With a EUR25M budget, the European Commission (EC)- funded Tunconstruct project has been one of the bigger integrated projects (IPs) under the 6th Framework Programme for research and development. It has 41 participating groups from 11 member states examining a wide range of advanced technologies that are, or should be, applicable to modern tunnelling. The two overall aims of the EC in this regard are to make European industry the most competitive in the world, and to establish a European Research Area (ERA).
This collection of reports from participants is edited by Prof Gernot Beer of the Institute for Structural Analysis at the Graz University of Technology, Austria.
Participants include commercial engineering practices, contractors and manufacturers as well as more academic research organisations, thus reflecting the whole range of expertise types available to the industry. The development subjects are mainly computer-based. The chapter on Underground Construction Information Systems (UCIS), already beginning to be commercially available, features Geodata’s Kronos monitoring and alarm system.
Subsequent chapters discuss computer support for the design of underground structures including workflow, time and cost factors; ‘virtual reality’ visualisation of underground construction; and the combining laboratory, geological and TBM data into simulation models plus processoriented numerical simulation including conventional as well as TBM excavation.
Prediction of and reaction to discovered geological conditions occupy several reports including the use of optical fibre sensing cable to monitor underground settlement, and the seismic exploration and geological mapping of the ground ahead of TBMs. On the practical operation of tunnelling machinery there are reports on advances in TBM steering by STUVA, Hochtief and the Ruhr University, reduction of the environmental impact of tunnel boring using the Oscar physical simulator developed by Bouygues and Sika; TBMs for very large tunnel profiles by Herrenknecht, and optimised rock cutting for both TBMs and roadheaders with reports from Sandvik with research organisations in Poland and Spain.
Support is not forgotten either with reports on the use of micromechanical material models to assess the safety of sprayed concrete tunnel shells, pre-cast segment behaviour during tunnel advance and the development and testing of highperformance segments, soil grouting using tube-á-manchette installation by horizontal directional drilling, real-time monitoring of the concrete spraying process, and innovations in the mixes used and environmental considerations in spraying concrete with reports from Spain.
There is even a report on tunnel maintenance using robotic inspection and repair using systems developed by Dragados, Sika and RoboticsLab of Spain.
There is only one minor criticism of the publication. The colour plates, that in many cases enhance the understanding of the work reported on, are all collected at the back of the book. No doubt this reduces publication costs, and there are mono duplicates in each text, but their impact and usefulness is reduced by their position.
Nevertheless the publication, with mainly clear diagrams, is a major contribution to knowledge on advanced tunneling techniques, and should also be noted by those in positions of power that sill think that tunnelling is a nasty, dirty, low-tech pursuit. As Martin Knights, Past President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, says in his ‘Editorial’ to the book, “The next challenge is to progress the findings of the project.” No doubt those developments that offer clear economies in construction will attract attention but those more advanced concepts that may improve overall project efficiency, or increase the scope of underground construction, are also well worthy of attention. To those who think the use of virtual reality in tunneling somewhat fanciful, may we remind them of he general development from tunnelling as an art to a science including such, now commonplace, techniques as numerical analysis, laser-based guidance and monitoring systems, remote-control shield and loading machines, improved accuracy in subsidence control, and 3-dimensional design and visualisation.
Technology innovation in underground construction
