the second peripheral information is composed of three-dimensional image information, it is more advantageous in accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the spoil loading machine, and is more advantageous in reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram of the spoil removal method for tunnel construction according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a side view of a spoil loader. [Figure 3]This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a wheel loader, spoil loader, control device, timer, crusher, and long belt conveyor system used in the spoil discharge method for tunnel construction according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the spoil removal method for tunnel construction according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, one or more wheel loaders 12 are positioned near the tunnel face 10, and in order to avoid the effects of the blast during the blasting process, a crusher 18 and a tailpiece trolley 20 are positioned side by side on one side in the width direction of the tunnel floor 16 at a predetermined distance away from the tunnel face 10, for example, about 100m towards the tunnel entrance, with a long belt conveyor device (also called a continuous belt conveyor device) 22 extending from the tailpiece trolley 20 towards the tunnel entrance. Furthermore, a temporary storage area 24 is provided at a point midway between the tunnel face 10 and the crusher 18 in the direction of tunnel extension 14, and a spoil loading machine (also called a rock loader) 26 is positioned between the temporary storage area 24 and the crusher 18. Furthermore, a control device 28, as shown in Figure 3, is installed inside or outside the tunnel 14, and this control device 28 controls the wheel loader 12, the spoil loader 26, the crusher 18, and the long belt conveyor device 22. The following will provide a detailed description of the wheel loader 12, spoil loader 26, crusher 18, tailpiece trolley 20, long belt conveyor device 22, and control device 28.

[0009] The wheel loader 12 is a self-propelled heavy transport vehicle (hydraulic excavator) that transports the slippage generated by the excavation of the face 10 through blasting work to the temporary storage site 24. In the present embodiment, the case where the wheel loader 12 is used as the heavy transport vehicle will be described. However, any heavy transport vehicle that can transport the slippage can be used, and various conventionally known self-propelled heavy transport vehicles other than the wheel loader 12, such as backhoes and bulldozers, can be used. In the present embodiment, the wheel loader 12 includes a drive source such as an engine, a main body that travels by tires that are rotationally driven by the driving force of the drive source, a bucket provided on the main body for scooping up the slippage, a hydraulic cylinder for driving the bucket, a hydraulic source for driving the hydraulic cylinder, and the like.

[0010] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the wheel loader 12 includes a wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A, a wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B, a temporary storage site slippage amount estimation unit 12C, a wheel loader side control unit 12D, and a wheel loader side communication unit 12E. The wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B, the temporary storage site slippage amount estimation unit 12C, the wheel loader side control unit 12D, and the wheel loader side communication unit 12E are realized by a computer provided in the wheel loader 12 executing a control program. The wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A is provided on the main body of the wheel loader 12 and irradiates laser light into the tunnel 14 pit including the face 10 around the wheel loader 12 to acquire point cloud data. The wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B generates three-dimensional image information as the first peripheral information from the point cloud data acquired by the wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A. Here, the first peripheral information is information including information on the situation in the tunnel pit 14 including the face 10 around the wheel loader 12. In addition, in the present embodiment, a first peripheral information acquisition unit 30 that acquires first peripheral information is constituted by a wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A and a wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B.

[0011] The temporary storage yard slip amount estimation unit 12C estimates the temporary storage yard slip amount, which is the amount of slip loaded on the temporary storage yard 24, based on the three-dimensional image information generated by the wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B. Specifically, the temporary storage yard slip amount estimation unit 12C estimates the temporary storage yard slip amount based on the three-dimensional image information of the slip generated by the wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B from the point cloud data obtained by irradiating the slip loaded on the temporary storage yard 24 with laser light by the wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A. In the present embodiment, a temporary storage yard side slip amount detection unit 32 that detects the amount of slip loaded on the temporary storage yard 24 as the temporary storage yard slip amount is constituted by the wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A, the wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B, and the temporary storage yard slip amount estimation unit 12C.

