With drones, multispectral optics, and AI, Austrian joint venture transforms tunnel inspection in the US. The world’s first infrastructure lifecycle hub taps the rapidly growing global market for infrastructure inspections.

The remarkable thing about the Los Angeles Metro rail network is not its total length of 163 kms, it is the fact that its tunnels are subjected to daily earth tremors. On an average, the Los Angeles metropolitan area experiences ten earthquakes every day – over 3,8001 in the last 365 days. This has a direct impact on the fabric of the transportation infrastructure in the form of cracks, fissures, and displacements - especially on those parts that are routed underground. The Los Angeles Metro Tunnel Network has now been inspected for the first time using STRUCINSPECT technology. The digital inspection immediately resulted in several measurable benefits.

Traffic, wind, and weather (as well as earthquakes) have a massive impact on the fabric of important transportation infrastructure structures. However, inspecting bridges, tunnels, and dams for safety is a lengthy and costly process – one that is becoming increasingly important. Currently, the global annual volume for infrastructure inspections is around 70 billion Euro; 2 billion Euro of which can already be addressed today - and this figure is set to double by 20292 alone.

the Los Angeles Metro rail network

Digital structural inspection with STRUCINSPECT
STRUCINSPECT operates the world’s first Infrastructure Lifecycle Hub for digital construction inspection and lifecycle management. Founded in 2019 as a joint venture between partners PALFINGER, VCE and ANGST Group, STRUCINSPECT uses drones to capture multispectral data of structures and applies this data using Artificial Intelligence for Building Information Modeling (BMI) in the form of a digital twin. On this high-quality basis, the company develops individually configurable business solutions together with its customers to precisely capture inspection data, process it efficiently, and use it for effective maintenance decisions in the asset classes of bridges, tunnels, and dams.

the Los Angeles Metro rail network

STRUCINSPECT creates added value with structured data
Large volumes of data are generated during data acquisition. To process them efficiently, exploit their potential, and to create added value from the information at hand, STRUCINSPECT looks at the entire value chain and acts in end-to-end solutions. STRUCINSPECT structures the enormous amount of data and makes it accessible and applicable for decision makers.

the Los Angeles Metro rail network

“In this way, STRUCINSPECT creates a breakthrough in the economic use of state-of-the-art digital technologies in building inspection and life cycle management,” emphasizes STRUCINSPECT CEO Albrecht Karlusch.

The benefits can be seen in the example of the Los Angeles Metro network, where tunnel closure time during data collection was reduced by 79 percent. STRUCINSPECT was able to provide complete documentation of all damage and damage-free locations in a very short time. This provides full transparency and higher accuracy. The more precise calculation of the current condition also leads to a 30 percent reduction in maintenance activities in the following year.

the Los Angeles Metro rail network

Based on these successes and its technological-digital edge, STRUCINSPECT is actively tapping into the global market for infrastructure inspection. Attractive follow-up orders are already being negotiated.

the Los Angeles Metro rail network

About PALFINGER Structural Inspection GmbH
STRUCINSPECT is a Joint Venture established in 2019 between PALFINGER, VCE and ANGST Group. By providing digital services and establishing the world’s first digital infrastructure management hub, the Infrastructure Lifecycle Hub, STRUCINSPECT maintains infrastructure structures worldwide in a safe, sustainable, and resource- efficient manner. The platform combines technologies and functions in the field of holistic digital infrastructure management. The offering is primarily aimed at established infrastructure operators and inspection engineers with an openness to future-oriented and digital solutions. The functions offered are currently applied to the asset classes bridges, tunnels, and dams.
Sela Tunnel Project - Overcoming The Impossible
The responsibility for construction and maintenance of Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) Road has been entrusted to Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The 317.520 km long road connects West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to the rest

Read more ...

Slurry TBM ‘Channel Express’ launched by CRCHI for working in Water Supply Tunnels in Singapore
On February 1, 2023, CRCHI attended the launching ceremony of its Slurry TBM ‘Channel Express’. It will be used in the construction of key water supply tunnel project TWRP Pipeline Contract 1 in Singapore where it will bore 1.6km with the inner diameter

Read more ...

China’s Largest TBM - With Panda Face Emerges From Tunnel
On 12 December 2022 ‘Jinxiu’ - China’s largest EPB TBM developed by CRCHI - marked the first smooth breakthrough of the Jinxiu Tunnel, a key control project of the Chengdu-Zigong high-speed railway. Jinxiu is China’s largest diameter EPB TBM with

Read more ...

CRCHI showcases total solutions of Underground Engineering Equipment
China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited (CRCHI) brought the whole industry chain products and solutions to bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2023. CRCHI exhibited TBMs, drilling and blasting method equipment, cotton pickers, and other

Read more ...

