Remote Wire-less Automatic

Tunnel Monitoring System

 Deploying Remote Wire-less
Automatic Tunnel Monitoring System
to reduce the risks of uncertainties
By Dr G H Tan
SysEng (S) Pte Ltd

Wisescan Engineering
Pte Ltd

Siber Hegner South East

Asia Pte Ltd

GeoEng Consultants
 SysEng (S) Pte Ltd
• Started in 1994
• Specializes in Test & Measurement
• Signal Analysis and Digital Signal
Processing Techniques Wireless Data
Acquisition Systems
• Structural Instrumentation for Buildings,
Tunnels, Highway bridges
• Vibration and Acoustic Measurement
Systems.
• Machine Vision Inspection Systems
 Wisescan Engineering
Services Pte Ltd
• Founded in 1992 and awarded ISO 9002 1997
• General Engineering survey
• MRT Tunneling Survey
• Tunnel Deformation and Monitoring Survey
• Ground Settlement Movement Study Survey
• Hydrographic Survey
• Cable and Gas pipe as-built survey and
production of drawing in GIS format
 Siber Hagner South East
Asia Pte Ltd
• Regional representative for Leica Geosystems
covering Malaysia and Singapore
• Support Leica Geosystems Software with local
customization
• 1st Tunnel Monitoring System carried out for
Bugis Junction in Singapore 10 years ago
 GeoEng Consultants
Specialist Civil and Geotechnical
Consulting Engineers

•Temporary Retaining Systems

•Soil Improvement
•Underground Support Systems
•Foundation Systems
•Underpinning of Buildings
•Basement Design
•Trenchless Technology
Structural Health Monitoring Systems
• Republic Plaza Building (280 m) since 1995
• OUB Building (280 m)
• Toa Payoh 25 storey HDB Building
• Tuas 2nd Link Bridge since 1996
• Kranji Expressway LTA C3623
• North East Tower in Hong Kong (420 m)
• Changi Airport Car Park Terminal 2 LTA C504
• Pasir Panjang Semi-Expressway C3223
since 2002
• Bukit Timah Expressway C3222 since 2002
Automatic Tunnel Monitoring Systems
• Changi Airport Runway 1 Monitoring LTA
C5342
• Circle Line LTA C825 North & South
Bound
• SMU site
• Church Street Building
• Circle Line LTA C825 East & West Bound
• Harbor Front LTA C859
• Newton Life Church
• National Library Board
Potential Population
growth in Cities
 Monitoring to minimize risks
• Monitors adjacent buildings when an old
building is being tore down and rebuild to a
higher building
• Monitor piling and soil movements do not
affect existing structures
• Population will grow in ASEAN, China,
India
• Cities will increase in densities
• Demand for transportation in cities will rise
with Highways and Tunnels
•
Typical Challenges face
by Construction
Industry as reported in
Straits Times, showing
Damages & Disruptions
to Infrastructures and
Assets
Tunnelling affects Buildings
Tunnelling affects Roads
Tunnelling affects Roads
Construction Damages
surrounding houses
Construction of Building affects
adjacent Property Value
Soil Conditions affecting
Construction
Automatic Tunnel Monitoring
Developed for Infra structure and
Asset Protection
• Longer underground networks and crossing
each other
• High density buildings near underground
stations due to popularity and convenience
• Other underground networks like Deep
Tunnel Sewage, Power Utilities, Water, Gas,
Telecommunication
• Expensive to repair underground if
damage
Consequences of late awareness
in Structure & Soil movements
• Loss of lives (Like Hotel New World)
• Unwanted publicity in Newspapers
• Delays in completion of projects causing
cash flow problems
• Show poor performance of company
• Legal and Financial consequences for
damaging assets
• Losing future potential businesses
To achieve a robust &
reliable monitoring
system, the technologies
deployed must be reliable
and have local technical
support to ensure high
system up time for the
clients
eMonitoring

by
Technology
SysEng (S) Pte Ltd
 eMonitoring
is
Remote Monitoring
using
Wire-less
technology on
the Internet
 What is eMonitoring ?
• Wire-less for data communication by riding
on the open public mobile phone infra-
structure to give REAL TIME ALERT to
multiple users
• Internet monitoring for automatic data
collection and monitoring at a central server
• The customer to receive the data via
the Internet making the information
available to more users .. faster
 Overview of eMs Application There are diff. type of devices
to access the application
services through diff. protocol.

Water Level

Monitoring
The RTU takes a
photo of floodgate Interne
when it opens or Web t Users
close. Server
The RTU will send the
information given by
the sensors installed
inside the bridge to the
control centre.

