New empirical methodology for TBM cutter wear estimation

The aim of this article is to create a new methodology that is simpler, faster and cheaper than those that exist today to estimate the wear of the cutters of a TBM operating on hard rock, using a statistical development that has allowed to establish an empirical formula. They have been identified and assigned values to the different rock properties that mainly influence the wear of the discs, obtaining the CLH index, which estimates the wear of the cutting head cutters of a TBM, thus being able to predict the duration thereof. A thorough statistical study of the results has been performed to demonstrate the reliability of the method, as well as a quantification of possible errors that can be committed and levels of confidence