The Bjønnås north and south tunnel headings. It is one of seven tunnels being built for the 17.5-km, E18 four-lane motorway that will connect the towns of Langangen and Rugtvedt. Im-age credit: Eiffage Norway.
minimizes delays. It also means we don’t have to be on site overnight, which positively impacts the budget.” In sync Since the field data is synchronized with the office multiple times a day, Poloni and his team always know when they’ve received new measurements. They pick up the new data, Amberg Tunnel processes it, and automatically organizes it into the proper site, proper heading, and proper excavation stage. From there they extract the data they need for design work, analysis and reports. Per Nye Veier’s request, Poloni and his colleagues must provide daily reports detailing excavated rock volumes, shotcrete volumes and layer thickness as defined by the rock quality. They also want to have tunnel shape profiles every 1 m, but depending on the tunnel section they’re working in, they offer scanning profiles every 5 cm. With the software, they can define at what interval they want to extract the profiles, and the point spacing to show as much tunnel detail as the client requires. And because they have a constant exchange of data between the office and the field, they are able to ensure the tunneling is on point and the stakeholders are informed. “The trustworthy automation in the field enables us to be in the office more, processing data, checking work quality, and delivering reports based on different clients’ needs, which can change on a daily basis,” says Poloni. “We are so much more responsive.”
The synchronization is particularly advantageous when the dynamic nature of the tunnel and the geologic composition of rocks require a design change. Poloni can quickly access the latest scan profile, bring it into AutoCAD, make the necessary changes to the tunnel radius and bolt positions, and import it back into Amberg Tunnel. He can then send the new design back to the field and in less than one hour, the tunnel crew has the new design profile on their tablet. He follows the same process for any changes to shotcrete layers. “We’re often adjusting the design, so the data synchronization is a huge time gain for us,” says Poloni. “Without it, I’d have to suit up to enter the tunnel, collect the data from the tunnel on a USB stick, bring it back to the office, import it, make all the changes, export it to the USB stick and take it back into the tunnel. With the real-time connection, it’s done in minutes and no one is left in the dark.” As they strive to complete the Bjønnås excavation in fall 2024, there will likely be more uncertainty in what lies ahead, but Poloni is confident the Amberg Tunnel platform will offer them certainty in their work.
MARY JO WAGNER is a Freelance Writer, Editor, and Media Consultant based in Vancouver, BC. She can be reached at mj_wagner@shaw.ca .
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