How to Make the Best Use of Instrumentation in Tunnels and Underground Space Engineering Rastogi V. K.1 1Country Head-India, GEODATALeoben, Austria Online Published on 28 September, 2023. Abstract In any project involving tunnelling and underground space engineering, substantial investment is made on installation of instrumentation. However, instrumentation is one of the most neglected areas in underground construction. Sophisticated geotechnical and geodetic instruments are installed to serve as our eyes and ears in and around the structures. Many times, proper methodologies are not followed even in their selection, installation, and monitoring. The data given out by the instruments is not utilized. In fact, instrumentation has been reduced to a mere formality in construction industry. This must be a matter of much anxiety for the stakeholders. It is high time that the present situation is analysed in detail to find reasons and work out a solution. This Paper is an earnest attempt in this direction. In the first place, most tender specifications are inadequate to address even the minimum requirements of a good instrumentation program; but even in the few cases that they are somewhat adequate, they are not implemented. The Owner, the Consultants, and the Contractor simply pass on the buck to each other. The important aspect of data presentation is completely ignored. The vast amount of data produced by the instruments is either not analysed at all, or not analysed fast enough to enable the stakeholders to take decisions without interrupting construction. The voluminous instrument data is presented in tabular form which fails to convey any technically useful information or meaning. All that it serves is the purpose of a supporting documents for payments. The solution lies in using Digital Technology for monitoring and processing tunnel instrumentation data and even the entire tunnel construction data. The important instrument data, which brings out the hidden geotechnical parameters, must be digitally processed and presented in a proper form and shared with everybody. Presently, the Tunnel Construction relies mainly on paperwork to manage its processes and deliverables. The Project owners and contractors often use different ways to present their own information about construction. There are delays in the flow of information, and its sharing is not universal. There is no single source of truth providing an integrated, real-time view of project implementation, cost, and schedule. It is high time that Digital Technology is used in monitoring of tunnel construction in India. Globally, such a technology was first introduced in 2007 and has since been used in all tunnel constructions the world over. The Paper ends by giving concrete suggestions towards reforms in the use of instrumentation for tunnelling and underground space engineering. Top |