Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Underground infrastructure'

In an underground coal mine, the measure of a communication system is the coverage area it can provide at a quality that ensures a miner can communicate with other miners in and out of the mine during normal and emergency operations.  The coverage area of a wireless mesh communication system can be calculated using the tool, COMMs, developed and discussed in this document.  This tool can also be used to explore emergency operations, or operations where the mesh infrastructure is degraded or destroyed.  Most often, the communication system is also capable of transmitting data from sensors including a set of sensors, such as Radio Frequency Identification readers, described as the tracking system.
An underground tracking system is described as a system that calculates a location in a useful coordinate when a tracked device is underground.  The tracked device is a representative of a miner, group of miners or equipment, depending on state law and the mine\'s deployment.  The actual location of the miner or equipment being tracked is the Ground Truth Position (GTP) and the tracking system\'s representation in the same coordinate system at the same time is the Tracking System Position (TSP).  In an excellent tracking system the actual location, GTP, and TSP will be very close to each other.  This work also develops a set of calculated metrics that describe tracking system performance.
The Tracking Coverage Area metric refers to the area within the mine that the tracking system either actively measures a tracked device\'s location or infers it based on the spatial limitations of the mine and information other than active measurements. Average Accuracy is the arithmetic mean of a set of distances from the TSP to the GTP associated with a tracking system. The Average Cluster Radius metric is the average distance a set of TSPs are from their center point, which is determined by the average location of a TSP relative to the GTP.  A 90% Confidence Distance is the distance from a tracked device\'s actual location (i.e., GTP) that is greater than 90% of the collected distance from GTP to TSP magnitudes ("90th percentile").
Regulatory guidelines in the United States currently define different tracking qualities at locations in the mine.  These can be classified in location categories of Working Face, Strategic Areas, and Escapeways and Travel-ways.
All direct paths via escapeway or travel-way from the mine portal to the working face should be simplified into a one-dimensional path that is subdivided by the three regulatory categories.  Each of these subdivisions should be described using the metrics defined above.
These metrics can be predicted using COMMs for a tracking system that is utilizing an underground wireless mesh system that uses Received Signal Strength Indicators (RSSI) to calculate the TSP.  Because the tracking system\'s algorithm to convert RSSI into a TSP is proprietary to the manufacturer, in order to develop predictions the engineer must collaborate with the manufacturer.  In this document, the predictions and calculations were obtained in conjunction with the manufacturer and proved to be accurate describing the tracking system that was designed and tested.
Ph. D.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-76).
There is no end of superlatives regarding Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel project [CA/T] , also known as "The Big Dig". Each day, as the budget grows and the construction progresses, another benchmark is passed. It has been ubiquitous in the city for over a decade, and yet, the goal of this project-that has literally torn through the earth of downtown, South Boston, East Boston, and finally stretched across the Charles River to Charlestown-is to conceal the enormous infrastructure change as much as possible. The artificiality of a city is easily forgotten-in part because it is tremendously complex to consider how a city is formed. Repeated visits to the same places yield distinct impressions. An enriched awareness of a place makes it unique among the complexity, a destination. This thesis proposes four new destinations, distributed along the CA/T path through Boston, that will enrich the awareness of the city and its supporting infrastructure. By strategically choosing installation points, each with different architectural requirements, unique aspects of the CA/T can be revealed. A visit to the four sites will yield an understanding-through direct physical experience-of the CAIT and its path through Boston, and of urban infrastructure there and elsewhere. All of the locations present opportunities to explain the myriad urban implications- from hydrology to neighborhood formation-inherent in such an enormous endeavor. The hope is to increase a visitor's awareness of their surroundings, and to foster the questions that lead to a deeper awareness of this and other places.
by Zachariah Kramer.
M.Arch.

Visualization of underground infrastructures, such as pipes and cables, can be useful for infrastructure providers and can be utilized for both planning and maintenance. The purpose of this project is therefore to develop a system that provides interactive visualization of underground infrastructures using mixed reality. This requires positioning the user and virtual objects outdoors, as well as optimizing the system for outdoor use. To accomplish these, GPS coordinates must be known so the system is  capable of accurately drawing virtual underground infrastructures in real time in relation to the real world. To get GPS data into the system, a lightweight web server written in Python was developed to run on GPS-enabled Android devices, which responds to a given HTTP request with the current GPS coordinates of the device. A mixed reality application was developed in Unity and written in C# for the Microsoft HoloLens. This requests the coordinates via HTTP in order to draw virtual objects, commonly called holograms, representing the underground infrastructure. The application uses the Haversine formula to calculate distances using GPS coordinates. Data, including GPS coordinates, pertaining real underground infrastructures have been provided by Halmstad Energi och Miljö. The result is therefore a HoloLens application which, in combination with a Python script, draws virtual objects based on real data (type of structures, size, and their corresponding coordinates) to enable the user to view the underground infrastructure. The user can customize the experience by choosing to display certain types of pipes, or changing the chosen navigational tool. Users can also view the information of valves, such as their ID, type, and coordinates. Although the developed application is fully functional, the visualization of holograms with HoloLens outdoors is problematic because of the brightness of natural light affecting the application’s visibility, and lack of points for tracking of its surroundings causing the visualization to be wrongly displayed. Visualization of underground infrastructures, such as pipes and cables, can be useful for infrastructure providers and can be utilized for both planning and maintenance. The purpose of this project is therefore to develop a system that provides interactive visualization of underground infrastructures using mixed reality. This requires positioning the user and virtual objects outdoors, as well as optimizing the system for outdoor use. To accomplish these, GPS coordinates must be known so the system is capable of accurately drawing virtual underground infrastructures in real time in relation to the real world. To get GPS data into the system, a lightweight web server written in Python was developed to run on GPS-enabled Android devices, which responds to a given HTTP request with the current GPS coordinates of the device. A mixed reality application was developed in Unity and written in C# for the Microsoft HoloLens. This requests the coordinates via HTTP in order to draw virtual objects, commonly called holograms, representing the underground infrastructure. The application uses the Haversine formula to calculate distances using GPS coordinates. Data, including GPS coordinates, pertaining real underground infrastructures have been provided by Halmstad Energi och Miljö. The result is therefore a HoloLens application which, in combination with a Python script, draws virtual objects based on real data (type of structures, size, and their corresponding coordinates) to enable the user to view the underground infrastructure. The user can customize the experience by choosing to display certain types of pipes, or changing the chosen navigational tool. Users can also view the information of valves, such as their ID, type, and coordinates. Although the developed application is fully functional, the visualization of holograms with HoloLens outdoors is problematic because of the brightness of natural light affecting the application’s visibility, and lack of points for tracking of its surroundings causing the visualization to be wrongly displayed.

