Non-Blasting Tunnel Boring with Drilling and Rock Splitting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Blasting excavation in tunnel construction causes adverse effects on surrounding buildings due to vibration and noise, and existing non-blasting methods like TBM are costly and have limited application scope.

Innovation Solution

A non-blasting tunnel boring machine with a vehicle-mounted device equipped with a rotational driving device, translation device, working disc, drilling and splitting device, hazard removal device, dust suppression device, and material feeding device, which enables efficient tunnel excavation without blasting, reducing noise and vibration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If blasting excavation is used for hardrock tunnel construction, then excavation efficiency is improved, but vibration and noise cause adverse effects on surrounding buildings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexcavation efficiencyVSAvoidvibration and noise effects on surrounding buildings

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the blasting operation from the tunnel excavation process, replacing it with a non-blasting mechanical excavation system that uses a working disc with cutting tools to mechanically break and remove rock, thereby removing the source of vibration and noise harmful factors while maintaining excavation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the chemical-mechanical blasting system with a purely mechanical excavation system using a rotating working disc equipped with cutting tools that mechanically fracture and remove rock through controlled mechanical forces, eliminating the need for explosives and their associated vibration and noise

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If TBM is used for non-blasting tunnel boring, then blasting vibration and noise are eliminated, but device purchasing and use fees are high and application scope is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblasting vibration and noiseVSAvoiddevice purchasing and use fees, application scope limitations

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the tunnel excavation system into modular components including a vehicle-mounted device, working disc, cutting tools, and support structures, allowing for simplified construction, easier maintenance, and greater adaptability to different tunnel conditions compared to monolithic TBM systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a dynamically adjustable working disc that can rotate and adapt its position, along with movable cutting tools that can be adjusted according to rock hardness and tunnel geometry, providing flexibility and adaptability across diverse application scenarios while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If non-blasting tunnel boring methods are used, then surrounding buildings are protected from vibration, but noise from blasting is reduced, device cost is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of surrounding buildings from vibration and noiseVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs replaceable cutting tools on the working disc that can be worn or damaged during operation and then replaced, using simpler, more economical consumable components rather than expensive permanent tooling, thereby reducing overall device cost while maintaining protection benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP4497911B1Non-blasting tunnel boring machine and boring method

Publication Date: 2025.12.10 CHINA THREE GORGES CORPORATION

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Figure 5~6

AI summary

The disclosure relates to the technical field of tunnel excavation, in particular to a non-blasting tunnel boring machine and a tunneling method. The tunneling machine comprises a vehicle-mounted device (1), a rotational driving device (2), a translation device (40), a working disc (3), a foundation trench excavation device (4), a drilling and splitting device (5), a hazard removal device (50), a dust suppression device (6) and a material feeding device (7). The rotational driving device (2) is arranged on the vehicle-mounted device (1), the working disc (3) is connected with the rotational driving device (2), the rotational driving device (2) drives the working disc (3) to rotate around a center of the working disc, the foundation trench excavation device (4) is arranged on the working disc (3), the drilling and splitting device (5) comprises a drilling machine (51) and a rock splitter (52) both arranged on the working disc (3), the drilling machine (51) is suitable for drilling a hole in a tunnel face in an annular crack arrest groove, the rock splitter (52) is suitable for splitting the tunnel face, the hazard removal device (50) is arranged on the working disc (3), the dust suppression device (6) is arranged on the vehicle-mounted device (1), and the material feeding device (7) is used for receiving and conveying materials dropped during excavation.