METHOD OF JOINING SHIELD MACHINE UNDERGROUND AND JOINING SHIELD MACHINE THEREFOR

PURPOSE:To enable and ensure the joining of both shield machines when a tunnel is excavated from opposite directions by two shield machines to pass through the tunnel. CONSTITUTION:Ring-shaped freezing pipes 4 are arranged to the insides of the thick open ends of skin plates 3 of both shield machines 1 and 2 and, at the same time, circular cutter plates 5 arranged to the open ends of the skin plates 3 in a projection state can be moved axially through jacks 20. When tunnels are excavated in mutually approachable directions by both shield machines 1 and 2 to connect the tunnels to each other, both shield machines 1 and 2 are advanced to connect the opposed ends of the skin plates 3 and 3 to each other after the opposed circular cutter plates 5 and 5 are advanced until they are in contact with each other or in a state of approach. The peripheral ground of the Joining section is frozen with refrigerant supplied to the freezing pipes 4.