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A tunnel information modelling framework to support management,

simulations and visualisations in mechanised tunnelling projects

Article in Automation in Construction · August 2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.autcon.2017.07.006

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 1 A tunnel information modelling framework to support management, simulations and

2 visualisations in mechanised tunnelling projects

4 Christian Kocha,* Andre Vonthronb, and Markus Königc

a
6 Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham, University

7 Park, NG7 2RD Nottingham, United Kingdom;

8 Phone: +44-115-84-68933; E-mail: christian.koch@nottingham.ac.uk

b
9 Research Associate, Computing in Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätstraße

10 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany;

11 Phone: +49-234-32-26174; E-mail: andre.vonthron@rub.de

c
12 Professor, Computing in Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätstraße 150, 44801

13 Bochum, Germany;

14 Phone: +49-234-32-23047; E-mail: koenig@inf.bi.rub.de

15

*
Corresponding author
16 ABSTRACT

17 A transparent, holistic and detailed design of individual systems and processes in mechanised

18 tunnelling is essential for a robust and low-risk construction of tunnels. In this context, the complex

19 interactions between the ground, the boring machine, the tunnel lining and the built environment

20 play a significant role. Traditionally, the entire tunnel design information is available in the form

21 of independent, dispersed and heterogeneous data files. Since these data sources are barely linked

22 in practice, unilateral decisions are made that do not consider all relevant aspects. Existing research

23 has focused either on very general approaches of multi-model container or linked data models that

24 have not been adapted to tunnelling projects, or on semantic tunnel models that solely cover small

25 parts of the entire projects. In this paper a tunnel information modelling framework, basically

26 integrating four interlinked subdomain models and linked project performance data, is presented.

27 Due to their distinctive impact on the tunnel design and construction process a ground model, a

28 boring machine model, a tunnel lining model, and a built environment model are first individually

29 created, and then linked within an open IFC environment using the concepts of Proxies, Property

30 Sets and Model View Definitions. Based on the proposed framework selected case studies are

31 presented to verify its potential and advantages when (1) interactively visualising time-dependent

32 settlement monitoring data in an environment-aware context and (2) generating advanced

33 numerical simulation models to predict settlements. These case studies are conducted using real

34 project data of the metro tunnelling project Wehrhahn-Linie in Düsseldorf, Germany.

35

36 KEYWORDS

37 Building information modelling; Industry Foundation Classes, mechanised tunnelling; multi-

38 model; linked data; numerical simulation; visualisation

39

2
40 1. INTRODUCTION

41 Due to the ongoing expansion of urban areas worldwide, sustainable solutions must be found to

42 face the challenge of increasing mobility in an efficient and environment-friendly manner. One

43 option is the extension of underground transportation systems using tunnels. The stable, economical

44 and sustainable design and construction of tunnels requires reliable knowledge regarding the

45 expected impacts of the construction method on the built environment. In this context, insights into

46 the dynamic interactions between the geological conditions, the existing infrastructure and the

47 tunnelling advancement process are essential. Mechanised tunnelling is an established flexible and

48 economical construction method for underground structures that is characterised by its trend

49 towards larger shield machine diameters, meanwhile up to 19.25 m, and its constantly growing

50 range of application areas [1].

51 The construction process using Tunnel boring machines (TBM) involves risks that are related to

52 various factors like surface settlements, gap grouting, face stability etc. Since risk is a combination

53 of the aforementioned factors, their interactions have to be studied and simulated by specialised

54 project teams while designing and constructing the tunnel. Consequently, coordinated interactions

55 of machine operations, surveying, logistics and preliminary investigation processes are very

56 important, especially in case of difficult situations such as the removal of obstructions or tunnelling

57 under sensitive structures. In particular, interactions between the soil, the TBM, the tunnel support

58 system, and the above-ground buildings play an important role in achieving successful project

59 completions. Therefore, the team members need to collaborate intensively. As a result, large

60 amounts of data are generated, including data gathered during previous site investigations, data

61 from the design stage, and data obtained from measurements made during the advance of the

62 machine.

63 The project data that is shared among the team members varies in terms of type, scale, format and

64 life cycle phase. While some data is used to describe the structural behaviour of the machine, the

65 tunnel lining and the soil, other data is related the site logistics of the entire tunnelling process (type

3
66 of data). Differences in model scale refer to the resolution of data items, both in terms of space and

67 time. On the one hand, for example, multi-scale infiltration models require data items in a spatial

68 and temporal resolution of micrometres and seconds, respectively, whereas, on the other hand, site

69 logistics models deal with data items of centimetre/metre and hours/days resolution, respectively

70 (scale of data). In addition, the project-related data might be available in different formats and from

71 dispersed resources such as texts, drawings, spreadsheets, diagrams or to complex three-

72 dimensional partial models (format of data). Finally, it is important to recognise the life cycle phase

73 in which the data is being created, maintained and used to make assumption about the reliability or

74 uncertainty of this data. For example, during the design phase engineers usually work with

75 uncertain soil parameters, whereas during the construction phase they rely on real-time

76 measurements that produce much more confident parameters.

77 To use and analyse this diverse data in an efficient and practical manner, a consistent and holistic

78 information model is required. Consequently, diverse software applications need to be able to

79 obtain required data automatically, efficiently, and in correct type, scale, and format from the

80 underlying information model. Also, results from numerical driving simulations using structural

81 models can be provided by an integrated information model. A further advantage of such a model

82 is the ability to provide a 4-dimensional visualisation of the relationships between stored data

83 through mapping in space and time.