The research described in this thesis proposes a new,novel evaluation ‘framework’ and accompanying operational ‘model’, the ‘SUURE’ (Sustainable Underground Use Resilience Evaluation) ‘framework’, which adopts a socio-ecological systems (SES) approach to evaluation, combining sustainability science and resilience theory, at the same time incorporating a range of interdisciplinary tools and methods to achieve this. It purposes at its core to aid in sustainability evaluation of urban underground space, by evaluating the process to the outcome of sustainable solutions i.e. the capacity to adapt to change in different steady states. In consequence, a fundamentally different approach to planning that utilises future socio-ecological scenarios (NSP, PR, MF and FW) is incorporated in the ‘framework’ as a means of evaluating through its operational ‘model’, the sensitivity of investment decisions made today in the name of sustainability i.e. will the proposed engineering sustainability solution continue to deliver its intended function into the future, whatever that may be. The SUURE operational ‘model’ was employed as a proof of concept to the case study area of Birmingham Eastside, evaluating the potential use of multi-utility tunnels (MUT) in Eastside as a means of engendering sustainable and resilient use of urban underground space, through sustainable utility placement, both now and into the future. The flush-fitting MUT was found to be having the highest overall baseline (present-day) performance resilience index ratio at mean of 0.739, the shallow MUT second at 0.656, and the deep MUT last at 0.212. With regard to the evaluation of continued MUT functional performance into the future (whatever that may be), all three MUT options, if implemented today in the name of sustainability, would continue to deliver and retain their core functional performance, the deep MUT showing the most significant increase across all evaluation clusters (social, economic, physical, bio-physical and location aspects).

The ASCE confers an overall D+ grade to American infrastructure, while the NAE lists the restoration and improvement of urban infrastructure as one of its grand engineering challenges for the 21st century, indicating that infrastructure renovation and development is a major challenge in the US. Furthermore, according to the UN World Urbanization Prospects, about 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas and this percentage is set to grow, especially in Africa and Asia. The growth of urban population poses challenges to the expansion of underground infrastructure, such as water, sewage, electricity and telecommunications. Localization and mapping of underground infrastructure are fundamental for infrastructure maintenance and development. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a remote sensing method capable of detecting subsurface assets that has been used in the localization and mapping of underground utilities. This thesis contributes improvements of GPR systems and imaging algorithms towards smarter infrastructure, specifically: Application of GPR imaging algorithm to improve GPR data readability and generate augmented reality (AR) content; Use of photogrammetric methods to improve GPR positioning for underground infrastructure localization and mapping.

In coastal urban regions, underground stormwater treatment units are suitable infrastructure options because they take less space where premium land is expensive. Even then, they should be accessible and ideally small enough to fit into existing stormwater networks. Since 2003, the City of Tampa and Florida’s Department of Transportation (FDOT) have installed 47 baffle boxes into the city’s stormwater pipe networks. Baffle boxes are underground stormwater treatment structures designed to capture sediments and floating debris. Since their deployment, many challenges regarding their practical sediment capturing performance was raised by the city. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of rainfall, land use, and maintenance on the sediment trapping efficiency of the baffle boxes and identify solutions to enhance their performance. This was addressed through site visits, sediment accumulation measurements and analysis of historical and field data. The results of these measurements and analysis were then compared to rainfall intensity, catchment characteristics, size and type of the units. During the preliminary site visits and sediment measurements it was observed that most of the units located in the south of Tampa were inundated by backflows from Tampa Bay. Survey information collected from inspection crew members also showed that resuspension of trapped sediments frequently occurs in these units. Concerning operation and maintenance (O&M), it was indicated that units mounted with screens are costly and difficult to clean-out. Additionally, it was found that 80% of the units have very small trap inlets and lack the baffle structures needed to slow down and settle sediments. Historical sediment measurements and O&M practices were analyzed to calculate the overall performance of the units. The analysis of the data determined the sediments captured, the resuspension rate, and yearly cost of maintenance for different types of baffle boxes. Rainfall intensity and land use and land cover (LULC) data for each catchment of the units was correlated to the performance of the units. The LULC data used impervious fraction and tree canopy area of the catchments to project sediment and leaf matter accumulation within the units. This research study found that total daily rainfall intensity is a good predictor of sediment accumulation. Cleanout crews can use this relationship to conduct their work efficiently and to promptly react to occurring rainfall events. Thus, the prediction of sediments accumulated from rainfall events and the coordination of clean-out trucks can optimize O&M practices. It was also determined that large-sized (24-40 in) units and those with three chambers (baffles) perform better at trapping sediments. Thus, installing baffles in units within the large-sized ones can enhance their performance. The study also found that baffle boxes mounted with screens can individually take up to eight hours to cleanup which makes them costly and difficult. This can be detrimental for municipalities to follow up on their O&M practices effectively. Therefore, to alleviate the clean out complexity and reduce maintenance expenditures complementary practices such as bag filters need to be explored and implemented for trials

