Innovation in Instrumentation & Monitoring

This category recognises projects that are using innovative approaches or pioneering new technology to advance instrumentation and monitoring on a tunnelling project to support advances in design and deliver reliability and insight on the project.

Balfour Beatty Vinci Joint Venture 
Bespoke I&M Solution for Asset Monitoring

BBV is delivering 90km of route in the Midlands; between Long Itchington in Warwickshire, to the centre of Birmingham and on to Handsacre in Staffordshire where trains will join the West Coast mainline. The JV works as part of an integrated project team (IPT) alongside its design joint venture (DJV) and client HS2 Ltd. The section we are building is referred to IPT Area North. HS2 Bromford tunnel influence zone, among other urban assets and services, is crossing 3 critical types of structures owned by major UK’s asset owners: 1. National Highways: M6 Bromford Viaduct, the longest UK operational motorway Viaduct, completed in 1970s; 2. Network Rail: A historic Midlands Rail track embankment and a masonry underbridge built in 19th century; 3. National Grid: Ten (10) 400kV lattice steel

Balfour Beatty Vinci Joint Venture 
LiDAR-equipped UAVs

Underground construction, such as tunnels, shafts, chambers, and passageways, inherently present additional risks and challenges to personnel working within these environments. Apart from exceptional risks such as collapses, gas exposure, and explosions, underground workers are often exposed to confined spaces characterised with loud noise, dust, and close proximity to machinery. In response to these challenges, the tunnelling industry is often at the forefront at implementing emerging technologies to mitigate the inherent dangers of working underground. Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), in collaboration with Leica Geosystems, Balfour Beatty Fleet, and HS2, embarked on an investigation into the application of two emerging data capture solutions: LiDAR UAVs and robotic platforms. The objective of which is to minimise the risks typically encountered by surveyors working within underground construction environments.

Civil Engineering and Development Department, Hong Kong SAR and Hyder-Meinhardt Joint Venture
Integrated Use of Remote Sensing Technologies GNSS, InSAR and DFOS in Trunk Road T2

In the T2 project, 3 innovative technologies, namely GNSS, InSAR and DFOS, are optimised and applied for close monitoring at high frequencies of sensitive structures in close vicinity to tunnelling works. GNSS offers real-time 3D movement monitoring at 10-minute intervals under all weather conditions. InSAR provides ground movement monitoring over extensive areas without pre-installed receiver or power supply. Both GNSS and InSAR utilize remote sensing with accuracies well fit for purpose at 1 to 2mm. They eliminate the need for manual surveys contributing to substantial savings in costs. Not requiring access to the points of concern, they are particularly useful for places of difficult access. DFOS offers continuous strain monitoring along a structural member not possible in traditional discrete monitoring, contributing to better understanding of soil-structure interactions and ultimately more optimal future designs. All the technologies yield comprehensive monitoring records instantly incorporated into the Common Data Environment enabling proactive actions.

Dragados
SOGUN: Geometric Control System for Sprayed Concrete Lining and other tunneling works

The SOGUN system represents a significant advancement in the execution cycle of the shotcrete in tunnels. SOGUN is a compact unit whose functionality is automated in a process that scans the tunnel in 3D, generating a surface point cloud. This data is then compared to the pre-loaded theoretical tunnel surface, and an image is projected on the tunnel wall, indicating areas and amount of excess or missing concrete thickness. This process is completed in under a minute, far quicker than the traditional spray painting method, which typically takes between one and a half to three hours, requires at least two people, a man lift, and a dedicated total station. Shotcrete robot operators clearly understand the work to be performed. SOGUN enhances productivity, reduces costs, and minimizes workers' risks, introducing superior quality finishes and safety. Additionally, it promotes sustainability by optimizing material usage and reducing waste, leading to lower environmental footprint.

Geofem
Geofem's Satellite Monitoring for Tunnelling-Induced Settlement

In partnership with HS2’s Innovation team, the HS2 Area North design-and-build team undertook a trial at Bromford Tunnel East Portal to back-analyse the behaviour of the ground and structure performance to better understand real world ground conditions and ascertain if DAARWIN can deliver efficiencies to enhance the implementation of the Observational Method to deliver savings not only in cost and time but also carbon emissions. The findings from the trial enabled the remaining temporary props in the portal structure to be omitted, reducing construction time and carbon emissions by shortening construction activities and reducing material consumptions. The back-analysed outputs from the portal were then re-used for other deep retained excavations in similar geological conditions including Bromford Tunnel West Portal, supporting HS2 to achieve their "Net Zero Carbon Plan".

Larsen & Toubro Construction, Heavy Civil Infrastructure IC Business Group
GEOFREQ (An Instrument Management System)

The GEOFREQ© web portal with user-specific permissions usage revolutionizes tunneling project monitoring by seamlessly handling complex data streams from various instruments, offering universal compatibility, and provides real-time tracking of instrument and TBM locations along with the monitored data, as it was integrated with GIS. It processes data into desired engineering units with high accuracy, generates detailed graphs, and delivers comprehensive reports in PDF and Excel formats. Our portal features an advanced alert system that sends instant notifications via SMS and email when values exceed predefined thresholds (AAA values), ensuring proactive safety measures. Designed with an intuitive interface, it allows users to easily access and visualize real-time data, regardless of their technical expertise, from any device provided with the internet. Successfully implemented in numerous high-profile projects, our portal has received positive feedback for improving project outcomes and enhancing safety

Skanska Costain Strabag Joint Venture
Innovation In The Use Of Real Time Monitoring To Determine Cross Passage Excavation Sequence

Cross passage construction requires surveillance of a series of monitoring arrays around the cross passage opening. The HS2 western tunnels have employed a novel automatic monitoring system to give an early warning to tunnel deflections and provide an enhanced understanding of soil-structure interaction. The tunnelling team have utilised this ‘instant monitoring system’ to inform decision making on temporary support and sequencing, rather than being locked into a rigid prescribed design sequence. Cross Passage connection works, requires the excavation of ground behind parent tunnel segments, causing tunnel convergence. Temporary SCL is usually required to limit this. However by using the ‘instant monitoring’ as a feedback mechanism, the tunnelling team have negated the requirement for temporary SCL inverts. This lean approach avoided installation of complex temporary works, without introducing additional risks, resulting in a reduction in materials use, carbon, time, noise, dust and vibration arising from demolition works.