Technically the answer is yes (any stress state results in deformation) but for all practical purposes the answer is no. The TBM does not bend to any degree wor

Technically the answer is yes (any stress state results in deformation) but for all practical purposes the answer is no. The TBM does not bend to any degree worth talking about and is considered rigid. This leads to curves in tunnels generally having a very large radius because you have to build the leading part of the curve inside a rigid cylinder. The tunnel is slightly smaller than the TBM and so some curvature can be tolerated.