84 With regard to tunnel information modelling, existing research has either focused on (1) semantic

85 tunnel models that solely cover small parts of the entire project, e.g. only focus on the tunnel lining

86 structure neglecting essential parts such as the ground and/or the boring machine; or on (2) very

87 general multi-model container and linked data approaches that have not yet been adapted to

88 tunnelling projects. To address current shortcomings, this paper presents the development of an

89 integrated tunnel information modelling framework. The overall framework suggests a tunnel

90 information model that consists of several subdomain models, which represent the various data

91 sources of a tunnelling project. To verify the presented approach, a specific tunnel information

4
92 model is presented with data from a real-world reference project of a subway tunnel in Düsseldorf,

93 Germany. Based on this model selected case studies highlight its potential and advantages when

94 (1) interactively visualising time-dependent settlement monitoring data in an environment-aware

95 context and (2) generating advanced numerical simulation models to predict settlements.

96
97 2. BACKGROUND

98 2.1 Current practices in tunnel project data management

99 Tunnelling project documents are usually available in many different types, scales, and formats,

100 originate from loosely coupled and dispersed resources, but are strongly interdependent. This issue

101 is illustrated in Figure 1. The type and format of data differs widely (e.g. CAD drawings, text

102 reports, spreadsheets, diagrams and images (Fig. 1)). This complicates their integration in design,

103 simulation and visualisation models, because required data has to be re-organised from multiple

104 resources, and documents have to be scanned for appropriate information and parameters.

105 Additionally, these parameters usually have to be manually integrated and updated in case of design

106 changes. Thus, in tunnelling practice, numerical simulations, for example, are still not being used

107 to the extent that the possibilities of current simulation models would suggest. This is mainly due

108 to the enormous efforts in the modelling and, in particular, in the collection and integration of all

109 available information on the project in a form that provides automatic model generation (pre-

110 processing) for settlement prediction simulations [2] [3].

111

5
112

113 Figure 1: Loosely coupled, unformatted, dispersed, yet interdependent tunnel project information

114 items in practice. The type, scale and format of data varies among CAD drawings, text

115 documents, spreadsheets, diagrams, images, etc.

116

117 In practice, data exchanges between design calculations and simulations during the planning phase

118 of tunnel projects are often performed manually and, therefore, very rarely. However, various data

119 management systems exist that are used by construction companies, engineering firms and

120 equipment manufacturers to manage data for large tunnel construction projects, usually with the

121 goal of monitoring TBM performance data, monitoring geological data, recording material

122 consumption and deliveries, and controlling project costs (e.g. [4]). The focus of these systems,

123 however, is mainly to efficiently structure the large amount of raw data generated during a

124 tunnelling process and provide a basis for further analysis. Performing project data analyses that

125 cover more than a single project component, e.g. settlement visualisation in the context of machine

126 performance and existing buildings, is not possible.

127

128 2.2 Current research efforts

129 To cope with current limitations in practice, several research efforts have been devoted to

130 information modelling of large construction projects. Research activities highly related to the work

6
131 presented in this paper can be subdivided into infrastructure information modelling, and multi-

132 model data management and linked data.

133

134 2.2.1 Infrastructure information modelling

135 Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an up-to-date modelling concept involving the generation

136 and the management of a three-dimensional (3D) digital representation of physical and functional

137 characteristics of a building or construction facility during its entire life-cycle [5]. Building

138 information models are commonly used as shared data and knowledge resources to support

139 planning, construction, management, utilisation, revitalisation, and demolition activities. Although

140 the BIM concept is currently predominantly applied to building construction projects, in many other

141 construction domains it has been considered suitable to provide a methodology for defining

142 information models and supporting a semantically coherent exchange using standardised exchange

143 formats, such as the Industry Foundation Classes [6].

144 The use of standardised exchange formats is particularly helpful during the design phase, when

145 many project participants must work simultaneously on different aspects of the tunnelling project.

146 Information can then be exchanged quickly and uniformly. The visualisation capabilities using BIM

147 also enable complex relationships to be easily identified. IFC is based on an object-oriented data

148 model and is therefore adaptable and easily extensible. Using IFC, objects to be modelled are first

149 organised into spatial regions, such as building floors, before other physical elements are created

150 and linked to the spatial objects. An element basically consists of a visualisation (geometry)

151 component and a set of semantic information attached to this element. IFC was originally developed

152 for the modelling of buildings, but has now been extended to other fields of application in civil

153 engineering, including bridges [7] [8] and roads [9] [10].

154 The modelling of tunnels in shield tunnelling using IFC-based multi-scale product model has been

155 presented in [11] [12] [13] [14]. These product models provide a minimum number of new IFC

7
156 classes required to represent tunnels and their alignment, and also makes it possible to model

157 various geometric spaces, such as work spaces, to define the complete interior of a tunnel in a

158 hierarchical manner. However, the management, analysis and preparation of measured data, such

159 as settlements or machine performance data, or the modelling of the tunnelling machine itself is

160 not provided. Vossebeld and Hartmann [15] have proposed an information model to support safety

161 professionals that is aimed at maintenance governance and road-user safety evaluation. However,

162 tunnel design support and context-aware visualisation of construction risk have not been addressed.

