Novel PDC cutter for reinforced concrete based on linear and rotational cutting tests

[Display omitted] •A novel PDC cutter was proposed to efficiently cut reinforced concrete.•The sensitivity of construction parameters on linear cutting performance was determined.•The optimum structure of PDC cutters was acquired based on rotational cutting tests.•The thrust and torque characteristics of various cutterheads were investigated. In tunnel mechanical excavation, when constructing in densely populated areas, it is challenging to cut through some obstacles, such as piles, tunnel segments, and diaphragm walls, using traditional tools. To address this, herein, a new type of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter, which is based on cutters widely used in oil drilling, is used to cut reinforced concrete (RC). A linear cutting platform improved from a shaping machine is used, and the orthogonal test method is employed to investigate the sensitivities of different construction parameters on cutting performance when using a single PDC cutter. Rotational cutting tests with a pipe jacking machine are performed with multiple PDC cutters and their modified forms for RC cutting. The most significant factor is concrete strength, and it is not a changeable factor in practical engineering applications. Thus, the cutting depth should be finely controlled and the cutter taper should be optimized. Furthermore, a new form of PDC cutter with triple teeth is proposed for cutting RC in a pipe jacking machine with circular cutting trajectory. The results show that the conical cutterhead is more suitable for cutting segments than the plane cutterhead owing to its smoother torque and small-scale concrete chips that are formed during the final cutting stages. To avoid damage and wear to the cutter holder, a staggered arrangement of two PDC tools is designed for RC cutting. The optimal advancing speed is determined to be