[0012] In addition, in the present embodiment, the wheel loader side 3D laser scanner 12A also serves as a 3D laser scanner for the temporary storage yard that irradiates the temporary storage yard 24 and its surroundings with laser light to acquire point cloud data, and the wheel loader side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B also serves as a three-dimensional image information generation unit for the temporary storage yard that generates three-dimensional image information from the point cloud data obtained by irradiating the slip loaded on the temporary storage yard 24 with laser light.

[0013] The wheel loader side control unit​​​The wheel loader-side communication unit 12E is configured to communicate with the control device-side communication unit 28B of the control device 28, which will be described later, via a wireless link. The wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B transmits the first peripheral information generated by the wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B to the control device-side communication unit 28B and receives control commands from the control device-side communication unit 28B.

[0014] The spoil loader 26 transports the spoil loaded in the temporary storage area 24 to the crusher 18. As shown in Figure 2, the spoil loading machine 26 comprises a traveling body 34, a spoil scooping mechanism 36, and a loading mechanism 38. The running body 34 is composed of a pair of left and right crawlers 3402, a drive unit 3404 that rotates the crawlers 3402 in forward and reverse directions, and a machine body 3406 supported by the pair of left and right crawlers 3402. Various conventionally known configurations can be used for the running body 34. The scrap raking mechanism 36 includes a boom 40 and a bucket 42 for scrap raking. The boom 40 comprises a rear boom 4008 that is pivotably supported on the machine body 3406 via a boom support frame 4002, a horizontal slewing section 4004, and a bracket 4006; a front boom 4010 that is pivotably supported on the rear boom 4008; a rear hydraulic cylinder 4012 that pivots the rear boom 4008 up and down; and a front hydraulic cylinder 4014 that pivots the front boom 4010 up and down. The bucket 42 is mounted at the tip of the front boom 4010 so as to be able to swing up and down, and the front boom 4010 is equipped with a bucket hydraulic cylinder 4202 that swings the bucket 42 up and down. Various conventionally known configurations can be used for the boom 40 and bucket 42. The horizontal slewing section 4004, to which the rear end of the rear boom 4008 is connected, is located on one side in the width direction of the aircraft body 3406.

[0015] The loading mechanism 38 consists of a conveyor device 44. The conveyor device 44 is supported on the machine body 3406 and extends along the direction of extension of the tunnel 14. The conveyor device 44 consists of a conveyor frame 4402, a drive roller 4404, a driven roller 4406, and a belt 4408 wound around these rollers 4404 and 4406. The conveyor frame 4402 is supported by the machine body 3406, and the drive roller 4404 and driven roller 4406 are supported by the conveyor frame 4402. The belt 4408 is wound around the drive roller 4404 and the driven roller 4406, thereby forming a conveying path 44A that transports the shear by the movement of the belt 4408.

[0016] When viewed from above, the transport path 44A passes through the center of the machine body 3406 in the width direction, the upstream end of the transport path 44A protrudes towards the tunnel face 10 side more than the traveling body 34 and the machine body 3406, and the downstream end of the transport path 44A protrudes significantly towards the tunnel entrance side more than the traveling body 34 and the machine body 3406. Furthermore, when viewed from the side, the transport path 44A has its upstream end located near the tunnel floor 16 and is provided with a slope that gradually rises as it moves from the upstream end to the downstream end. As shown in Figure 1, the height of the downstream end is set such that the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18 can enter below the downstream end, and the shear can be dropped from the downstream end into the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18, which will be described later. The excavated material scraped by the bucket 42 is loaded at the upstream end of the conveyor path 44A and dropped from the downstream end into the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18. Various conventionally known configurations can be used for the conveyor device 44.

