Advancement simulation of tunnel boring machines

In mechanized tunneling a significant loss of performance resulting from weak spots in the supply chain or unforeseen geological conditions is a frequent and costly problem. Furthermore, disturbances of critical machine components can have such impact on the production that unforeseen modifications become necessary. Due to the sequential character the malfunction of one element might evoke cascading-effects which may result in a complete standstill of the tunneling progress. Transparent evaluation of applicable tunnel boring machine designs is essential in order to improve the productivity, avoid unplanned interruptions and to estimate the project duration in general. In order to meet these defiances, this paper presents a multi-method simulation model to investigate the advancement rate of tunnel boring machines. Process-related disturbances can be considered easily within the presented simulation model. Simulation experiments demonstrate the purposive functionality of the model and visualize the significant influence of technical failure on the overall project performance.