Abstract: To ensure rationality and practicability of the cutter configuration, it is necessary to propose the method of cutting tool layout of earth pressure balance (EPB) shield. According to the equal-life principle of tool wear, the wear coefficient method and tunneling coefficient method are proposed to determine the number of tools; When it comes to a specific construction, it also can predict tool wear condition and the tunneling distance under the allowable attrition in the range of the shield tunnel excavation, which offer a reference for the safety of project; Based on Archimedes spiral layout method, the arrangement curve of drag bits on cutter head should be calculated according to the equal-life principle of tool wear; In order to obtain the actual depth of a cutting tool, the rule of plane symmetry layout of the cutting tool is put forward, and cutting process is analyzed; the first knife’s three-dimensional arrangement method of the EPB shield is established, the actual cutting depth of a single tool is obtained; The accuracy of the cutting tool layout theory above is investigated with the example of TA07 of Nanjing Metro number two line. The research content and method lay a theoretical foundation for the EPB shield cutter selection and design theory.

Key words: 国家自然科学基金(500975194)和国家重点基础研究发展计划(973计划;2007CB714002)资助项目