[0017] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the spoil loader 26 is configured to include a spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A, a spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B, a spoil loader-side control unit 26C, and a spoil loader-side communication unit 26D. Furthermore, the three-dimensional image information generation unit 26B on the spoil loader side, the spoil loader side control unit 26C, and the spoil loader side communication unit 26D are realized by a computer installed in the spoil loader 26 executing a control program. The spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A acquires point cloud data by irradiating laser light into the tunnel 14 surrounding the spoil loader 26. The spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B generates 3D image information as second surrounding information from point cloud data acquired by the spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A. In this embodiment, a second surrounding information acquisition unit 46 is configured to acquire second surrounding information, including information about the conditions inside the tunnel 14, including the temporary storage area 24 around the spoil loader 26, using a spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A and a spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B.

[0018] The spoil loader-side control unit 26C controls the operation of the spoil loader 26, specifically the travel operation of the traveling body 34, the spoil scooping operation of the spoil scooping mechanism 36, and the operation of the spoil crusher 18 to discharge the spoil to the hopper 1802 by the loading mechanism 38, based on control commands received from the control device 28 via the spoil loader-side communication unit 26D. Therefore, the spoil loading machine 26 is automatically controlled by the control device 28. The spoil loader-side communication unit 26D is configured to communicate with the control unit-side communication unit 28B of the control device 28 via a wireless link. It transmits second peripheral information generated by the spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B to the control unit-side communication unit 28B and receives control commands from the control unit-side communication unit 28B.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the crusher 18 is equipped with a hopper 1802 into which the shear is fed. The shear fed into the hopper 1802 is crushed in the crushing section of the crusher 18, and the crushed shear is transported from the belt conveyor 1804 of the crusher 18 to the tailpiece trolley 20.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the long belt conveyor device 22 is positioned extending from the tailpiece trolley 20 toward the mine entrance, and the excavated material transported via the tailpiece trolley 20 is conveyed toward the mine entrance by a continuous conveyor belt 23.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the control device 28 consists of a computer installed separately from the wheel loader 12, spoil loader 26, crusher 18, and long belt conveyor device 22 at an appropriate location inside or outside the tunnel 14. The main control unit 28A and the control device side communication unit 28B then function by executing a control program installed on the computer. Based on first surrounding information, the main control unit 28A recognizes the three-dimensional shape of the tunnel face 10, excavated spoil, tunnel floor 16, tunnel perimeter wall, and other facilities around the wheel loader 12, and controls a series of operations (bucket operation, autonomous driving operation, etc.) to ensure that the wheel loader 12 transports the excavated spoil from the tunnel face 10 to the temporary storage area 24 without any problems. Furthermore, the main control unit 28A recognizes the three-dimensional shapes of the spoil loaded in the temporary storage area 24, the tunnel floor surface 16, the tunnel surrounding walls, and other equipment based on the second surrounding information, and controls the traveling body 34 to control the autonomous driving operation of the traveling body 34 necessary to scoop up the spoil loaded in the temporary storage area 34. It also controls the spoil scooping mechanism 36 and the loading mechanism 38 to control the series of transport operations of the spoil loading machine 26 to the crusher 18 from the temporary storage area 24. Furthermore, the main control unit 28A controls the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 based on the amount of shear at the temporary storage area detected by the temporary storage area shear amount detection unit 32. In other words, the main control unit 28A has the function of controlling the operation of the wheel loader 12 based on first peripheral information, the function of controlling the operation of the mow loader 26 based on second peripheral information, and the function of controlling the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 based on the amount of mow in the temporary storage area. In other words, the main control unit 28A has the function of controlling four control targets in a single unit: the wheel loader 12, the mow loader 26, the crusher 18, and the long belt conveyor device 22.

[0022] The control device side communication unit 28B is connected via a communication line to the wheel loader side communication unit 12E, the spoil loader side communication unit 26D, and the timer 48, which will be described later. Various conventionally known wireless connections, such as Wi-Fi and SS wireless, can be used as communication lines, and it is also optional to configure part of the communication line with a wired connection.