163

164 To model and analyse large-scale infrastructure projects, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

165 have been used. However, GIS is predominantly aimed at the management of spatial and

166 geographical data, rather than at the modelling of individual structural details as with BIM. GIS

167 uses the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard GML as a data model [16]. Several

168 modelling approaches based on GML are GeoSciML [17], GroundXML based on LandXML [18]

169 and CityGML [19]. Since 2012, the CityGML [16] has been accepted as an international standard

170 by the OGC. CityGML was developed for the storage and interoperable access of 3-dimensional

171 models of cities and includes geometrical, semantic and topological aspects [19]. Although

172 CityGML is designed to represent cities, Tegtmeier at al. [20] have proposed an extension of

173 CityGML, which provides further classes for surface-based modelling of geological conditions.

174 Techniques to combine IFC and CityGML are presented in [21] and [22]. These approaches mainly

175 deal with the modelling of building structures and the land-use planning of building construction.

176 A methodology for modelling soil and underground structures is presented in [23]. There, a

177 distinction is made between geological features, such as layers of soil or groundwater, and

178 underground structures, such as sewers or tunnels. The model, however, is designed exclusively

179 for the final product and does not deal with construction related equipment (e.g. TBM) and

180 measurements (e.g. settlements).

181

8
182 2.2.2 Multi-model data management and linked data

183 Based on the heterogeneous nature of construction projects, Scherer & Schapke [24] have presented

184 a process-centric, multi-model based and distributed Management Information System with the aim

185 of better utilising design and control models, and supporting decision-making on all different

186 management levels. They use multi-models as they seem to be a promising approach to support

187 information analysis and collaborative work over multiple application domains. According to [24],

188 the fundamental idea of a multi-model is to combine distributed application models, or selected

189 views of them, in a single exchangeable information resource, a so-called multi-model container

190 [25]. Within this container, the application models, e.g. building model, cost model, project

191 schedule model, are bound together by a link model that explicitly specifies the interdependencies

192 among the different application models referencing the respective model elements by their unique

193 identifiers. The idea of linking information that is stored in several domain models is one of the

194 key concepts used and presented in this paper. However, existing multi-model container approaches

195 have only been dealing with general construction projects, thus have never been designed nor

196 implemented for large-scale tunnel construction projects.

197 To improve the information exchange with various sources outside traditional BIM environments

198 Linked Data and Semantic Web technologies have been applied to Architecture, Engineering and

199 Construction (AEC). Curry et al. [26], for example, have proposed cross-domain AEC data sharing

200 and integration by means of Linked Data as a technology for cloud-based building data services.

201 They have demonstrated their approach in an owner-occupied office building within the context of

202 building energy performance. Corry et al. [27] have used Semantic Web technologies to access soft

203 AEC data across various stakeholders for the purpose of optimising building performance. They

204 conclude that much more research is needed to arrive at a robust building management framework

205 that drives operational efficiency.

206

9
207 2.3 Problem statement and objectives

208 With regard to tunnel information modelling, existing research has either focused on (1) semantic

209 tunnel models that solely cover small parts of the entire project, e.g. only focus on the tunnel lining

210 structure neglecting essential parts such as the ground, the boring machine, and/or performance and

211 settlement data or on (2) very general multi-model container approaches that have not yet been

212 adapted to tunnelling projects. To overcome these limitations, the objective of this research is to

213 create and verify a tunnel information modelling framework that basically contains and interlinks

214 all relevant tunnelling project data. Due to their distinctive impact on the tunnel design and

215 construction process the ground, the boring machine, the tunnel lining structure and the built

216 environment need to be integrated and complemented with machine performance and settlement

217 data to provide a basis for several different engineering applications. These applications are

218 designed to support decision-making and risk assessment, for example, settlement data analysis

219 and visualisation as well as numerical simulations of the machine driving process.

220

221 3. METHODOLOGY

222 3.1 Information modelling concept

223 Existing data management systems in tunnelling are designed to store and manage raw data that

224 accumulates in the course of tunnelling projects. Because this data is mainly given in the form of

225 simple text documents, spreadsheets, diagrams and images, this makes them difficult to interpret

226 without an adequate 3- or 4-dimensional visualisation component. Furthermore, no holistic and

227 comprehensive view of the construction processes in combination with the various measurement

228 data and simulations is usually provided. In a tunnelling project, however, it is of great importance

229 to have a consistent and complete data management strategy throughout the duration of the project.

230 The research projects discussed above often consider only the design phase or only the construction

10
231 phase. Although methods for modelling soil or tunnels already exist, the modelling is often based

232 on separate models that represent only one aspect of the tunnelling process. For the modelling and

233 data management of an entire tunnelling project, the computational and interactive coupling of

234 individual models for different aspects is therefore necessary.

235 Based on its success in data modelling for infrastructure projects, the BIM concept has been applied

236 by the authors to develop an integrated information model for tunnelling. To create a uniform access

237 to all relevant data needed for the planning and execution of tunnel projects, relevant project

238 information has been collected, classified, structured and linked into a holistic, object-oriented

239 Tunnel Information Model that is organised as a multi-model container (TIM, see Figure 2a). In

240 contrast to approaches currently found in the context of Building Information Modelling (BIM),

241 this approach also accounts for data that is inherently dynamic and time-dependent. For example,

242 besides capturing data gained from preliminary exploration, which is performed during the entire

243 tunnelling advancement, data from settlement measurements and on-line TBM monitoring are also

244 recorded and processed as relevant project data. The continuous adaptation of soil conditions due

245 to various measurements and simulations represents a major challenge, but is of crucial importance

246 to the entire tunnelling project.

247 To uniformly access tunnel project data, an interaction platform is proposed (Figure 2a). This

248 platform contains the actual data sources, the multi-model tunnel information container (mentioned

249 above) and an integration layer. The integration layer provides a unified interface to various

250 tunnelling software applications, ranging from data management and visualisation tools up to

251 numerical simulations.

