# US 5,346,332 A · Tubbing-type tunnel lining > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,346,332 A - Document ID: US5346332A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/068,966 - Filed: 1993-05-28 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1992-05-29 - Assignees: Ingenieure Mayreder, Kraus & Co. Consult Gesellschaft m.b.H. - Inventors: Harald Wagner; Alfred Schulter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346332A ## CPC - E21D 11/083: {Methods or devices for joining adjacent concrete segments} - E21D: SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS (soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K17/00; drilling or cutting machines for mining or quarrying E21C; safety devices, transport, rescue, ventilation or drainage E21F) ## Abstract A tubbing-type tunnel lining, which comprises a plurality of tubbing rings, each of which consists of an even number of tubbing blocks, which are similar or identical and have a trapezium-shaped or trapezoidal or diamond basic shape and are so arranged that the joints between adjacent rings are defined by the end faces of said blocks and are connected together by plug-connections, which permit a restricted transmission of shear forces, and in each ring are connected at inclined longitudinal gaps by key-groove connections consisting of continuous longitudinal grooves in inclined longitudinal side faces and keys inserted therein. The blocks themselves have zones which are compressible in the peripheral direction of the tubbing ring and/or said keys are compressible and in a relaxed state of said ring keep the blocks thereof psaced apart so as to define said longitudinal gaps whereas the rings are compressible under the load imposed by the rock so as to reduce the diameter of said ring and the width of said gaps. To ensure a proper guidance of the blocks as the diameter of the tubbing ring is decreased, each tubbing block is connected at each end face by at least two plugs to at least one tubbing block of an adjacent tubbing ring, only one of said two plugs is retained by a locating bearing in the block whereas at least one additional one of said plugs extends in one of the blocks which are connected by said plug in a slot and in response to a decrease of the diameter of the tubbing ring is capable of a limited displacement in said slot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a tunnel lining, comprising a plurality of tubbing rings, each of which comprises an even number of similar tubbing blocks each having end faces defining gaps between adjacent ones of said tubbing rings and formed with holes, and inclined side faces defining inclined longitudinal gaps between adjacent blocks of the same ring and formed with continuous longitudinal grooves, a plurality of plugs extending in said holes in adjacent end faces of adjacent ones of said blocks of adjacent ones of said rings and adapted to permit a transmission of limited shear forces between said adjacent rings and a plurality of keys extending in registering ones of said grooves in adjacent ones of said inclined side faces of adjacent ones of said blocks of each of said rings hold said adjacent blocks together, wherein each of said tubbing rings is adapted to assume a relaxed state, in which adjacent ones of said inclined side faces of adjacent ones of said blocks of said ring are spaced apart to define said longitudinal gaps, and each of said tubbing rings when in said relaxed state is adapted to be compressed in its peripheral direction so as to reduce the width of said longitudinal gaps, the improvement residing in that each of said blocks of each of said rings is connected at least on one side of said ring to at least one of said blocks of an adjacent one of said rings by at least two of said plugs, only a first one of which is retained in said connected blocks by a locating bearing formed by one of said holes whereas at least one additional one of said two plugs extends in at least one of said two connected blocks in a slot, which constitutes another one of said holes and permits a limited displacement of said block in response to a compression of the adjacent portion of the associated one of said rings in its peripheral direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said tubbing blocks are identical in their basic shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said tubbing blocks are trapezium-shaped. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said tubbing blocks are trapezoidal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said tubbing blocks are diamond-shaped. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said blocks of each of said rings has a zone which is compressible in the peripheral direction of said ring. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said keys is compressible in the peripheral direction of the associated ring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein at least those of said plugs which are capable of said limited displacement has a non-circular elongate cross-sectional shape having a largest diameter which extends approximately in the direction in which the associated one of said slots is elongate in cross-section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of each of said slots has a first end arranged to receive the associated one of said plugs when said tubbing ring is in said relaxed state and said cross-section tapers toward the other end to a width which exceeds the diameter of the adjacent portion of said plug. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said slots contains in addition to the associated one of said plugs a filler made of plastically compressible material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said holes consists of a slot, part of said slots contain said first plugs and in addition thereto rigid fillers to provide locating bearings, and another part of said slots contain said additional plugs and fillers made of plastically deformable material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said first plugs is nearer to the nearer one of said inclined side faces of the associated one of said blocks than any other one of said plugs extending in the same block at the same end face thereof.