Neste trabalho foram pesquisados os métodos e procedimentos utilizados na execução de obras das redes subterrâneas da infra-estrutura urbana, desde a demarcação até a elaboração da planta do levantamento de como construído. Os equipamentos utilizados na execução de obras, tanto os não destrutivos, como os destrutivos e aqueles de localização de dutos e cabos enterrados. São também apresentados e detalhados os procedimentos à luz das normas técnicas, para o devido georreferenciamento das redes de infra-estrutura subterrânea. Foram inclusive analisados os resultados obtidos para o posicionamento das redes, conforme apresenta o estudo de casos, em obras com a utilização de equipamentos para a localização de cabos e dutos enterrados. Finalmente são sugeridas propostas para o georreferenciamento das redes de infra-estrutura urbana com a finalidade de constituição de um cadastro único.
This study investigates the methods and procedures used in the urban infrastructure underground network, from the demarcation to the production of the as-built survey plant. The equipments used in the execution of services, as far as non destructive, destructive as well as in the localization of underground pipe and cables are concerned, are presented and the procedures are detailed for underground infrastructure network georeferencing, considering the standard norms. The results of the network positioning with the utilization of equipments for underground pipes and cables equipments are analysed, as shown in the case study. Finally, proposals for the urban underground network georeferencing are presented in order to build a unique cadastre.

Transportinfrastruktursystem spelar en viktig roll i stadsutvecklingen. Nyttjandet av underjordiska utrymmen för transportsystem ökar alltmer och används som potentiella lösningar för att lösa urbaniseringsproblem. För att möta den snabba befolkningstillväxt som Stockholm står inför initierade regeringen Stockholmsöverenskommelsen 2013 som innebar en omfattande utbyggnad av tunnelbanenätet samt en ökad bostadsbebyggelse. Tunnelbaneutbyggnaden är i Sverige den första att genomföras på trettio år och projektet har i det tidiga skedet redan ändrats i omfattning i två etapper.  Syftet med studien är att bidra till en ökad förståelse inom området inför framtida projekt av samma karaktär. Målsättningen är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar projektets benägenhet att ändras och hur dessa faktorer i sin tur påverkar projektledarens möjligheter att leda projektet. Problemet avgränsas till ett beställarperspektiv i tidiga skeden och studeras i en svensk kontext.  Forskningen har genomförts som en kvalitativ fallstudie. Fallstudien består av dels en intervjustudie dels en dokumentstudie. Det studerade fallet representerar projekt Akalla-Barkarby som är ett av de delprojekt som ingår i Stockholmsöverenskommelsen.  Studien har identifierat ett antal faktorer som antas påverka projektomfattningen till en större benägenhet att ändras. Dessa faktorer är relaterade till dels de förutsättningar som låg till grund för projektet i och med investeringsbeslutet dels komplexiteten i projektsystemet. Dessa faktorer skapar osäkerheter och begränsar projektledarens möjligheter att leda projektet.
Transportation infrastructure systems play an important role in urban development. The use of underground spaces for transport systems is increasing and is viewed as a potential solution to solve urbanization problems. To meet the rapid population growth that Stockholm is facing, the government initiated the Stockholm Agreement in 2013, which entailed an extensive expansion of the metro system and an increased housing development. The metro system expansion in Sweden is the first to be completed in thirty years and the project has in the early stages already changed in scope twice.  The purpose of the study is to contribute to an increased understanding in the field for future projects of the same nature. The aim is to investigate the factors that affect the project's propensity to change and how these factors in turn affect the project manager's opportunities to lead the project. The problem is limited to a Client perspective in the early stages and is studied in a Swedish context. The research has been carried out as a qualitative case study. The case study consists partly of an interview study and partly of a document study. The case represents the Akalla - Barkarby project, which is one of the sub-projects included in the Stockholm Agreement.  The study has identified several factors that are assumed to influence the project scope to a greater tendency to change. These factors are related partly to the preconditions of the project based in the investment decision and partly to the complexity of the project system. These factors create uncertainties and limit the project manager's opportunities to lead the project.