11
252

253 Figure 2: Tunnel information modelling framework based on a unified interaction platform and

254 an application layer (a). The tunnel information model contains of four main subdomain models

255 (b).

256
257 3.2 Tunnel information model container

258 All relevant data needed for the planning, construction and maintenance of tunnels is collected,

259 classified, structured and linked into a holistic, object-oriented Tunnel Information Model (Figure

260 2a) using the concept of a multi-model container [24]. This fundamental information model forms

261 the basis for all possible interactions of the project teams and software applications. In particular,

262 four main subdomain models were specified and linked: a ground model, a boring machine model

263 (TBM model), a tunnel lining model and a built environment model (Figure 2b). These models are

264 chosen to represent the tunnelling design and construction process due to their significance. The

265 built environment model influences, for example, the speed of advancement, the possible

266 settlements or the state of the annular gap grouting.

12
267

268 3.2.1 Ground model

269 The ground model provides a fundamental basis for the detailed analysis of the entire excavation

270 process. Based on boreholes set at strategic places along the proposed alignment, profiles are

271 created, which can then be analysed and evaluated to determine individual soil layers and

272 parameters to obtain a geologist's view of the underground for the proposed tunnel alignment. The

273 soil layers are stored in the form of so-called boundary surface models (Boundary-representation,

274 B-rep) attached with relevant soil properties (attributes) in the ground data model (Figure 2b).

275 During tunnelling, advance exploration in the near field of the TBM is usually carried out

276 continuously and results are carefully evaluated. The resulting information is usually available in

277 high resolution, either as a tensor field or as an attributed point cloud and it is stored as voxel data

278 within the ground model [28]. Consequently, the ground model must support both coarse resolution

279 surface data as well as high-resolution underground geology data.

280 To support this, methods for integration, consistency checking, transfer and versioning of surface

281 data as well as point data have been developed by the authors to properly manage the hybrid ground

282 data model (Figure 3, [28]). Analytical models as well as simulation models can selectively and

283 efficiently query information concerning the state of the underground based on the developed

284 hybrid ground data model. Furthermore, calculation results of advance exploration simulations that

285 alter existing ground data can be stored in a versioned manner in the hybrid ground data model, so

286 that downstream analyses have access to possibly updated values. The methods developed for

287 updating and querying the ground data include: updating ground properties in a surface model (B-

288 rep), updating ground properties in a point model (voxel), querying ground parameters for a surface

13
289 model (B-rep) and querying ground parameters for a point model (voxel). The authors have

290 previously presented further details in [28].

291

292 Figure 3: Hybrid concept to manage ground information in different representations

293

294 Figure 4 illustrates the information model used to model the hybrid representation of the ground.

295 In this model, the ground (Ground) consists of several soil layers (Layer), each represented by a B-

296 Rep geometry (B-Rep) and assigned to a set of soil parameters (ParameterSet), such as the friction

297 angle and cohesion. On the other hand, the ground is also represented by an octree geometry

298 representation (Octree-Rep), starting with a root note (OctreeNode). Following the octree

299 decomposition scheme, each octree node is recursively subdivided into eight child nodes. Each

300 octree node can have assigned a set of parameters (ParameterSet) that describe the soil condition.

301

302 Figure 4: UML-Diagram of the hybrid ground model

14
303

304 3.2.2 Tunnel boring machine model

305 In mechanised tunnelling, tunnels are usually constructed using large Tunnel Boring Machines

306 (TBM). As they have a very significant impact on the overall project performance it is essential to

307 model it separately (compare Fig. 2b). However, this paper only focuses on the modelling of Earth

308 Pressure Balance (EPB) shield machines. The TBM model is built upon the IFC standard. It extends

309 the existing IFC structure by adding additional classes for modelling TBM components and

310 differentiates between spatial classes and element classes. While spatial classes define different

311 spatial extents of a TBM, comparable to the IfcBuilding or IfcBuildingStorey classes, the element

312 classes capture specific physical components of a TBM, comparable to the IfcWall or IfcColumn

313 classes when modelling a building.

314 To represent the spatial structure of a soft soil compatible TBM, three classes are added: the

315 IfcTunnelBoringMachine, the IfcTbmHead and the IfcTbmBackupEquipment class (Figure 5). Each

316 class inherits from the IFC class IfcSpatialStructureElement. The IfcTunnelBoringMachine class

317 represents the whole TBM and captures the other two spatial classes IfcTbmHead and

318 IfcTbmBackupEquipment. It contains two attributes, the excavation diameter of the manufacturer

319 of the TBM. These attributes should help the user to get a first impression of the TBM. While the

320 TBM head varies from project to project, the backup equipment usually remains the same except

321 for the supply system of supporting infrastructure elements. This is why the IfcTbmHead class

322 contains an attribute of the type IfcTbmHeadType to define the type of the TBM head. This type

323 points to the enumeration IfcTbmHeadEnum, which includes various types of heads such as

324 EPBSHIELD, SLURRY or MIXSHIELD.

15
 (ABS) (ABS) (ABS) (ABS)
IfcRoot IfcObjectDefinition IfcObject IfcProduct

(ABS) (ABS)
IfcElement IfcSpatialElement

A (ABS)
IfcSpatialStructureElement
machine_diameter
length_measure_with_unit
machine_manufacturer IfcTunnelBoringMachine
organization
tbmHeadType
IfcTbmHeadEnum IfcTbmHead

IfcTbmBackupEquipment
325

326 Figure 5: EXPRESS-G diagram of the overall IFC based TBM data model

327

328 The element classes are structured differently compared to the spatial classes. The abstract super

329 class IfcTunnelBoringMachineElement represents the parent of all element classes of the TBM data

330 model. Due to the fact that it inherits from the IfcElement class, each TBM element class can

331 contain a geometric representation of its element. A geometric representation is needed, for

332 example, by planners to identify spatial conflicts during the planning process. Furthermore, the

333 geometric representation gives evidence on the dimension and the position of the specific element.

