{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:50:29Z","timestamp":1792788629322,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790294400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The National Natural Science Foundation of China Innovation Research Group Project","award":["52021005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["52021005"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"2026 University level Research Launch Fund Project","award":["2026qd50"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2026qd50"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Weakly cemented sandstone (WCS) in western China is rich in clay minerals. Water\u2011induced softening tends to induce rotation failure of TBM central hobs, which further causes eccentric tip damage and edge chipping and remarkably reduces tunnelling efficiency. Aiming at the poorly understood sliding\u2011contact mechanism of central hobs under rotation\u2011failure conditions in WCS strata, steel\u2011needle scratching tests combined with XRD and SEM micro\u2011characterization were carried out to investigate the apparent morphological evolution of hob tips, and a corresponding empirical correlation was fitted. The results show that water saturation may promote softening of clay cement, trigger the generation of rock slag and give rise to secondary interfacial abrasion. Measured data from WCS scratching tests indicate that the relative apparent\u2011diameter variation of the 0.4 mm needle for water\u2011saturated specimens is 1.53 times that of the 1.0 mm needle, and the geometric variation of the 0.4 mm needle increases by 45%\u201157% compared with dry conditions. With correction terms of equivalent blade width and water content incorporated, the empirical correlation reproduces tip\u2011morphology variation trends that are generally consistent with field observations of domestic TBM projects. Based on scaled steel\u2011needle tests, this study reveals the corresponding evolution law of tip\u2011contact responses for TBM central hobs under rotation\u2011failure conditions in Cretaceous WCS strata, and can provide experimental basis and theoretical references for hob structural design, cutter\u2011head layout and tunnelling\u2011parameter optimization for such strata. This mechanistic analysis relies on quasi\u2011static scratching tests and focuses on sliding\u2011contact behaviours at the tool\u2011rock interface. Its engineering application should be comprehensively evaluated combined with in\u2011situ dynamic tunnelling conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0354108","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T17:27:41Z","timestamp":1790357261000},"page":"e0354108","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Failure wear mechanism and blade width effect of TBM center cutter rotation in water-bearing weakly cemented sandstone"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0335-0730","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Qing","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"China University of Mining and Technology","place":["Xuzhou, China"],"department":["School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering"]},{"name":"School of Intelligent Construction and Hydraulic Engineering, Chuzhou University","place":["Chuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Chuzhou University","place":["Chuzhou, China"],"department":["Anhui Provincial Highway Construction Low Carbon Materials Engineering Research Center"]},{"name":"Chuzhou Architectural Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd","place":["Chuzhou, China"],"department":["Geotechnical Engineering Department"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuchen","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"China University of Mining and Technology","place":["Xuzhou, China"],"department":["School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiuwei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong University","place":["Jinan, China"],"department":["School of Future Technology"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]]},"reference":[{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0354108.ref001","first-page":"222","article-title":"Model test study on rock breaking efficiency by TBM cutter assisted with high pressure water jet","volume":"35","author":"YL Jiang","year":"2022","journal-title":"China J Highw Transp"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0354108.ref002","first-page":"115","article-title":"Wear evaluation method of drilling shaft sinking hob based on rock slag morphology and rock abrasiveness","volume":"50","author":"H Cheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"J China Coal Soc"},{"key":"pone.0354108.ref003","article-title":"Analysis of the mechanical rock-breaking mechanism of the Cretaceous-Jurassic strata in the western region and the main influencing factors of TBM tunneling. 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