Supervisory GPRS/
Monitoring GSM
Gateway
The RTU will have the
function of taking
Geotechnical photos, GPR, Times
Monitoring Stamps, and memory
for the storage
The Leica’s instrument information. This
scan the reading by The street light information can be
prism installed at tunnel located at sent to server through
and the RTU will send crowded area, Street Light wireless network. It is
the reading back to eMs like shopping kind of outdoors
Server. centre, school Monitoring surveillance systems.
and tourist spot
When the light bulb spoilt, the
become
RTU control unit in the street
important and
lights will alert the users and Outdoor Inspection
Tunnel Monitoring crucial at night.
report to server.
Monitoring
eMonitoring System applied to
Tunnel Monitoring System
Mobile
Alert
Devices
for
Email & Urgent
ftp site Information
download

Instrument
inside in
Tunnel
 Tunnel Monitoring
System featured in
Business Times
13th March 2003
by Infocomm
Development
Authority of
Singapore

Proven Audited
Performance with
System Up-Time of
99.5 %by IDA
Locally
Developed to
suit local
conditions
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
Leica High Precision Instrument TCA2003
• Automatic Target
Recognition system
• Glass prism as
reflectors
• Range 5 to 1000 m
• Distance Accuracy +/-
1.0mm + 1ppm
• Angular 0.5 arc second
• 60 systems installation
• Highly reliable for
continuous use in
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
 Wire-less Data
Communication from
Remote site to user
 Reliability of communication
Remote 4 User
1 3 5 6
2
For the signal to flow through from the Remote site to the
end user, the wired signal has to pass 6 connections. If
any connection is down, the communication is cut off.

Reliability of this system is 1 = 0.015

26

Remote 1 Service 2
User
Provider
Reliability of the wire-less system is 1 = 0.25
22

An improvement of 16.6 times !

Wire-less communication is reliable if the setup is
done correctly

The technologies available are :-

• GSM data (Switch Circuit Technology)
• GSM- Global Systems for Mobile, is the most
widely accepted standard in telecommunications
and it is implemented globally. GSM is a circuit-
switched system that divides each 200 kHz
channel into eight 25 kHz time-slots. GSM
operates on the mobile communication bands 900
MHz and 1800 MHz in most parts of the world.
• GPRS data (Packet Transmission)
• General packet radio service (GPRS) is defined as a mobile communications
standard that operates on 2G and 3G cellular networks to enable moderately high-
speed data transfers using packet-based technologies.

• 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum

• 802.11g WiFi
• Point to Point radio modem
 GSM Signal Strength Level

Challenge of developed New Data Transmission Technique

within 24 hours to overcome signal strength drop out during
Peak periods (~ train move @ 5 minutes intervals !)
GSM RF signal
strength site
survey to ensure
signal level is
reliable for data
transmission.
The Signal
strength is
captured and
logged over 2
weeks to select
suitable antennas
and alignment
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
Automatic Tunnel Monitoring
Mobile
Alert
Devices
for
Email & Urgent
ftp-File Information
Transfer
Protocol
site
download

Instrument
inside in
Tunnel
Most people uses the
Internet for
receiving email
information
according to this
survey. The
eMonitoring system
uses the most
popular method to
deliver Tunnel
Deformation
information
email information to end users

Automatic Data
Push method
 Data
Download on
Pull method
Typical system respond times
•Data from site to server using GSM 5
mins
•Processing
email out tomeasured
customersdata at server
within 11min
min
•SMS alerts received by users within 1 min
even for cross Telcos

Hence worst case is 8 minutes from site to end

users consistently for every cycle 24 hours a day.
While a manual system with the data is retrieved
manually using wire-less method and then
manually upload to a FTP site
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
Explosion
of Mobile
users
Wire-less Alarm Notification in demand !
MIS-information & Delay of a Manual
Alert System Main Contractor Consultants
Action
0.9 0.9

Monitoring Sub-Contractor

0.9 0.9

Monitoring Worker Excavation Worker

Misinformation = 0.94 = 0.65 !