334 Besides the geometric representation of an element, there is also semantical information attached

335 to each element. This information contains numeric operational values in a key-value style (e.g. the

336 torque of the cutting wheel). They are stored in IfcPropertySets and attached to the element. The

337 IfcPropertySet class is provided by the IFC standard and can contain an arbitrary amount of values

338 of various types (e.g. enumerations, lists or single values). While Figure 6 depicts an extract of the

339 EXPRESS-G diagram of the modelled element classes, e.g. IfcTbmShieldElement,

340 IfcTbmBulkHeadElement, IfcTbmCuttingWheelElement, IfcTbmThrustJackElement and

16
341 IfcTbnScrewConveyorElement, Figure 7 illustrates the physical meaning and the function for some

342 of them.

(ABS)
IfcTunnelBoringMachineElement

IfcTbmCenterPlateElement IfcTbmGearElement

IfcTbmBulkheadElement IfcTbmGearMotorElement

IfcTbmCuttingWheelElement IfcTbmScrewConveyorElement

IfcTbmExcavationChamberElement IfcTbmSegmentErectorElement

IfcTbmManLockElement IfcTbmShieldElement

IfcTbmThrustJackElement
…

343

344 Figure 6: Extract of the EXPRESS-G diagram containing the added element classes within the

345 TBM data model

346

347

348 Figure 7: Extract of modeled TBM elements and their functions

17
349

350 3.2.3 Tunnel lining model

351 The shield tunnel lining model is also based on the Industry Foundation Classes and has been

352 developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich [12] [14]. In analogy with the

353 machine data model, classes are designed to model both spatial regions (IfcSpatialElement) and

354 physical tunnel elements (IfcElement) (Figure 8 and 9). While the spatial elements represent such

355 regions as the tunnel support system (IfcTunnelSpace), the concrete building elements describe

356 physical components such as the ring segments (IfcRingSegment). However, the tunnel model is

357 designed parametrically, in contrast to the machine model. The explicit geometry of the individual

358 tunnel elements will be generated only at program runtime based on the defined alignment.

359 Furthermore, IFC classes have been assigned additional characteristics in order to take into account

360 the temporal aspect of the TBM advancement. This, in turn, supports time-based queries for the

361 developing tunnel structure.

(ABS) (ABS) (ABS) (ABS)

IfcRoot IfcObjectDefinition IfcObject IfcProduct

(ABS) (ABS)
IfcElement IfcSpatialElement

(ABS)
B IfcSpatialStructureElement

IfcTunnel

IfcTunnelSpace

IfcCrossway

IfcTunnelPart

362 Figure 8: EXPRESS-G diagram of the overall IFC based tunnel lining data model

18
363

364 While Figure 9 depicts an extract of the EXPRESS-G diagram of the actually modelled element

365 classes that are all subclasses of IfcTunnelElement, e.g. IfcRingSegmentElement,

366 IfcGroutingElement, IfcTunnelInstallationElement, and IfcTunnelSafetyElement, Figure 10

367 illustrates the physical meaning and the function of IfcRingSegmentElement and

368 IfcGroutingElement.

(ABS)
IfcTunnelElement

IfcRingSegmentElement

IfcRingSegmentReinforcementElement
IfcGroutingElement

IfcTunnelInstallationElement

IfcTemporaryTunnelInstallationElement

IfcTunnelSafetyElement

IfcTunnelWarningUnitElement

IfcTemporaryTunnelSupplyElement
369

370 Figure 9: Extract of the EXPRESS-G diagram containing the added element classes within the

371 tunnel lining data model

372

19
373

374 Figure 10: Extract of modelled tunnel lining elements and their functions

375

376 3.2.4 Built environment model

377 The built environment model includes the above-ground and underground structures in the area

378 influenced by the tunnel construction (compare Fig. 2b). With regard to above-ground buildings,

379 particularly their stiffness and mass have a great influence on the size and shape of the settlement

380 trough. Special attention is paid on how to model various levels of detail (LoDs). Therefore, the

381 well-established standard CityGML [19] [16] has been incorporated. The building structures are

382 represented by coarse surface geometries and reduced characteristics (CityGML models with a

383 LoD2 and LoD3) as well as by detailed building models consisting of individual components with

384 detailed properties for each component (IFC models). In this context, urban models in the

385 CityGML format and building models in the IFC format are integrated.

20
386 Figure 11 illustrates a built environment model using CityGML LoD2.

387

388 Figure 11: Example of a built environment model using CityGML with LoD2

389

390 Settlement data is commonly provided in the form of point data, which are time-dependent

391 measurements always assigned to a single point of location. Accordingly, there are a series of

392 measurements over time for a given point, taken from various sources such as terrestrial or radar

393 measurements [29] or even results of numerical simulations [3]. This kind of data remains in the

394 data source layer (see Figure 2a) and is linked on-demand to and referred from the built

395 environment model, as most of the inner city settlement measurements are taken from parts of the

396 built environment, e.g. building foundations, building roofs or road surfaces [29].

