The loads acting on shield tunneling machines are basic parameters for the equipment design as well as key control parameters throughout the entire operation of the equipment. In the study, a mechanical analysis for the coupled interactive system between the cutterhead and the ground at the excavation face is conducted. The normal and tangential loads acting on the cutterhead are decoupled and solved, with consideration of the influence of three key factors on loads: geological condition, operating status and equipment structure. Then analytical expressions for the thrust and the torque acting on the equipment under uniform geological condition are established. On this basis, the impact of soil-rock interbedded ground on acting loads is further considered. A theoretical model for loads prediction of earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machines working under soil-rock interbedded ground is proposed. This model is subsequently applied to loads prediction for a shield tunneling project under soil-rock interbedded ground. The computational value of the thrust and the torque, the measured loads and the load ranges from Krause empirical formula are compared. Thus, this model for loads prediction acting on shield tunneling machines under soil-rock interbedded ground has been proved to be effective.
