A new test device for the study of metal wear in conditioned granular soil used in EPB shield tunneling

•The knowledge of wear induced by soil on an EPB-TBM is a key issue for successful tunneling.•In EPB tunnelling the use of conditioning (mainly foam) is part of the excavation process.•The wear reduction effect induced by conditioning is not established with universal accepted tests.•A laboratory test procedure for wear testing of conditioned soil has been specifically designed.•The lab procedure has been tested on hard materials and conventional steel has proven to be feasible.