Technology Innovation in Underground Construction

Short professional biographies of all contributors are included in the back of the volume.The editor, Gernot Beer (Graz University of Technology, Austria), is currently the head of the Institute for Structural Analysis at the University Technology, Graz Austria. His main expertise is numerical simulation and he heads a group of researchers that is developing the next generation software for the simulation of underground excavations. He has conducted research and has consulted on this topic for three decades and authored and co-authored four textbooks on this subject. Prior to coordinating the project TUNCONSTRUCT he was the coordinator of a national research initiative Simulation in Tunneling (SiTu) and of another European project (Virtual fire emergency simulation, VITRUALFIRES). The project SiTu resulted in a bookNumerical Simulation in Tunneling published by Springer for which he was the editor. As part of his consulting activities he served, together with Prof. E.T. Brown, on a panel of experts for the investigation of the Masjed-e-Soleiman underground Hydroelectric Power Plant in Iran.

This book contains the results of one of the largest research projects on tunnels and underground openings carried out in the European Community and aims at introducing innovative design tools and new technical procedures in tunnelling engineering. Edited by Prof. Gernot Beer, one the leading authorities in the development and application of computer oriented methods in rock/soil engineering, it presents 24 contributions of leading experts in the field. Contributions span from new information systems and computer supported methods for tunnel design, to the visual representation of the progress of excavation; from software for the numerical simulation of mechanized and conventional tunnelling methods, and for monitoring of the displacements induced by tunnelling, to software for controlling the advancing process of tunnel boring machines. Other chapters concern technological problems, such as the use ofshotcrete and of low pressure injections, the optimization of rock cutting tools, the robotic inspection of tunnels, etc. The large spectrum and depth of topics covered, and their impact on the tunnel design and construction, makes this book of particular interest for practicing engineers and for applied researchers. Giancarlo Gioda, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Dept. of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy "[...] the project will certainly result in a breakthrough in activities ranging from planning to maintenance. Contributions cover the whole spectrum of underground construction activities with an integrated approach." Tarcisio B. Celestino, University of Sao Paulo

• 1. Introduction  2. UCIS - Underground Construction Information System  3. Computer-support for the Design of Underground Structures  4. A Virtual Reality Visualization System for Underground Construction  5. From Laboratory, Geological and TBM Data to Input Parameters for Simulation Models  6. Process-oriented Numerical Simulation of Mechanized Tunneling  7. Computer Simulation of Conventional Construction  8. Optical Fibre Sensing Cable for Underground Settlement Monitoring During Tunneling  9. Tunnel Seismic Exploration and Its Validation Based on Data From TBM Control and Observed Geology  10. Advances in the Steering of Tunnel Boring Machines  11. Real-time Geological Mapping of the Front Face  12. Reducing the Environmental Impact of Tunnel Boring (OSCAR)  13. Safety Assessment During Construction of Shotcrete Tunnel Shells Using Micromechanical Material Models  14. Observed Segment Behaviour During Tunnel Advances  15. Optimizing Rock Cutting Through Computer Simulation  16. Innovative Roadheader Technology for Safe and Economic Tunnelling  17. Tube- anchette Installation Using Horizontal Directional Drilling for Soil Grouting  18. TBM Technology for Large to Very Large Tunnel Profiles  19. Real-time Monitoring of the Shotcreting Process  20. Environmentally Friendly, Customised Sprayed Concrete  21. Innovations in Shotcrete Mixes  22. High Performance and Ultra High Performance Concrete Segments - Development and Testing  23. Robotic Tunnel Inspection and Repair  24. An Innovative Geotechnical Characterization Method for Deep Exploration.