TUNNEL BORING METHOD AND TUNNEL LINER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tunnel boring method whereby a reaction force for propulsion can be secured even if a sufficient reaction force cannot be obtained with a gripper because of soft natural ground when boring a tunnel while using a TBM. SOLUTION: A tunnel liner is provided with a plurality of main girders 20, 20, which are curved along the inner periphery of a tunnel and spaced apart in the direction of the axis of the tunnel, and a skin plate 21 joined at its edge to the outer peripheral surface of each main girder 20 and interposed between the main girders 20, 20. The tunnel liner is installed in intimate contact with the interior wall of the tunnel bored, and the gripper 3 of a boring machine is stretched between the main girders 20, 20 of the tunnel liner 10. The rear of the gripper 3 along the boring direction is made to abut on the side face of each main girder 20 of the tunnel liner 10, and either the space between the main girders 20, 20 of the tunnel liner 10 installed behind the gripper 3 is filled with a filling member 26 or a reinforcing member is put into the space to secure a boring reaction to propel the boring machine.