[0023] The timer 48 controls the start and stop of operation of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 by setting the operating time of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22. The operating time is generated by the main control unit 28A based on the amount of shear in the temporary storage area. The timer 48 is configured to communicate with the control device side communication unit 28B via a communication line, and is configured to set the operating time received from the main control unit 28A to the control device side communication unit 28B via the communication line. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 based on the amount of shear in the temporary storage area by the main control unit 28A is performed using a timer 48. In addition, as in this embodiment, a single timer 48 may be provided for both the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22, or timers may be provided individually for each of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22. Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a case where the timer 48 is provided independently, the main control unit 28A may also be equipped with the functions of the timer 48, and the main control unit 28A may directly control the start and stop of operation of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22, thereby controlling the operating time of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22.

[0024] Now, let's explain 3D laser scanners further. The wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A and the spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A are composed of so-called 3D laser scanners that acquire spatial position information of an object using a laser emitted from the scanner, and are called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors. In this embodiment, the object includes the three-dimensional shape of the inside of the tunnel, including the surrounding wall surface and tunnel floor surface 16 of the tunnel 14; the three-dimensional shape of the tunnel face 10 before and after the blasting process; the three-dimensional shape of the spoil excavated from the tunnel face 10 by the blasting process and rock drill and dropped onto the tunnel floor surface 16 near the tunnel face 10 and piled up; the three-dimensional shape of the spoil piled up in the temporary storage area 24; and the three-dimensional shapes of other equipment, structures, obstacles, etc. installed inside the tunnel. Furthermore, if the point cloud data acquired from each 3D laser scanner 12A and 26A includes at least coordinate data in three-dimensional space and reflectance (reflectance) data, the three-dimensional shape of each object can be grasped by the three-dimensional image information generated based on the point cloud data by the wheel loader-side three-dimensional image information generation unit 12B or the spoil loader-side three-dimensional image information generation unit 26B.

[0025] However, if the point cloud data acquired from each 3D laser scanner 12A and 26A includes not only coordinate data and reflectance (reflectance) data in three-dimensional space, but also color information (color data (RGB)), then the color of each object can be identified by the three-dimensional image information generated based on the point cloud data. This allows for more precise and detailed identification of the three-dimensional shape and state of each object, resulting in the following effects. In other words, the three-dimensional shape of the tunnel, including the surrounding walls and tunnel floor 16 of the tunnel 14, the three-dimensional shape of the tunnel face 10 before and after the blasting process, the three-dimensional shape of the excavated material that falls onto the tunnel floor 16 near the tunnel face 10 and is loaded there, the three-dimensional shape of the excavated material loaded in the temporary storage area 24, and the three-dimensional shapes of equipment, structures, and obstacles installed inside the tunnel can be grasped more accurately. This is advantageous for the main control unit 28A to more accurately and precisely control the autonomous driving of the wheel loader 12 and the excavated material loading machine 26. Furthermore, because the three-dimensional shape and amount of the excavated material loaded near the working face 10 or in the temporary storage area 24 can be determined more accurately, it is advantageous for the main control unit 28A to more precisely and accurately control the transport of the excavated material by the wheel loader 12 and the excavated material loading machine 26. Furthermore, the main control unit 28A can more accurately grasp the three-dimensional shape and amount of shear load placed in the temporary storage area 24, which is advantageous for the main control unit 28A to more accurately and appropriately set the operating time to be set on the timer 48. In other words, it is advantageous for more accurately and appropriately setting the operating time of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22, and for efficiently operating the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22.

