Abstract
Laboratory testing of soil abrasion at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF has been executed for more than two decades. The testing has resulted in a large database of laboratory test results, enabling possibilities for research, qualitative assessment as well as regressions. The main customers of soil abrasion testing are from the tunnelling industry, which uses this as an input and indicator of excavation tool life on tunnel boring machines (TBMs), as well as the soil’s potential to cause secondary wear on cutterheads, cutter chambers and other parts of the TBM. The aim of this research paper is to give insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the abrasion test performed at the NTNU and SINTEF laboratory, called the Soil Abrasion Test™. Information on test equipment and procedures are given, a revised abrasivity classification based on the Soil Abrasion Test (SAT™) is proposed, and the advantages and limitations of the SAT™ test are discussed.