Tunnel Volume Loss
Calculate the volume loss of a tunnel excavation, VL = Vs ÷ (π·D²/4)·100, the percentage ratio between the settlement trough volume per metre Vs (m³/m) and the excavated cross-section area (from diameter D). Volume loss quantifies how much soil 'disappeared' relative to the theoretical tunnel volume — caused by face relaxation, overexcavation, tail-gap closure behind the TBM shield and consolidation. It is the key control parameter for urban excavation: well-run EPB/slurry TBMs achieve 0.5-1.5% in soils; values above 2-3% indicate problems and excessive settlement. Enter the trough volume and the tunnel diameter.
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Tunnel volume loss
The volume loss (VL) is the master parameter for controlling soft ground tunnelling: VL = Vs ÷ (π·D²/4)·100, the percentage ratio between the settlement trough volume per metre Vs (the soil that actually went missing and showed up as a depression at the surface) and the theoretical excavated cross section, computed from the diameter D. In other words, it measures how much soil was lost beyond the nominal volume of the tunnel. The causes are several and cumulative: stress relief of the ground mass at the excavation face (when the face pressure falls short), overcut (the machine cuts a diameter larger than the lining), closure of the annular gap behind the shield of the boring machine before the grout fills it, and later consolidation of the soil. Volume loss is the quality thermometer of the operation: well run closed face machines (EPB and slurry) reach VL of 0.5 to 1.5% in urban soils; figures above 2 to 3% raise a red flag, since they generate excessive settlement and a risk of damage. The concept is powerful because it links cause and effect: it ties the operating parameters of the machine (face pressure, tail grout volume and pressure, advance rate) directly to the settlement measured at the surface and to the risk for the buildings above. Monitoring and minimizing volume loss is, in essence, the craft of tunnelling beneath a city. Enter the settlement trough volume and the tunnel diameter.
Related Tools
Maximum Surface Settlement (Tunnel)
Calculate the maximum surface settlement, over the tunnel axis, S_max = Vs ÷ (i·√(2π)), from the settlement trough volume per metre of tunnel Vs (m³/m, the lost soil volume surfacing) and the trough-width parameter i (m, Peck's method). Since the trough is Gaussian, integrating the curve gives Vs = √(2π)·i·S_max, isolating the maximum settlement, which occurs right over the axis. This is the critical value for damage assessment: compared to allowable limits (typically 10-25 mm for sensitive structures), it decides whether the excavation is safe or needs mitigation. Enter the trough volume and the width parameter.
Peck Settlement Trough Width
Calculate the trough-width parameter of the surface settlement induced by tunnelling, i = K·z₀, by Peck's method, from the trough-width parameter K (~0.5 for clays, ~0.25-0.35 for sands) and the tunnel axis depth z₀. The surface settlement from ground loss follows a Gaussian (inverted bell) curve, and i is its standard deviation — the horizontal distance from the tunnel axis to the inflection point, defining the trough width. Larger i means a wider, gentler trough (clays); smaller means narrower and deeper (sands). This parameter is essential to predict damage to nearby buildings in urban tunnels. Enter the K parameter and the tunnel depth.
Tunnel Face Pressure (EPB/Slurry)
Estimate the face support pressure needed to stabilize the excavation front of a mechanized tunnel, p = K·γ·H, from the earth pressure coefficient K (at rest K₀ ≈ 1−sinφ, or active), the soil unit weight γ (kN/m³) and the axis depth H (m). In closed-face TBMs (EPB or slurry), the pressurized chamber must balance the earth and water pressure at the front, avoiding both collapse (insufficient pressure) and blow-out (excessive pressure). Face pressure is the most critical operational parameter of a TBM, adjusted in real time per cover, water table and soil type. This gives the earth component; total pressure adds hydrostatic water pressure and a safety margin. Enter the earth pressure coefficient, unit weight and depth.
Annular Grout Volume (Backfill)
Calculate the theoretical annular backfill grout volume per lining ring of a mechanized tunnel, V = (π/4)·(De² − Di²)·L, from the excavation diameter De (the TBM cutterhead cutting diameter), the segment ring outer diameter Di and the ring length L. Behind the TBM shield an annular gap forms (between excavated ground and lining, from overcut and shield taper) that must be filled immediately with grout injected through the tail. This filling is essential: it prevents ground relaxation (reducing volume loss and surface settlement), locks the ring in place and ensures uniform ground-lining contact. Actual injected volume exceeds theoretical (factor 1.1-1.5). Enter the excavation and ring diameters and the ring length.
Tunnel Convergence
Calculate a tunnel's convergence — the relative radial deformation of the excavation, ε = (u ÷ r)·100 — from the radial displacement u (the inward movement of the walls toward the center, measured by extensometers or total station) and the excavation radius r, in the same unit. Convergence is the primary monitoring indicator in NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method): it measures how much the rock mass deforms after excavation, reflecting stress mobilization and support effectiveness. Low, stabilized convergence indicates a stable mass; high, growing or accelerating convergence signals squeezing, instability or insufficient support, requiring immediate reinforcement. Enter the radial displacement and the tunnel radius.
Tunnel Support Pressure
Calculate the support pressure a tunnel lining must resist, pv = γ·Hp, from the rock mass unit weight γ (kN/m³) and the rock load height Hp (m) — typically from Terzaghi's method or geomechanical classifications (RMR, Q-system). Support pressure is the vertical stress the loosened rock zone exerts on the support (shotcrete, steel sets, final lining), and it drives the structural design of the lining. In shallow tunnels the load may be the full overburden; in deep tunnels, arching reduces it to a fraction. Estimating it correctly is decisive: underestimating leads to collapse, overestimating raises cost. Enter the unit weight and the rock load height.
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