[0026] Next, the method for discharging shear according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. Prior to the detonation process, the wheel loader 12 is stationed at a waiting area away from the tunnel face 10 to avoid the effects of the blast. First, various tasks are carried out before the blasting process, such as spraying concrete onto the surrounding wall surface of the tunnel 14 near the face 10, installing rock bolts, and drilling explosive holes with a drill jumbo (Step S10). Next, at the tunnel face 10, an explosive insertion process is carried out in which explosives with detonators attached are inserted into each of the propellant holes, followed by an explosive detonation process in which the explosives are detonated via the detonators to excavate the tunnel face 10. The excavated spoil from the explosive process and the spoil excavated by the rock drill are then piled up on the tunnel floor 16 near the tunnel face 10 (step S12). After the blasting process, a temporary storage area 24 is set up at a point midway between the tunnel face 10 and the crusher 18 in the direction of extension of the tunnel 14 (step S14). In this embodiment, the temporary storage area 24 is provided in an elongated shape along the direction of extension of the tunnel 14, for example, extending for about 20m. The temporary storage area 24 is separated from the tunnel floor 16 by multiple poles and partitions so that it can be identified as the temporary storage area 24. Furthermore, temporary storage area 24 will advance in accordance with the excavation of face 10.

[0027] After the blasting process, or more specifically after the excavation work by the rock drill following the blasting process, the main control unit 28A issues a control command to the wheel loader-side control unit 12D, causing the wheel loader 12 to move from its standby position to the vicinity of the tunnel face 10 (step S16), and the wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A acquires point cloud data of the tunnel face 10 and the area near the tunnel face 10. As a result, the wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B generates first surrounding information, which is then transmitted to the main control unit 28A (step S18). When the main control unit 28A confirms that excavation by blasting has been carried out based on the first surrounding information, it controls the wheel loader 12 to collect the excavated material in the bucket of the wheel loader 12 and move the wheel loader 12 from the face 10 to the temporary storage area 24 to transport the excavated material to the temporary storage area 24, and then moves the wheel loader 12 from the temporary storage area 24 to the face 10 after transporting the excavated material, and repeats this operation, that is, by moving back and forth between the face 10 and the temporary storage area 24, the excavated material excavated by the blasting process and the excavated material excavated by the rock drill are transported and loaded into the temporary storage area 24 (step S20). As a result, the excavated material is loaded from the tunnel entrance side to the face 10 side of the temporary storage area 24. The main control unit 28A determines, based on the first surrounding information, whether the entire amount of spoil excavated from the face 10 has been transported to the temporary storage area 24 (step S22). If it has not been completed, it returns to step S18 and repeats the spoil transport operation. If it has been completed, it proceeds to step S24.

[0028] In step S24, the main control unit 28A gives a control command to the wheel loader-side control unit 12D, causing the wheel loader 12 to move to the vicinity of the temporary storage area 24, and the wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A to acquire point cloud data of the temporary storage area 24 on which the shear is loaded, in other words, point cloud data of the shear loaded in the temporary storage area 24. As a result, the wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B generates 3D image information of the temporary storage area 24 (3D image information of the shear loaded in the temporary storage area 24) (step S24). The temporary storage area shear amount estimation unit 12C estimates the temporary storage area shear amount based on the three-dimensional image information of the temporary storage area 24 (three-dimensional image information of the shear piled on the temporary storage area 24), and transmits the temporary storage area shear amount to the main control unit 28A (step S26). Furthermore, the main control unit 28A gives a control command to the wheel loader-side control unit 12D, causing the wheel loader 12 to move to a designated evacuation location and stand by in preparation for the next detonation process (step S28).