Num quadro de desenvolvimento de técnicas cada vez mais específicas na área da instalação das infraestruturas, é urgente repensar a forma de projetar os serviços afetados pelas obras de metro. Pretende-se que as soluções de projeto sejam cada vez mais sustentáveis, permitindo otimizar custos e reduzindo os transtornos para a população. A presente dissertação tem por objetivo, identificar as principais dificuldades ao nível do processo de recolha, tratamento de dados e definição da solução, na elaboração dos projetos de desvio dos serviços afetados, nas obras do Metro. Pretende também indicar soluções otimizadas, baseando-se nas técnicas de instalação das infraestruturas sem abertura de vala (trenchless), nos métodos de deteção das infraestruturas e no conhecimento adquirido nos últimos anos em projeto. É necessário complementar os elementos de cadastro fornecidos pelas concessionárias de águas, drenagens, eletricidade e telecomunicações, recorrendo a novas tecnologias de deteção. Este objetivo consegue-se através do recurso a equipamentos de georradar e de sondagens, melhorando os dados de entrada do projeto. Nesta dissertação é apresentado um estudo de caso, aplicado a um projeto do Metro de Lisboa, em que foi analisada a solução adotada em projeto e comparada com uma solução alternativa. Com base na análise aos elementos técnicos de trenchless e na identificação de métodos utilizados em projetos de metro noutros pontos do mundo, foi possível definir uma solução alternativa. Concluiu-se que o método de instalação por microtunneling se apresenta como solução viável para instalação de coletores de grande diâmetro a elevadas profundidades; ABSTRAT: Underground infrastructure facilities in the construction of Lisbon underground - Engineering solutions for the processes rationalization Considering the technical development of increasingly specific tools in underground infrastructure construction, it is therefore urgent to rethink how to project underground infrastructure facilities which are affected by Metro underground civil engineering works. It is intended that the design solutions should be more sustainable, allowing to optimize costs and reducing inconveniences to the public. This research aims to identify the main difficulties in data collection process, data processing and solution selection when developing diversion projects in Metro underground works. It also intends to indicate optimal solutions based on underground infrastructure construction trenchless technics, infrastructure detection methods, and acquired knowledge in recent years of civil engineering practice. It is necessary to supplement registration data provided by utilities companies (water, drainage, electricity and telecommunications) with new data provided by new detection technologies. This goal is achieved through the use of georradar and ground survey equipment, improving project’s input data quality. This thesis presents a case study applied to a Lisbon Metro project. The adopted design solution is examined and compared with an alternative solution. Based on trenchless technical elements analysis and on the identification of used methods in subsurface construction projects elsewhere in the world, it was possible to define an alternative solution. It was concluded that the microtunneling installation method presents itself as a viable solution for large diameter pipeline installation in great depths.

