Slurry Shield Method

Published: May 13, 2017 | Last updated: July 5, 2023

What Does Slurry Shield Method Mean?

The slurry shield method is used to make a pilot bore using water jets on the closed end of a pipe. As the cutting action is performed by a cutting wheel, the slurry in an isolated chamber maintains face stability and carries out excavated material by matching the pressure at the working face of the excavation. The slurry shield method is best employed in soft, unstable material like sand, gravel or silts, as well as with pressurized ground water or in areas sensitive to ground movement.

Trenchlesspedia Explains Slurry Shield Method

In the slurry shield method the pressure in the cutting compartment can be finely tuned to balance the pressure exerted at the head to deal with counterpressure.

The slurry used is a mixture of clay and bentonite. or clay and natural soil, suspended in water. This method may also be used in conditions where multiple materials will be faced, and in order to avoid unwanted ground movement in sensitive locales. This method is used extensively for large tunnels made for automobiles.

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