[0029] Next, the main control unit 28A calculates the operating time required to process the estimated amount of temporary storage area mooring material using the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22. In other words, it calculates the operating time required until the crushing of the mooring material by the crusher 18 and the subsequent transport of the crushed mooring material to the mine entrance by the long belt conveyor device 22 are completed. The calculated operating time is then transmitted to the timer 48 and set in the timer 48, thereby starting the operation of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 (step S30). The main control unit 28A then provides a control command to the spoil loader-side control unit 26C, causing the spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A to acquire point cloud data of the area around the spoil loader 26, including the temporary storage area 24. As a result, the second surrounding information generated by the spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B is transmitted to the main control unit 28A (step S32). The main control unit 28A controls the mould loading machine 26 by providing a control command to the mould loading machine side control unit 26C based on the received second peripheral information, thereby transporting the mould from the temporary storage area 24 to the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18 (step S34). More specifically, after the vehicle 34 is controlled so that the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18 is positioned directly below the downstream end of the transport path 44A of the spoil loading machine 26, the spoil loaded in the spoil temporary storage area 24 is scraped by the bucket 42 from the mine entrance side to the face 10 side of the spoil temporary storage area 24 by the rotation and bending movements of the boom 40 of the spoil loading machine 26 and the up-and-down swinging movements of the bucket 42, and loaded at the upstream end of the transport path 44A of the conveyor device 44 and transported to the downstream end of the transport path 44A. The spoil that falls from the downstream end of the transport path 44A is fed into the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18. In other words, the control of the spoil loader 26 includes the control of the autonomous driving operation of the aforementioned mobile body 34 and the control of a series of transport operations of the spoil loaded in the temporary storage area 24 to the crusher 18. The mows fed into the hopper 1802 of the crusher 18 are crushed in the crushing section of the crusher 18, and the crushed mows are loaded onto the tailpiece trolley 20 at the upstream end of the transport path of the long belt conveyor device 22, and then transported toward the mine entrance by the continuous conveyor belt 23 (step S36). Eventually, the operation of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 is stopped when the operating time set in the timer 48 has elapsed (step S38). During the operating time, the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 operate, and the entire amount of spoil that was loaded in the temporary storage area 24 is transported to the mine entrance. This completes the removal of spoil after one detonation process. The process then returns to step S10 and the same operation is repeated to excavate tunnel 14.

[0030] According to this embodiment, after the tunnel face 10 is excavated by blasting, a temporary spoil storage area 24 is set up, the excavated spoil is transported from the tunnel face 10 to the temporary storage area 24 and loaded, the spoil is transported from the temporary storage area 24 to the crusher 18 by a spoil loading machine 26, and the spoil crushed by the crusher 18 is transported toward the tunnel entrance by a long belt conveyor device 22. At this time, the amount of spoil loaded in the temporary storage area 24 is detected by the temporary storage area spoil amount detection unit 32, and the amount of spoil loaded in the temporary storage area is detected by the main control unit 28A, which is set up separately from the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22, to control the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 based on the amount of spoil in the temporary storage area. Therefore, automatic control of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 can be achieved, eliminating the need for workers to go to the temporary storage area 24 to visually determine the amount of excavation each time a blasting process is performed, and to set the timer 48 with an estimated operating time corresponding to the amount of excavation. Since the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 can be controlled based on the accurate amount of excavation detected by the excavation amount detection unit 32 on the temporary storage area side, it is advantageous for efficiently operating the crusher 18 and the continuous belt conveyor device 22, and is advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. Furthermore, since the control device 28, that is, the main control unit 28A, is provided separately from at least the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22, it is advantageous in that adjustments, design changes, and maintenance of the main control unit 28A can be carried out efficiently without being affected by the operating conditions of the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 28, that is, the main control unit 28A, is provided separately from the wheel loader 12, the mow loader 26, the crusher 18, and the long belt conveyor device 22. This is advantageous because it allows for efficient adjustment, design changes, and maintenance of the main control unit 28A without being affected by the operating conditions of the wheel loader 12, the mow loader 26, the crusher 18, and the long belt conveyor device 22.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the temporary storage area shear amount detection unit 32 includes a temporary storage area 3D laser scanner that irradiates the temporary storage area 24 and its surroundings with laser light to acquire point cloud data, a temporary storage area 3D image information generation unit that generates 3D image information from the point cloud data, and a temporary storage area shear amount estimation unit 12C that estimates the amount of shear in the temporary storage area based on the 3D image information. Therefore, it is possible to accurately estimate the amount of excavated material in the temporary storage area based on three-dimensional image information, which is advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the crusher 18 and the long belt conveyor device 22 based on the amount of excavated material in the temporary storage area, and is advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction.

