Abstract: When slurry balance shield is excavating through water-rich hard rock stratum, reasonable tunneling parameters provide the basis to ensure the safe and efficient excavation of shield tunnel.Relying on a slurry balance shield construction project in an interval of Qingdao Metro Line 8, the parameters of shield tunnel excavating through water-rich hard rock stratum including total thrust and penetration depth are analyzed. Calculation is carried out on cutter tool and rock action load, and cutter tool load design value.Optimization scheme of shield tunneling parameters is proposed, and the optimized excavation efficiency is analyzed. Results show that: the total thrust can control the penetration of cutter tool, priority should be given to the total thrust control to increase shield tunneling speed. The cutter tool and rock action load is 4 277.87 kN, much smaller than the design load value of 9 528.22 kN, so the cutter and rock action load can be adequately increased to 75% of the design load value. After the shield thrust is increased to 18 000 kN, the cutter tool penetration is increased. The excavation time of each ring is 38.7% less than that before optimization, and the construction efficiency is doubled than before.