The competition for space in urban areas due to an exponential growth of population makes derground engineering plays a crucial role in the development of cities. Urban underground infrastructures deal with variables such as cost, duration, safety, and management; faces political, social, economic and environmental issues; and guarantees future sustainability, maintenance, and energy efficiency. To do so, all these concepts and variables must be kept in mind during the whole construction process: (I) project design, (II) project construction and (III) project exploitation. This thesis aims to demonstrate how the construction cycle deals with the various impacts produced by the interaction of underground constructions with groundwater at each stage of the process, with a view to providing improved processes. During the project design previous data is collected, new data is generated, created and processed, helping to understand the context and to design the infrastructure. There are very advanced tools to store and process hydrogeological data, but most of these tools are not common in infrastructure projects. Often most of the constructions only perform the minimum legal requirement to characterize the ground: a pumping test. Therefore, there is a need to provide the constructors with a set of methods and tools to allow them to increase the quality of their hydrogeological analysis, which will allow early detection problems associated with the groundwater. The interaction of underground constructions with groundwater generates impacts. These impacts can usually be minimized by using mitigation measures. The most common impacts caused by underground constructions are the groundwater barrier effect and the groundwater pressure distribution and limitation under the bottom slab. In the literature there are many examples and designs to mitigate both groundwater barrier effect and groundwater pressure distribution impacts. However, there is no design that integrates both solutions. This thesis presents an innovative groundwater by-pass design that enables the groundwater to flow through the structure and provide a homogenous distribution of the water pressure under the bottom slab. The new integrated design was applied to the largest underground infrastructure of Barcelona: La Sagrera railway station. A hydrogeological model was implemented to test the original and the integrated designs in three different scenarios. This new solution mitigates the groundwater barrier effect and optimizes the bottom slab, considerably reducing the costs and increasing safety during the construction phase. Monitoring is required when dewatering underground constructions in order to anticipate unexpected events and preserve nearby existing structures. The most accurate and spread monitoring method to measure displacements is levelling, a pointlike surveying technique that typically allows for tens of discrete in-situ sub-millimetric measurements per squared kilometer. Another emerging technique for mapping soil deformation is the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), which is based on SAR images acquired from orbiting satellites or by ground-based stations (GB-SAR). This remote sensing technique can provide better spatial point density than levelling, more extensive spatial coverage and cheaper acquisitions. Both satellite and ground-based SAR systems have been used and tested in a variety of analyses. However, nobody has applied this technology as a monitoring tool during construction works yet. This thesis contributes to data storing and data analysis software that implies new and significant method developments for increasing the quality of the hydrogeological analysis; it provides new approaches to address the groundwater corrective measures definition during the design stage, and it develops and applies new methods of nfrastructure monitoring using ground-based and satellite SAR sensors during the construction stage.
Degut al creixement exponencial de la població i tenint en compte que l'espai dins les àrees urbanes és finit és, necessari la construcció d'infraestructures subterrànies. Variables com el cost, la durada, la seguretat i la gestió; els problemes polítics, socials, econòmics i ambientals; garantir la sostenibilitat futura, el manteniment i l'eficiència energètica, han d'estar presents durant totes les fases del procés constructiu: (I) fase de disseny, (II) fase de construcció, i (III) fase d'explotació. Les construccions subterrànies interactuen amb el medi subterrani, el resultat de la interacció són uns impactes en la construcció i en el medi ambient. Tots aquests impactes són avaluats al llarg del procés constructiu per tal de ser corregits o minimitzats. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és conèixer com s'avaluen els diferents impactes a cadascuna de les fas es del procés constructiu per poder així proposar millores. Durant el disseny del projecte i per tal d'entendre el context i el disseny de la infraestructura es recullen dades històriques i es generen noves dades . L'ús de la majoria d'eines hidrogeològiques no és habitual en els projectes d'infraestructures ja que la majoria caracteritzen el terreny amb una prova de bombament. Per tant, és necessari proporcionar als constructors un conjunt de mètodes i d'eines que permetin augmentar la qualitat dels seus anàlisis, per augmentar així la detecció primerenca de problemes associats a les aigües subterrànies. Els impactes produïts per la interacció de les construccions subterrànies amb les aigües subterrànies es poden minimitzar mitjançant l'ús de mesures de mitigació. Els impactes més comuns causats per construccions subterrànies són l'efecte barrera i la distribució i limitació de subpressions sota la llosa de fons. A la literatura hi ha molts dissenys que permeten mitigar l'efecte barrera i millorar la distribució de les subpressions, però no hi ha cap disseny que integri les dues solucions. Aquesta tesi presenta un disseny innovador per bypassar les aigües subterrànies a través de l'estructura proporcionant una distribució homogènia de les subpressions sota la llosa de fons. Aquesta nova solució minimitza l'efecte barrera de les aigües subterrànies i optimitza la llosa de fons, reduint considerablement els costos i augmentant la seguretat durant la fase de construcció. Quan una construcció rebaixa el nivell freàtic cal auscultar els nivells i la deformació del terreny per tal d'anticipar esdeveniments inesperats i preservar les estructures properes existents. El mètode actual més utilitzat per mesurar desplaçaments és l'anivellament, que permet avaluar in situ desenes de punts discrets amb una precisi ó submil·limètrica. Una tècnica emergent és el Radar d'Obertura Sintètica Interferomètrica (InSAR), que es basa en imatges SAR adquirides des de satèl·lits en òrbita o bé des d'estacions al terra (GB-SAR). Aquesta tècnica de detecció remota proporciona una major cobertura espacial i més econòmica que els mètodes d'auscultació tradicionals. Tot i que la tecnologia SAR s'ha utilitzat i validat en una gran varietat d'anàlisis, ningú ha aplicat encara aquesta tecnologia com a eina d'auscultació durant la construcció d'infraestructures. Aquesta tesi contribueix a: (I) millorar l'emmagatzematge i processament de dades a través de nous desenvolupaments i mètodes que permeten augmentar la qualitat de l'anàlisi hidrogeològica; (II) oferir noves formes d'anàlisi per al disseny de mesures correctores durant l'etapa de disseny; i (III) desenvolupar i aplicar nous mètodes d'auscultació d'infraestructura a través de sensors SAR (terrestres i satèl·lit) durant la fase constructiva.
La limitación de espacio en áreas urbanas junto al crecimiento exponencial de la población, hace necesaria la construcción de infraestructuras subterráneas. Nuevos conceptos en planificación urbana junto con los avances tecnológicos en la construcción hacen posible la ejecución de infraestructuras más grandes y de más eficiencia. No obstante, variables tales como el coste, la duración, la seguridad y la gestión; los problemas políticos, sociales, económicos y ambientales; y garantizar la sostenibilidad futura, el mantenimiento y la eficiencia energética, hacen de esta ejecución un problema complejo. Por ello, todas estas variables deben estar presentes durante todo el proceso constructivo: (I) diseño del proyecto, (II) construcción del proyecto y (III) explotación del proyecto. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo principal saber cómo el ciclo constructivo (diseño del proyecto, construcción y explotación de proyectos) procesa las problemáticas inducidas por la interacción de las nuevas infraestructuras subterráneas urbanas con las aguas subterráneas para luego mejorarlo. Durante el diseño del proyecto (fase I) se recogen los datos históricos, se generan nuevos datos (pozos, pruebas de campo, muestras químicas ...) y se procesa conjuntamente, lo que ayuda a entender el contexto y el diseño de la infraestructura. Existen herramientas muy avanzadas para almacenar y procesar información geológica, hidroquímica e hidrogeológica, aunque la mayoría de estas herramientas no son comunes en los proyectos de infraestructuras subterráneas ya que es común que la mayoría de las construcciones sólo se realice una prueba de bombeo para caracterizar el subsuelo. Por lo tanto, hay una necesidad de proporcionar un conjunto de métodos y de herramientas a los constructores para que puedan aumentar la calidad de su análisis (como pruebas de bombeo), para aumentar así la detección temprana de problemas asociados a las aguas subterráneas. La interacción de las construcciones subterráneas con las aguas subterráneas genera impactos. Estos impactos generalmente pueden minimizarse mediante el uso de medidas correctoras. Los impactos más comunes causados por las construcciones subterráneas son el efecto barrera (impacto en las aguas subterráneas) y la distribución y limitación de subpresiones bajo la losa de fondo (impacto en la construcción subterránea). En la literatura hay muchos ejemplos de diseños para mitigar tanto el efecto barrera y como para mejorar la distribución de las subpresiones bajo la losa de fondo. Sin embargo, no hay ningún diseño que integre ambas soluciones. Es ilógico diseñar una medida correctora sin tener en cuenta todos los factores que intervienen en el problema. Esta tesis presenta un diseño innovador de by-pass para las aguas subterráneas que permite el flujo de agua subterránea a través de la estructura a la vez que proporciona una distribución homogénea de las subpresiones bajo la losa de fondo. El nuevo diseño se ha aplicado en la infraestructura subterránea más grande de Barcelona: la futura estación de tren de La Sagrera. Se ha realizado un modelo hidrogeológico para probar los nuevos diseños en tres escenarios diferentes. Esta nueva solución mitiga el efecto barrera de las aguas subterráneas y optimiza la losa de fondo, lo que reduce considerablemente los costes y aumenta la seguridad durante la fase de construcción. Durante la construcción (fase II) se genera una gran cantidad de nuevos datos. Es necesario auscultar los niveles y la deformación del terreno cuando una construcción rebaja el freático con el fin de anticiparse a acontecimientos inesperados y a preservar las estructuras y / o edificios cercanos existentes. El método actual más usado para medir desplazamientos en el terreno es la nivelación, una técnica que permite evaluar in situ decenas de puntos discretos con una precisión sub-milimétrica. Una técnica emergente para medir la deformación del suelo es el Radar de Apertura Sintética Interferométrica (InSAR), que se basa en imágenes SAR adquiridas o bien desde satélites en órbita o bien desde estaciones en tierra (GB-SAR). Esta técnica de detección remota proporciona una mayor cobertura espacial y más barata que los métodos de auscultación tradicionales. Aunque la tecnología SAR se ha utilizado y validado en una gran variedad de análisis, nadie ha aplicado esta tecnología como una herramienta de auscultación durante la construcción de infraestructuras. Esta tesis contribuye a mejorar el almacenamiento y tratamiento de datos a través de nuevos desarrollos y métodos que permiten aumentar la calidad del análisis hidrogeológico; ofrece nuevas formas de análisis para el diseño de medidas correctoras durante la etapa de diseño; y desarrolla y aplica nuevos métodos de auscultación de infraestructura a través de sensores SAR (terrestres y satélite) durante la fase constructiva