[0032] In this embodiment, the excavated spoil is transported and loaded to the temporary storage area 24 by a wheel loader 12. The wheel loader 12 is equipped with a first surrounding information acquisition unit 30 that acquires first surrounding information, which includes information regarding the conditions inside the tunnel 14, including the tunnel face 10 around the wheel loader 12. The main control unit 28A has a function to control the operation of the wheel loader 12 based on the first surrounding information. Therefore, since the wheel loader 12 can be automatically controlled based on the first surrounding information, it is possible to reduce the number of workers compared to when a worker operates the wheel loader 12 or when a worker operates the wheel loader 12 remotely. Furthermore, it is advantageous in accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the wheel loader 12, which is beneficial in reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first surrounding information acquisition unit 30 includes a wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A that irradiates laser light into the tunnel 14, including the face 10 around the wheel loader 12, to acquire point cloud data, and a wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B that generates 3D image information as first surrounding information from the point cloud data. Therefore, since the first peripheral information consists of three-dimensional image information, it is more advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the wheel loader 12, and is more advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A also serves as the temporary storage area-side 3D laser scanner, and the wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B also serves as the 3D image information generation unit for the temporary storage area. However, it goes without saying that, for example, the temporary storage area-side 3D laser scanner and the temporary storage area-side 3D image information generation unit may be installed separately near the temporary storage area 24. However, as in this embodiment, if the wheel loader-side 3D laser scanner 12A also serves as the temporary storage area-side 3D laser scanner, and the wheel loader-side 3D image information generation unit 12B also serves as the temporary storage area-side 3D image information generation unit, the number of 3D laser scanners and 3D image information generation units can be reduced, which simplifies the configuration, reduces the number of parts, and is advantageous in reducing costs.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the spoil loading machine 26 is equipped with a second surrounding information acquisition unit 46 that acquires second surrounding information, which includes information regarding the conditions inside the tunnel 14, including the temporary storage area 24 surrounding the spoil loading machine 26, and the main control unit 28A controls the operation of the spoil loading machine 26 based on the second surrounding information. Therefore, since the spoil loading machine 26 can be automatically controlled based on the second surrounding information, it is possible to reduce the number of workers compared to when a worker operates the spoil loading machine 26 or when a worker operates the spoil loading machine 26 via remote control. Furthermore, the main control unit 28A can accurately grasp the amount of spoil in the temporary storage area 24 based on the second surrounding information, which is advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the spoil loading machine 26, and is advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second surrounding information acquisition unit 46 includes a spoil loader-side 3D laser scanner 26A that irradiates laser light into the tunnel 14 surrounding the spoil loader 26 to acquire point cloud data, and a spoil loader-side 3D image information generation unit 26B that generates 3D image information as second surrounding information from the point cloud data. Therefore, since the second peripheral information consists of three-dimensional image information, it is more advantageous for accurately and reliably controlling the operation of the spoil loading machine 26, and is more advantageous for reducing manpower and improving the efficiency of tunnel construction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10. Segment 12. Wheel loader (heavy transport equipment) 12A Wheel Loader Side (Heavy Transport Equipment Side) 3D Laser Scanner 12B Wheel loader side (transport heavy equipment side) 3D image information generation unit 12C Temporary storage area shear volume estimation unit 12D Wheel Loader Side (Heavy Equipment Side) Control Unit 12E Wheel Loader Side (Heavy Transport Machinery Side) Communication Unit 14 Tunnel 16 Tunnel floor 18 Crusher 1802 Hopper 1804 Belt conveyor 20 Tailpiece Bogie 22 Long Belt Conveyor System 23 Continuous conveyor belts 24 Temporary storage area 26. Slag loading machine 26A 3D laser scanner on the side of the spoil loader 26B 3D image information generation unit on the spoil loading machine side 26C Spoil Loading Machine Side Control Unit 26D Spoil Loading Machine Side Communication Unit 28 Control device 28A Main Control Unit 28B Control device side communication unit 30. First Peripheral Information Acquisition Unit 32 Temporary storage area side shear amount detection unit 34. Running body 3402 Crawler 3404 Drive Unit 3406 aircraft 36. Shearing and scraping mechanism 38 Loading mechanism 40 Boom 4002 Boom Support Frame 4004 Horizontal turning section 4006 Bracket 4008 Post-boom 4010 Pre-boom 4012 Rear hydraulic cylinder 4014 Front Hydraulic Cylinder 42 buckets 4202 Bucket Hydraulic Cylinder 44 Conveyor device 4402 Conveyor Frame 4404 Drive Roller 4406 Driven roller 4408 Belt 44A Conveyor path 46 Second Peripheral Information Acquisition Unit 48 Timer