Sandvik sets up new factory; hands over first ‘made in India’ tunnelling jumbo to KSR Group, Hyderabad
In a historic event held on 30th January, 2023 Sandvik proudly presented the key of the first ‘made in India’ DT820 Tunnelling Jumbo to Mrs. and Mr. Koneru of KSR Group, Hyderabad. The machine was rolled out from Sandvik’s newly set-up state-of-the-art

Read more ...

CRCHI Slurry TBM ‘Avni’ Helps Make a Breakthrough in Bangalore Metro Project
The 6.6m Slurry TBM developed by CRCHI exited the tunnel at Vellara Station, Phase II of Bangalore Metro in India, becoming the first TBM to complete the breakthrough for the whole line of the project. Avni is one of the four slurry TBMs provided by CRCHI

Read more ...

The Bolter Miner - A Technology Revolution for Roadway Development in Underground Coal Mining
In India, coal is still the primary source of energy; over the past few years, there has been quantum jump in coal production level, but it was mostly due to the high percentage share from the opencast sector. The country is witnessing a fast

Read more ...

CRCHI emerges as provider of total underground engineering equipment and solutions
China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited (CRCHI) showcased its comprehensive range of equipment and products at bauma that included solutions for the whole industry chain in the field of

Read more ...

Herrenknecht AG wins bauma Innovation Award 2022 for development of continuous tunnelling
Herrenknecht AG won the highly coveted award bauma Innovation Award 2022 in the category “Machine Technology” for the new development of continuous tunnelling. The award was given for the next innovation boost in the mechanized

Read more ...

The Genesis of Underground Engineering
Regardless of the tunnelling technology used, tunnel designers decide the future success or failure at an early project stage. In fact, designers are the real managers of tunnel construction. The choice of design together with selected contract model is

Read more ...

Managing Geological Complexity in BVC and PAC of Tehri PSP, India - A case study
Tehri hydroelectric project is located on the left bank of River Bhagirathi in the state of Uttarakhand. Tehri Pumped Storage Project (PSP) comprising 4 Nos of reversible pump-turbine units of 250 MW each, involves construction of an underground Machine Hall

Read more ...

TBM driving under low overburden by adopting innovative methodology
TBM mining in urban areas particularly under low overburden (less than 0.5D, D = tunnel Dia) is a big challenge to design team as well as execution team. While working in a Lucknow metro project, the metro authorities encountered a stretch where TBM had to cross

Read more ...

Tunnel Ventilation System Basic Concepts and Designing Principles
The term ventilation combines several functions such as smoke extraction, pollution ventilation, and ventilation for environmental purpose. The design of a ventilation system is usually based on three scenarios: During construction: to provide external

Read more ...

CRCHI Mega Slurry TBM ‘Jinghua’ Assists the First Tunnel Section Breakthrough of Beijing East Sixth Ring Road Reconstruction Project
In September 2022, the Beijing East Sixth Ring Road Reconstruction Project reported another good news: the CRCHI mega slurry TBM ‘Jinghua’ smoothly reached the intermediate air shaft, marking the project’s achievement. The maximum excavation diameter

Read more ...

TERRATEC EPBMs ready to tackle Kanpur Metro’s 1st Underground Section in India
TERRATEC celebrated the successful site acceptance testing of two 6.52m diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machines (EPBMs) for Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) for Corridor-1 of Kanpur MRTS Project (KNPCC-05) in India. The two 6.52m

Read more ...

Tunnelling Asia 2022 - International Conference on Underground Space
Tunnelling Asia 2022, organized by TAI, which took place in Mumbai during 27th and 28th June, saw a huge gathering of delegates/engineers from all around the world. The theme of the conference: ‘Underground Space: Need of the Day’ focused on

Read more ...

Hydraulic Heave Failure Mitigation Approach for the construction of the Deepest Metro Ventilation and Egress Shaft in India
Dr. Lakshmana Rao Mantri, Assistant General Manager (Designs), and Satya Narayan Kunwar, Project Manager, AFCONS Infrastructure Ltd. , discuss the design and construction challenges of constructing India’s deepest underground metro ventilation

Read more ...

Creating Zero-Carbon Tunnels
Despite a daunting timeline set by the Paris Accord, zero-carbon tunnels are within reach, provided the right solutions are implemented. Er. Vasileios (Bill) Paoulos, CMT, CMRL, L&T Construction Heavy Civil Infrastructure

Read more ...

Readily Biodegradable Soil Conditioning Foaming Agents - A New Technology
Mike A. Sposetti, Global Technical Manager TBM, Underground Construction, Master Builders Solution, Malta, and Manish Gautam, Product Segment Manager - UGC TBM Tunneling Projects, Master Builders Solution, Mumbai, discuss how readily biodegradable

Read more ...