Settlements induced by TBM excavation

The need for a correct evaluation of settlements induced by TBM excavation in weak rocks is particularly high in urban areas, where shallow tunneling is carried out underneath or in the proximity of existing buildings or lifelines. It is worth noting that the deformation process occurring during tunneling is rather difficult to reproduce completely in modeling, hence simplifications are needed. This chapter describes existing methodologies to predict the displacement generated by excavation with TBM.