Claims

1. A method for transporting excavated A temporary storage area will be set up at the location near the tunnel face in the direction of the tunnel's extension. The excavated spoil is transported from the tunnel face to the temporary storage area and loaded there. A crusher for crushing the spoil is installed near the aforementioned temporary storage area. A spoil loader is provided to transport the spoil from the temporary storage area to the crusher. A long belt conveyor device is provided to transport the crushed waste material towards the mine entrance. A temporary storage area side shear amount detection unit is provided to detect the amount of shear piled up in the temporary storage area as the temporary storage area shear amount. A main control unit that controls the crusher and the long belt conveyor system based on the amount of shearwater in the temporary storage area is provided separately from the crusher and the long belt conveyor system. A method for removing excavated spoil during tunnel construction, characterized by the features described above.

2. The aforementioned temporary storage area side shear amount detection unit is, A temporary storage area-side 3D laser scanner that irradiates the temporary storage area and its surroundings with laser light to acquire point cloud data, A temporary storage area-side 3D image information generation unit generates 3D image information from the aforementioned point cloud data, The system includes a temporary storage area shear amount estimation unit that estimates the temporary storage area shear amount based on the three-dimensional image information, The method for removing excavated spoil in tunnel construction according to feature 1.

3. The excavated spoil is transported and loaded to the temporary storage area using heavy transport machinery. The transport heavy machine includes a first surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires first surrounding information, which includes information regarding the conditions inside the tunnel, including the tunnel face, around the transport heavy machine. The main control unit has a function to control the operation of the transport heavy machine based on the first peripheral information. The method for removing excavated spoil in tunnel construction according to feature 2.

4. The first peripheral information acquisition unit comprises a transport heavy machine-side 3D laser scanner that irradiates laser light into the tunnel pit, including the tunnel face, around the transport heavy machine to acquire point cloud data, and a transport heavy machine-side 3D image information generation unit that generates 3D image information as first peripheral information from the point cloud data. The method for removing excavated spoil in tunnel construction according to feature 3.

5. The aforementioned 3D laser scanner on the transport heavy equipment side also serves as the aforementioned 3D laser scanner on the temporary storage area side. The aforementioned three-dimensional image information generation unit on the transport heavy equipment side also serves as the aforementioned three-dimensional image information generation unit on the temporary storage area side. The method for removing excavated material in tunnel construction according to feature 4.

6. The aforementioned spoil loading machine is equipped with a second surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires second surrounding information, including information regarding the conditions inside the tunnel, including the temporary storage area around the spoil loading machine. The main control unit has a function to control the operation of the spoil loader based on the second peripheral information. The method for removing excavated spoil in tunnel construction according to feature 1.

7. The second peripheral information acquisition unit comprises a 3D laser scanner on the mould loader side that irradiates laser light into the tunnel surrounding the mould loader to acquire point cloud data, and a 3D image information generation unit on the mould loader side that generates 3D image information as the second peripheral information from the point cloud data. The method for removing excavated spoil in tunnel construction according to feature 6.

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