397 3.3 Integration layer

398 Within the frame of an integrated visualisation for project navigation, the four subdomain models

399 are linked based on the Industry Foundation Classes. Subdomain models that are not specified using

400 the IFC, namely the ground model and low LoD parts of the built environment model (e.g.

21
401 CityGML LoD2 and LoD3), can be converted into the IFC format using the IFC concept of generic

402 proxies and user-defined properties (IfcProxy, IfcProperty, IfcPropertySets). While proxy elements

403 of type IfcProxy are used to attach geometric representations, properties of type IfcProperty are

404 used to model semantic information in the form of key-value-pairs that are organised in sets of type

405 IfcPropertySet. This provides a unified access to all relevant tunnel project data through IFC.

406 Moreover, this procedure offers the advantage of re-using IFC-based viewing and querying tools,

407 such as the Open IFC toolbox [30].

408 In addition, different model views can be specified to define the subset of information in the multi-

409 model Tunnel Information Model (TIM) container required to perform a specific analysis or to

410 support a specific application, for example a context-aware settlement visualisation and an

411 advanced numerical simulation. For this purpose, the buildingSMART Model View Definition

412 (MVD) concept is applied by defining a dedicated model view for each specific application.

413 According to [31], a model view is similar to a database view that is defined as a specialised and

414 structured subset of data and is stored permanently as kind of a query or filter. Although, the main

415 purpose of a model view is to specify a particular set of information need within a particular

416 information exchange scenario, we use this concept to specify what information is needed and has

417 to be accessed in order to run a certain application.

22
418 Similar to [31], an example of a conceptual and generic model view is depicted in

419 Figure 12. It specifies what domain model, what model objects and what object attributes are

420 needed to support an application A. Specific model views are presented in the case study section.

Object A ributes

Model Object

Geometry Brep
Brep Geometry Domain Model
Building Layer
Mass Parameters Name
Parameters
Built Mass
Ground
Environment

Brep Geometry Applica on

Ring A Geometry Brep
Parameters segment Tunnel Boring TBM
lining machine machine
Diameter
Parameters
Brep Geometry
Material
Grou ng
Type element
Parameters
Material

421

422 Figure 12: Conceptual and generic model view defining a subset of information across all four

423 subdomain models

424

425 3.4 Application layer

426 Using the unified IFC-based access and the MVD concept, different applications ranging from data

427 management software, visualisation clients up to numerical simulations can now read the

428 corresponding data from the tunnel information model container and provide analysis results in a

429 compact form to the user.

430 As described above, each application has assigned a particular model view, which defines how to

431 access the application-relevant pieces of information stored in the tunnel information model

432 container (cf. Figure 2a). On this basis, different applications can be designed and implemented to

433 support decision-making and risk assessment in a tunnelling project.

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434
435 4. IMPLEMENTATION AND CASE STUDIES

436 4.1 Wehrhahn-Linie tunnelling project

437 The “Wehrhahn-Linie” (WHL) is a subway tunnel construction project in the city of Düsseldorf,

438 Germany, and connects the southern district “Bilk” with the district “City Center”. In total a 3.4

439 km long track is built by a shield machine (hydro-shield). The outer diameter D of the tunnel is

440 9.49 m; the average overburden is 1 to 1.5 x D. The tunnel section is constructed with a 45 cm thick

441 reinforced concrete segmental lining. During the approximately 1 km long advance of the east

442 branch (“Ostast”) of the project, comprehensive settlement measurements were carried out. For the

443 two case studies described below, a tunnel section between the subway stations “Schadowstraße”

444 and “Jacobistraße” with a footprint area of 730 m x 340 m is examined (Figure 13). The project

445 period considered contains the shield drive from June to December 2011.

446

447 Using the reports on geotechnical investigations, data of 18 boreholes, laboratory test and

448 groundwater measurements along the tunnel route three main soil layers and the groundwater level

449 are identified, each both in terms of geometry and mechanical properties, and implemented in the

450 WHL ground model. The boring machine model consists of a total of 86 elements, of which 54

451 elements belong the backup equipment part and 32 elements are part of the machine itself. The

452 cutting wheel geometry (diameter of 9.49 m) and the total weight of the implemented machine

453 correspond to the TBM actually used in Düsseldorf.

454

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455

456 Figure 13: Wehrhahn-Linie subway tunnelling project: Map of the city of Düsseldorf (adapted

457 from open.mapquest.com) with focus highlighted

458

459 For each machine element, both relevant geometric and semantic information is stored. In this case,

460 about 200 to 300 values from about 250 data sources are collected for each ring. This means that

461 about 50,000 to 75,000 values need to be recorded for a single ring. Therefore, only average values

462 from measurements and operating conditions (driving, stopping, ring building, etc.) are stored in

463 the WHL machine model. The WHL tunnel lining model consists of a total number of 534 rings

464 with a mean ring width of 1.5 m. The rings are composed of 7+1 segments and the annular gap

465 grout. The outer diameter of a ring is 9.2 m with a thickness of 0.45 m per segment. Each ring is

466 additionally assigned information about the date of installation and the installation time, including

467 the TBM driving time, length of ring construction and any downtime.

468 The built environment model is generated on the basis of a 3D CAD model of the Capital City of

469 Düsseldorf. In this model, individual buildings are initially separated from each other and buildings

470 outside the model range are removed, resulting in a model consisting of approx. 200 buildings. To

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471 account for the buildings above the tunnel axis, for example in numerical simulations, equivalent

472 replacement (surrogate) models of buildings are provided. These equivalent models contain

473 semantic information such as the effective stiffness of the structures or the masses of the buildings.

