The selection and layout of pipe segments affect the quality of shield tunelling and tunnel formation,and are important factors to consider in shield tunnel design.Traditional methods only consider the fitting design curve of tunnel segments,without taking into account the mutual influence and limitations between shield tunelling and tunnel segment selection and assembly.This article proposes a pipe layout method based on virtual tunelling of shield tunelling.In addition to considering factors such as the size of the pipe structure and the design axis,this method incorporates shield tunelling machinery and construction parameters into the pipe selection process,making the pipe selection more realistic.Using this method for full shield virtual advance and pipe segment selection and assembly in a 400 m small turning radius project can more accurately determine the rationality of the design and the feasibility of the project.