Cutter wear mechanisms in hard rock tunnel boring

Cutter consumption and parameters such as cutter ring wear has a great relevance in the overall excavation time and cost in hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs), especially in hard rock conditions. Cutter wear involves a complex tribological system that interacts also with the geologicy of the rock mass. Understanding the processes and failure mechanisms during cutter wear (e.g. modes of contact, wear, load effects) and assessing the influence of temperature on cutter ring wear processes enables new knowledge to be applied to get better cutter consumption predictions and future improvements in cutter ring development. In addition, it might be used to evaluate the suitability of the new rock abrasivity test method (Rolling Indentation Abrasion Test, RIAT) for assessing cutter ring wear.