474 The relevant information is collected, for example, from an extensive analysis of original records

475 of house construction plans. With regard to settlement data, a total of approximately 6,000

476 settlement data points is available, gained from both terrestrial measurements using classical

477 methods such as tube water levels (550 points) and from satellite measurements (5,500 points).

478 More detailed information on how satellite measurements have been collected can be found in [29].

479

480 To improve collaboration, the presented platform is implemented within a web-based environment.

481 Such environment provides a platform-independent solution, which can easily be shared within a

482 project team to provide a common data environment. For data management and project navigation

483 a client-server application has been developed. A dynamic website provides the client-side

484 graphical user interface and utilizes X3dom [33, 34] for visualizing geometric extent. The

485 integration layer is implemented as application server, which provides information at hand, when

486 models or properties are requested. To parse and interpret information from IFC based models, the

487 server uses the Open IFC toolbox [30] that supports the generation and use of extensions to IFC

488 schema. This is needed to implement the IFC based TBM model and the tunnel lining model (see

489 section 3). Figure 14 depicts an extract of the client application, where the left-hand side depicts

490 the hierarchy of the subdomain models and the right-hand side offers the corresponding

491 visualisation. In addition, by selecting or picking a specific object, related properties can be

492 accessed via popup window (Fig. 14).

493

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494

495 Figure 14: Screenshot of the web-based management and navigation tool showing the entire

496 project domain.

497 4.3 Case study on visualizing settlements

498 Using the integrated tunnel information model of the Wehrhahn-Linie the development of advance-

499 driven settlements can be visualised both in the context of the built environment (static) and the

500 dynamic position and performance of the TBM. This allows, on the one hand, to easily identify

501 potentially endangered buildings in the above-ground built environment that are exposed to large

502 settlements. On the other hand, the TBM’s operational performance data can be visualised and

503 analysed over time together with the time-dependent settlement values. For example, in case a

504 settlement value is unexpectedly high, the corresponding thrust force and grouting pressure values

505 can be checked to determine the cause.

506 For this purpose, a dedicated model view is defined as depicted in Figure 15. The specific model

507 view includes the geometry of the boring machine model, the geometry of the grouting elements

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508 from the tunnel lining model and the geometry of the built environment model indicating the spatial

509 extend of the current tunnelling progress. With regard to the ring segments, only the ring number

510 and the built finish time are defined to reference both settlement parameters and machine data

511 parameters. First, settlement data is included in the model view. It contains positions and vertical

512 displacement values over the period of the tunnelling process. Second, machine data is part of the

513 model view, where the specific parameters can be referenced by built finish time or ring number.

Object A ributes

Model Object

Geometry Brep
Brep Geometry Domain Model
Building Layer
Mass Parameters Name
Parameters
Built Mass
Ground
Environment

Brep Geometry Se lement

Ring Visualisa on Geometry Brep
Ring Number
Parameters segment Tunnel Boring TBM
Built finish me lining machine machine
Diameter
Parameters
Brep Geometry
Se lements Material
Grou ng Machine
Type element Data
Trust force
Parameters
Material Parameters
Loca on
Grou ng
pressure
Parameters

Displacement Value

514

515 Figure 15: Model view for the settlement visualisation application (required parts are black and

516 underlined, not required parts are grey)

517

518 The settlement data points are visualised using 2D mesh grids, which indicate settlement values by

519 colour. For generating the meshes two different interpolation methods are utilized. On the one hand,

520 a triangular interpolation can be applied, which creates an irregular triangular grid using Delaunay

521 triangulation and which determines corresponding colour values by linear interpolation (Figure

522 16a). Such a technique can provide results in real-time, even when processing large data sets. The

28
523 accuracy of triangular is sufficient when the measurement points are regularly distributed, for

524 example, interpolating terrestrial settlements. But when measurement points are unlikely scattered

525 and spatial variations are at hand, geostatistical methods are more adequate. Therefore, on the other

526 hand, a Kriging interpolation is applied to provide more reliable results. In contrast to the first

527 interpolation method, this interpolation estimates linear unbiased results by constraining all point

528 weights to sum up to 1. The specific weighting is defined by using a variogram. By minimizing the

529 variance of the system, a minimal value is obtained, and additionally, also uncertainty information

530 is provided. Mathematical descriptions of various Kriging approaches can be found in [35]. The

531 default approach is Ordinary Kriging, however, it can be less efficient on large data sets. Here, the

532 so-called Simple Kriging has been utilised, which differs in the way that the expectation value is

533 assumed zero constantly over the entire domain. The interpolation is sampled over a regular grid

534 where the vertices correspond to the kriging estimates. The function values are then visually

535 expressed by surface colour again (Figure 16b).

536

537 Figure 16: Visualisation of settlement data in context of existing buildings (grey) using coloured

538 mesh grids generated from either triangular interpolation (a) or Kriging interpolation (b)

539

540 Figure 17 illustrates a specific real project situation, in which the high thrust force value (Figure

541 17, top left zoom box, peak in curve) is correlated with a heaving above the TBM (Figure 17, top

542 right zoom box, blue colour). According to internal project information, the TBM had to drive

29
543 through a bearing slurry wall that caused heaving on the surface. This exemplifies and verifies the

544 high potential of an integrated information model when visualizing different interacting aspects of

545 a tunnelling project in order to communicate potential problems and identify correlations. More

546 details on the aspect of visualisation for settlement monitoring purposes can be found in [29].