O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo a arquitetura das estações de conexão entre linhas metroviárias na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Foram analisados os seis casos em operação tendo como aspecto central a transferência de pessoas entre as linhas nos espaços construídos subterrâneos. Na investigação dos processos de configuração destes espaços foram também analisados os métodos construtivos e os resultados na recomposição da superfície, assim como as transformações dos projetos nas suas diferentes fases. A partir da identificação de relações estruturais entre a organização da rede de transporte e as demandas de passageiros, presentes no desenvolvimento da arquitetura das estações, foi também apresentada uma reflexão a respeito do histórico de planejamento e construção desta rede e suas perspectivas de expansão.
The present research has as object of study the architecture of the transfer stations between subway lines in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo. The six cases in operation were analyzed having, as a central aspect, the transfer of people between the lines in the underground built spaces. In the investigation of these configuration spaces processes, the constructive methods and the recomposition of the surface results were also analyzed, as well as the transformations of the projects in their different phases. From the structural relations identification between the transport network and the passengers demands, which are present in the development of the architecture of the stations, a reflection was also presented concerning this network planning and construction history as well as its prospects of expansion.

O presente trabalho tem como objeto o projeto para padronização e industrialização da construção do Metrô de São Paulo. Com o fim de identificar as especificidades deste tipo de projeto, suas qualidades e características que podem ser utilizadas em projetos futuros, o trabalho parte de uma pesquisa histórica sobre o projeto das linhas existentes na cidade e os seus respectivos métodos construtivos. Em seguida, analisa a expansão da Linha 5-Lilás, que se encontra com projeto executivo e obra em curso, buscando apresentar a situação atual de projeto da Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo e o que poderia ser alterado na concepção para melhorar o desempenho construtivo. Com base na revisão histórica e no estudo da linha 5 Lilás, são propostos premissas e parâmetros de projeto para expansão da rede. Por fim, é proposta ainda a integração dos planos de transporte de cargas e passageiros na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, visando a criação de uma linha de produção para construção de vias, túneis e estações, industrializando a expansão da rede de Metrô em São Paulo e viabilizando um legado de logística alternativo aos meios rodoviários para a região.
This study examines the project for standardizing and industrializing the São Paulo Subway System. In order to identify the specific project features, qualities and characteristics that could be used in future projects, the investigation begins with a historical research about the projects of the existing subway lines in the city and their respective construction methods. Next, the expansion of Line 5 or the Purple Line is investigated in the light of the construction plans and works underway. This is done in order to achieve a view of the current status of the São Paulo Subway Company (Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo) and to stress what could be changed in terms of design to enhance construction performance. As a result, based on the historical review and on the Line 5 case study, assumptions and design parameters for network expansion are proposed. Finally, it is argued that freight and passenger transport plans for the Greater São Paulo be integrated, aimed to create a production line through building roads, tunnels and stations, thus industrializing the future subway system; providing an alternative to ground transportation in the region; and leaving a significant legacy in terms of logistics to the entire population.

