Interaction between Cutterhead of Shield Machine and Soils in EPB Shield

Successful EPB tunneling strongly depends on the interaction between soils and the tunneling shield,which makes ground surface deformation effectively control.Based on Rankine's earth pressure theory,the optimal range of earth pressure acting on tunneling face is investigated.The interaction between cutterhead of shield machine and soils was simulated.The investigation shows that there exists a wider range from active pressure to passive pressure for supporting face stability.The realistic face pressure is expected to be equal to earth pressure at-rest both for making face stability and decreasing fraction resistance between cutterhead of shield and soils during tunneling process.