Delay (mins) = 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 = 2 hours
 Automated Wire-less Alert System
Main Contractor

1.0

Monitoring Boss 1.0 Consultants

1.0

Automated Wire-less
Monitoring System

Misinformation = 1.0 (Manual of 0.65)

Delay (min) = 1.0 (Manual of 120.)
Smart Alert Algorithms
• Differentiate real alerts from glitches
based upon field knowledge rather
than based upon threshold limits
• Need to understand Structural and
Geotechnical behaviors to eliminate
false alerts
• False alerts makes Alert system
unreliable
Uneventful
measurements

Due to Noise
and glitches

SMS Alert
measurement
Event
Alert System
must Guarantee
a 1 min SMS
delivery time to
clients using
different Telcos.
Wrong
technique used
causes SMS
delay for hours
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
System Design for
Outdoor
Environment
Use known standards for Lightning
and Environmental Protection

• Lighting Protection CP33

• Environmental Protection IP65

Lightning Protection Code CP33
Misunderstanding of
Code of Practice
Environmental
Protection
IP65
means
Protection
against Dust
and Low
pressure Water
jets
A Proper Protection System is not
just about buying and installing
the correct part numbers
according to catalogue pictures
• Wiring the lightning discharge path
• Isolating the signal, power and
mains earth
• Mains discharge path is different
from signal noise discharge path
1.Automatic Measurement and Data capturing
2.Wire-less technologies for data communications
from remote sites
3.Internet web-enable to reach a larger user
base and ease information flow
4.SMS alert to leverage in Mobile phone
networks
5. Lightning and Surge protection
6.Outdoor tropical climate protection design
for sensitive electronics
7.Deploy system which can be supported and
service locally
Deploy system which are
supportable and
serviceable
Not just the Best Parts or
Best Brand for the
whole system
Typical challenges in Outdoor
systems
• Ensuring Quality of data
• System works well for first 6 months
• Supporting companies must have
technically manpower to troubleshoot
complex system
• Supporting company must have multi-skilled
staff
• Manufacturer usually do not have local
tropical climatic experiences
Newton Life Church
Remote Wire-less
Automatic Tunnel
Monitoring System
Requirements
imposed by
Authority
• LTA code of practice allows less than 15mm
movements along the segments
• Tunnel distortion allowable is 1/2000
• Continuously monitors the prisms every 8
hours per day for 7 days a week
• Reliable System up time with penalty
imposed for loss of data
• Real time measurement and immediate data
transmission of results
• Immediate alerts if the movement exceeds
70% of allowable movement
 Newton Life Church Extension at Keng Lee Road

Existing
Church

MRT Site
Line
Prediction using Finite Element Modeling: Wall Type A

Initial FE Mesh
 Total Instrumentation Plan: Around the Excavation site
LEGEND :

Inclinometer

Water Standpipe
Pneumatic Piezometer WS6 SM2
PZ6I6 6
Settlement Marker
Tiltmeter SM25 SM
Crackmeter
TM 1
Automatic Trainway Monitoring System
WS1
Vibration Sensor 1 CM1 I1
PZ1
Manual Survey
SM2
4 S
TM2 CM2 M
SM1 SM1 SM2
SM22 SM23 2
8 9 0 SM21
PZ5I5 WS5
SM3
WS2
SM1 I2
7 *P
Z
2

SM1 S
6 M
4
SM
5
SM1 SM WS3 SM
SM12 PZ4 WS4 SM SM
SM1 SM1 0 9 8
SM1 SM1 I4 *PZ3 7 6
5 4 WS71 I3
3
SM28 SM2
SM2 9
7 VS3
TM3 CM3
Automatic Tunnel Monitoring
System Operation to
achieve requirements

• Initial setup
• Data Retrieval
• Manual System as a backup support
• Data Comparison
Instrument setup
inside the MRT tunnel
 Initial setup
• Manual readings are carried out to record
initial readings for glass prisms
• Once base readings are obtained & set, the
automatic system is commissioned
• Instrument is pre-programmed to take prism
readings
• The captured data is automatically transmitted
from site to office via wire-less means
• Leica APSWin performs the analysis and data
stored
 Data Retrieval
• Data retrieved is automatically done 3 times
per day at every 8 hours cycle
• Received prism x,y,z data are automatically
analyzed into tunnel deformation information
• Information is automatically email to the LTA,
clients and consultants
• Results are automatically backup in server as
well as upload to a FTP site
• The results are produced as numerical and
graphical plots
 Data Retrieval Consistency

Actual Data
Retrieval
timings showing
the time and file
size received at
the server end
Typical Numerical Data
Typical Graphical Data
 Manual system as a backup
support
• During operation of the Automatic Tunnel
Monitoring system, manual survey is still
being carried out but less often for system
verification purposes
• Readings are captured by another TCA2003
unit for comparison purposes
• Served as a backup and independent audit
from the auto system
 Comparison between Automatic
and Manual Readings for one cycle
Lateral Movement for Track Prisms
X (+ ve = movement towards development site)

10
8
6
4

X 2
Auto
0
Deviation -2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Manual

in mm -4
-6
-8
-10

Ring segment number