De nos jours la quasi-totalité des grandes métropoles du monde comptent avec des réseaux de transport étendus et ont pour la plupart satisfait leurs besoins de construction d’ouvrages souterrains. Cependant le parc des ouvrages existants est vieillissant et une part importante est en service depuis plusieurs décennies, par conséquence, l’entretien et la pérennisation des infrastructures souterraines existantes un enjeu majeur pour la gestion et le développement des villes. En vue d’améliorer leur politique de maintenance, c’est-à-dire pérenniser leur patrimoine et le maintenir dans de bonnes conditions de sécurité et d’exploitation, il est nécessaire que les gestionnaires d’ouvrages puissent mettre à jour leurs techniques de diagnostic (AFTES, 2005). Il est donc impératif de disposer d’outils leur permettant de mieux évaluer l’état réel des ouvrages. Or les méthodes dont disposent à l’heure actuelle les gestionnaires sont le plus souvent soit insuffisantes pour apporter une information quantitative de qualité, soit mal adaptées aux contraintes de ces ouvrages. Dans ce contexte, le projet ANR MéDiTOSS « Méthodologie de Diagnostic des Tunnels et Ouvrages Souterrains en Service » vise à développer une nouvelle méthodologie de diagnostic adaptée à ce type d’ouvrage en caractérisant les différents composants de l’ouvrage (structure du revêtement, terrain encaissant ainsi que leur interface ou contact). L’objectif de cette thèse est de fournir au gestionnaire des indicateurs physiques et mécaniques lui permettant d’orienter sa politique de maintenance en s’appuyant sur une expertise plus certaine
Maintenance and sustainability of underground structures are the major tasks for infrastructures’ owners. To carry out these tasks, managers need to qualify the actual state of these facilities. There are very few operational methods to describe separately each component of an underground structure (structure lining, contact interface and surrounding soil). Most of them are mainly based on visual inspection. Nevertheless only the intrados of the tunnel is open to visual inspection. To improve their maintenance policy, that is to say sustain their heritage and keep it in good conditions of safety and operational, it is necessary that manager’s can update their diagnosis methods (AFTES, 2005). It is therefore imperative to have tools to better assess the actual condition of structures. However, the methods available at present managers are often either insufficient to provide quantitative information quality or poorly adapted to the constraints of these works. In this context, the ANR project MéDiTOSS "Methodology Diagnostic Tunnels and Underground Structures in Service" aims to develop a new diagnostic methodology adapted to this type of work characterizing the various components of the structure (structure of the lining, enclosing soil and their interface or contact). The objective of this thesis is to provide to the managers of physical and mechanical indicators that will guide its maintenance policy based on a certain expertise

La problématique de ce doctorat est : comment la structure des réseaux constitue une nouvelle matrice pour la production d’oeuvres artistiques. Pour répondre à cette question, nous commencerons en étudiant l’évolution de la notion de « réseau » de l’antiquité jusqu’à aujourd’hui ; les théories des réseaux concernant leur structure et/ou leur dynamique. Ensuite nous présenterons les applications –de la notion ou des théories de réseaux– tant dans les sciences que dans l’art. Nous listerons et nous analyserons huit types de réseaux et puis nous mentionnerons des oeuvres artistiques qui ont été inspirées par ces types de réseaux et/ou qui utilisent certains (types de) réseaux comme matrice pour leur création. Nous proposerons le projet Lignes Imaginaires, un modèle 3D qui se fonde sur la conception d’un métro de lignes imaginaires, voire de lignes dynamiques et/ou paradoxales qui sont en mouvement, apparaissent/disparaissent, créent de l’infrastructure supplémentaire. L’analyse du métro Lignes Imaginaires dévoile l'importance de la géographie et de la spatialité des réseaux, tandis que leur représentation graphique topologique reste insuffisante pour la représentation précise et pour la compréhension de leur structure (paradoxale). En outre, l’innovation du métro Lignes Imaginaires est que son infrastructure est dynamique et auto-organisée, contrairement aux métros traditionnels où les lignes et leurs itinéraires sont fixes. L’objectif du projet artistique Lignes Imaginaires est de visualiser un concept en créant un métro hors du commun qui pourrait aussi proposer des formes alternatives des réseaux de transports dans le contexte urbain
This thesis examines and shows ways in which the structure of networks can provide a new matrix for the production of artworks. In order to answer this question we start by studying: the evolution of the term ‘network’ from the ancient times up to nowadays; the theories that refer to network structure or network dynamics. Then we present the applications of these theories into both art and science. We list and analyze eight different types of networks and then we feature artworks which have been inspired by these network types or have used the network structure of a certain type as a matrix for art making. We propose the Imaginary Lines project, a three-dimensional network model which is based on the concept of a metro composed of imaginary lines. More precisely Imaginary Lines metro network encompasses seven paradoxical lines which move, (dis)appear and produce supplementary infrastructure. The Imaginary Lines metro unveils the importance of geography and spatiality, in contrast with topological network graphic representations, which remain insufficient, in terms of utmost accuracy in representation and comprehension of network structure. Additionally, the Imaginary Lines network innovation lays in its infrastructure dynamics as well as in its self-organisation. The objective of the Imaginary Lines artistic project is to visualise a concept by creating an unusual metro, which goes beyond traditional fixed-route transport networks and can support alternative forms of urban transport development

The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), in a study to assess the status of municipal water distribution system, reported that $12.5 billion would have to be invested over 15-year (1997--2012) period to replace the existing deteriorated water mains and construct new mains to cope with the projected population growth. Consequently, Canadian municipalities face a great challenge of managing these replacement and new installation projects efficiently. One of these challenges is how to assess the condition rating of buried water mains. This is because water mains are typically underground, operated under pressure, and usually inaccessible. Condition rating is a mandatory process to establish and employ management strategies for an asset. To assess the condition of water mains, current research considers physical, environmental, and operational factors and their effect on different types of mains (i.e. Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, and Asbestos). A condition rating scale and its associated rehabilitation actions are proposed. This scale is divided into 6 categories, which numerically range from "0" to "10" and linguistically from "critical" to "Excellent"