547

548 Figure 17: Time-dependent visualisation of settlements in the context of the (static) built

549 environment and the (dynamic) TBM performance. Note the high thrust force that is correlated to

550 the heaving above the TBM (best viewed in colour)

551

552

30
553 4.4 Case study on generating numerical simulations

554 The integrated tunnel information model of the Wehrhahn-Linie is also used to generate Finite

555 Element (FE) simulation models. For this purpose, a second dedicated model view, depicted in

556 Figure 18, is defined. This model view particularly specifies the required information regarding the

557 topology of the ground, the geotechnical parameters of the soil layers, the dimensions and

558 parameters of the surrogate building models, the advance rates of the boring machine as well as

559 measured support pressures and grouting pressures. More details on how the data has been collected

560 can be found in [32].

Object A ributes

Model Object

Geometry Brep
Brep Geometry Domain Model
Building Layer
Eqivalent Mass Parameters Mass
S ffness Parameters Cohesion
Built Fric on
Ground
Environment Angle

Brep Geometry Numerical

Ring Simula on Geometry Brep
Ring Number
Parameters segment Tunnel Boring TBM
Material lining machine machine
Parameters
Brep Geometry
Advance Rate
Grou ng Support Pressure
Type element Grou ng Pressure
Parameters
Material

561

562 Figure 18: Model view for generating the numerical simulation model (required parts are black

563 and underlined, not required parts are grey)

564

565 The procedure of generating FE simulations within the advanced FE framework ekate [3] is

566 depicted in Figure 19. In the first step, the relevant simulation is defined within the context of the

567 tunnel information model to specify model dimensions, number of rings and boundary conditions.

568 Based on this, all relevant FE input parameters for the soil, the existing buildings, the TBM and the

31
569 tunnel lining are automatically extracted. Next, this information is used to prepare an enhanced

570 CAD model that includes both geometry and material information as well as time-dependent

571 operational process data. Following that, the advanced FE framework ekate [3] [32] is used to

572 discretise the domain, solve the system and visualise the simulation results (Figure 19). It is noted

573 that the focus of this paper is not on the numerical analysis itself, but on how to use the proposed

574 tunnel information modelling framework to structure, link and prepare relevant information to

575 generate a numerical analysis model. More detailed information on the use of the FE framework

576 ekate to numerically simulate the mechanised tunnelling process can be found in [3].

577

578 Figure 19: Generating Advanced Finite Element Simulations to predict settlements using the

579 tunnel information model of the Wehrhahn-Linie project

580

32
581 5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

582 The construction process of tunnels using Tunnel boring machines (TBM) involves various kinds

583 of risks that are related to surface settlements, driving speed, gap grouting, face stability, etc. Since

584 risk is a combination of the aforementioned factors, their interactions have to be considered during

585 the design, the construction and the operation of a tunnel. In particular, interactions between the

586 ground, the TBM, the tunnel lining system, the above-ground buildings and the material flow have

587 to be managed properly to successfully implement a tunnelling project.

588 In this paper a tunnel information modelling framework, basically providing four interlinked sub-

589 domain models and linked project performance data has been presented. Due to their distinctive

590 impact on the tunnel design and construction process a ground model, a boring machine model, a

591 tunnel lining model, and a built environment model have been individually created, and then linked

592 within an open IFC environment using the concepts of Proxies, Property Sets and Model View

593 Definition. Based on the proposed framework selected case studies on a real-world project have

594 been presented to verify its potential and advantages when (1) interactively visualising real time-

595 dependent settlement monitoring data in an environment-aware context and (2) generating

596 advanced numerical simulation models to predict settlements.

597 The main contribution of this paper is the conceptualisation, implementation and verification of a

598 tunnel information modelling framework that allows to (1) model the most important

599 interdependent components of a tunnelling system and (2) to capture and maintain the semantic

600 links between them to support more holistic studies related to risk evaluation and assessment in

601 mechanised tunnelling projects. This framework is set to be the basis for different engineering

602 applications and case studies, two of which (settlement visualisation, generate numerical analysis

603 model) have been presented above.

604 While the contribution produces significant benefits for managing tunnelling projects, the presented

605 platform also conducts some computational and collaborative limitations. As the visualisation

606 component is essential for interacting with the model, fine detailed geometries or highly itemised

33
607 model assemblies, particularly considering larger projects, can interfere real-time interaction and,

608 therefore, limit the overall applicability. Thus, concepts for different geometric levels of detail and

609 hierarchical boundary representations should be considered, especially supporting such definitions

610 for the IFC Exchange Format. Also, exchanging IFC Files between projects members can suffer

611 from large file-sizes sent over limited bandwidths channels. For instance, tunnel models can result

612 into hundreds of Megabytes caused by redundancy. Therefore, the model mapping on import/export

613 processes must be optimised to preserve efficient instantiation patterns.

614 Finally, collaboration is actually realised by (a) discussing within a project meeting, where the

615 participants stand in front of a common presentation device using the interaction platform, or (b)

616 exchanging digital information, including IFC-Files and related comments, using Internet

617 platforms. But targeting a broader set of devices and using limited bandwidth channels, this again

618 requires the need of computational optimisation. Moreover, future research aspects will consider

619 an implementation of this framework within the environment of BIM model servers, e.g. the Open

620 BIM server (www.bimserver.org). Besides web-based access, also the integration of the BIM

621 Collaboration Format (BCF) is of significant impact, enabling the recreation of synchronous

622 situations among remote projects conversations.

623

624

625 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

626 The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the German Research Foundation

627 (DFG) for this work within the subproject D1 of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 837

628 “Interaction Modeling in Mechanised Tunnelling”. Special thanks to the City of Düsseldorf for the

629 support by providing fundamental project information.

630

34
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