abstract: Underground infrastructure is a critical part of the essential utility services provided to society and the backbone of modern civilization. However, now more than ever before, the disastrous events of a striking underground utilities cost billions of dollars each year in societal damages. Advanced technology and sophisticated visualization techniques such as augmented reality (AR) now play a significant role in mitigating such devastating consequences. Therefore, it is vitally important to coordinate resources, share information, and ensure efficient communication between construction personnel and utility owners. Besides, geographic information systems (GIS) provide a solution for interoperability in the construction industry. Applying such technologies in the field of underground construction requires accurate and up-to-date information. However, there is currently limited research that has integrated AR and GIS and evaluated the effectiveness and usability of the combination in this domain. The main objective of this research was to develop an integrated AR-GIS for mapping and capturing underground utilities using a mobile device. To achieve these objectives, a design research approach utilized to develop and evaluate a mobile extended-reality (XR-GIS) application. This research has produced an efficient solution for data collection and sharing among stakeholders in the underground construction industry. The main challenge in creating a reliable and adaptive outdoor AR system is the accurate registration of virtual objects in the real world. Due to the limited accuracy of smartphones, this study used an external Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to reduce positional error. The primary motivation behind this research is to make the construction industry more aware of the benefits of leveraging AR to prevent utility strikes and enhance public safety. This dissertation fills the gap in the knowledge regarding applying Augmented Reality (AR) in the underground infrastructure mapping. This study’s three research objectives are: (1) Identify the challenges and barriers facing the underground construction industry when applying AR. (2) Develop an integrated AR-GIS for mapping and capturing underground utilities using a mobile device. (3) Evaluate the horizontal accuracy of the captured data used by the AR phone application XR-GIS that has been developed by the author.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2020

Underground utilities must comply with the requirements stipulated in utility regulations to ensure their structural integrity and avoid interferences and disruptions of utility services. Noncompliance with the regulations could cause disastrous consequences such as pipeline explosion and pipeline contamination that can lead to hundreds of deaths and huge financial loss. However, the current practice of utility compliance checking relies on manual efforts to examine lengthy textual regulations, interpret them subjectively, and check against massive and heterogeneous utility data. It is time-consuming, costly, and error prone. There remains a critical need for an effective mechanism to help identify the regulatory non-compliances in new utility designs or existing pipelines to limit possible negative impacts. Motivated by this critical need, this research aims to create an intelligent, knowledge-based method to automate the compliance checking for underground utilities.

The overarching goal is to build semantic intelligence to enable knowledge-based, automated compliance checking of underground utilities by integrating semantic web technologies, natural language processing (NLP), and domain ontologies. Three specific objectives are: (1) designing an ontology-based framework for integrating massive and heterogeneous utility data for automated compliance checking, (2) creating a semi-automated method for utility ontology development, and (3) devising a semantic NLP approach for interpreting textual utility regulations. Objective 1 establishes the knowledge-based skeleton for utility compliance checking. Objectives 2 and 3 build semantic intelligence into the framework resulted from Objective 1 for improved performance in utility compliance checking.

Utility compliance checking is the action that examines geospatial data of utilities and their surroundings against textual utility regulations. The integration of heterogeneous geospatial data of utilities as well as textual data remains a big challenge. Objective 1 is dedicated to addressing this challenge. An ontology-based framework has been designed to integrate heterogeneous data and automate compliance checking through semantic, logic, and spatial reasoning. The framework consists of three key components: (1) four interlinked ontologies that provide the semantic schema to represent heterogeneous data, (2) two data convertors to transform data from proprietary formats into a common and interoperable format, and (3) a reasoning mechanism with spatial extensions for detecting non-compliances. The ontology-based framework was tested on a sample utility database, and the results proved its effectiveness.

Two supplementary methods were devised to build the semantic intelligence in the ontology-based framework. The first one is a novel method that integrates the top-down strategy and NLP to address two semantic limitations in existing ontologies for utilities: lack of compatibility with existing utility modeling initiatives and relatively small vocabulary sizes. Specifically, a base ontology is first developed by abstracting the modeling information in CityGML Utility Network ADE through a series of semantic mappings. Then, a novel integrated NLP approach is devised to automatically learn the semantics from domain glossaries. Finally, the semantics learned from the glossaries are incorporated into the base ontology to result in a domain ontology for utility infrastructure. For case demonstration, a glossary of water terms was learned to enrich the base ontology (formalized from the ADE) and the resulting ontology was evaluated to be an accurate, sufficient, and shared conceptualization of the domain.

The second one is an ontology- and rule-based NLP approach for automated interpretation of textual regulations on utilities. The approach integrates ontologies to capture both domain and spatial semantics from utility regulations that contain a variety of technical jargons/terms and spatial constraints regarding the location and clearance of utility infrastructure. The semantics are then encoded into pattern-matching rules for extracting the requirements from the regulations. An ontology- and deontic logic-based mechanism have also been integrated to facilitate the semantic and logic-based formalization of utility-specific regulatory knowledge. The proposed approach was tested in interpreting the spatial configuration-related requirements in utility accommodation policies, and results proved it to be an effective means for interpreting utility regulations to ensure the compliance of underground utilities.

The main outcome of this research is a novel knowledge-based computational platform with semantic intelligence for regulatory compliance checking of underground utilities, which is also the primary contribution of this research. The knowledge-based computational platform provides a declarative way rather than the otherwise procedural/hard-coding implementation approach to automate the overall process of utility compliance checking, which is expected to replace the conventional costly and time-consuming skill-based practice. Utilizing this computational platform for utility compliance checking will help eliminate non-compliant utility designs at the very early stage and identify non-compliances in existing utility records for timely correction, thus leading to enhanced safety and sustainability of the massive utility infrastructure in the U.S.