Digital twin for tunnel construction site
Realize digital twin at tunnel construction site
Digital twin is to reproduce what’s going on in the real would in the digital space, as it happens.。
IoT-dedicated LAN called “EXBeacon platform” measures the position of the workers and things, while constantly collecting various sensor information inside the tunnel to realize digital twin.
It contributes to the safety by visualizing whole construction site.
It collects and processes massive information at the site and gives the solution for the management of entrance/exit of workers, location of people and things in the tunnel and safety.
1. Tunnel construction site solution
At the tunnel construction site, it is required thorough safety management, because it is carried out in the closed space with a number of workers, operating the heavy equipment, and they are always at the risk of occupational accident, such as falling or avalanche of rocks or walls.
By installing EXBeacon platform enables to measure the location of the workers and the heavy equipment. While managing the entrance and location of them, if it is connected with the authority system among the workers per job, it realizes the detailed management of worker’s safety and attendance, together with good control on the site, including giving an alert against the happening of unexpected jobs.
List of management tools
Application example of the solution
Issue #1
Who is in the tunnel now is unknown.
Entrance badge control is doubtful.
Issue #2
Who is in the tunnel and where he/she is now is unknown.
Issue #3
How to prevent the unauthorized worker to enter the tunnel face area?
Issue #4
Occurrence of contact accident between the heavy equipment and the worker.
Issue #5
Occurrence of contact accident between the battery locomotive and the worker.
Issue #6
Occurrence of contact accident between the battery locomotive and the worker.
Issue #7
How to manage the overloading effectively?
Issue #8
How to capture the work environment inside the tunnel?
Issue #9
Worried about the health condition of the workers in the packed area.
Issue #10
How to manage automatically worker’s health environment under the virus spread?
Collaborative safety: Safety 2.0
Collaborative safety
Collaborative safety is the concept that human, things and environment share the information and assure the safety in its collaboration. It is also the technical method to assure the safety with the use of ICT technology. It is defined in the relationship between human and things as follows;
Safety 0.0: Safety achieved by human carefulness.
Safety 1.0: Safety achieved by separating human and things.
Safety 2.0: Safety achieved by information sharing.
Safety 2.0 conformity examination registration system
The Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP) promotes Safety 2.0 in view of prevention of various accidents, including occupational ones, and pursues “Safety 2.0 conformity examination registration system”. This system offers the examination based on the requirements for Safety 2.0 and registers the approved company/organization in IGSAP list, and publish it on its home page and issues the certificate with the permission for them to appeal Safety 2.0 mark.
Link to “General requirements of collaborative safety technology (Safety 2.0)” (in Japanese)
Safety 0.0, the first attempt for the safety, assures it based on human carefulness and judgement. However, in this way, there is a high risk in the machine zone and human/machine co-existing zone.
With Safety 1.0, safety measure is applied to the machine to reduce its own risk, and by separating human from machines; i.e. eliminate the human/machine co-existing zone, it increases the safety level.
Recently human/machine (robot) co-existing zone is getting more popular for more productivity, while skill level at the site getting down due to the less experienced workers, and Safety 1.0 is becoming not enough to cover this situation. With this circumstances, safety in all zones, human, machine and human/machine, has to be intensified, because human, machine and the environment have to collaborate.
Construction site security/Health management
2. Tunnel management solution
EXBeacon platform, as a new style of LAN for the tunnel, constantly collects the worker’s location information and various sensor information on real-time basis.
Based on such massive data, it provides various support services required at the construction site, such as entrance/exit control and safety management, and drastically increases work efficiency and the safety.
Location management of workers and tools
It measures the position by receiving the electric wave from BLE tag attached to the helmet and tools. It is helpful for capturing the location, when accident happens.
Entrance/exit control service
Beacon placed around the gate detects the electric wave from BLE tag and releases the electric lock. Manual control or remote control in emergency is also possible. It can be utilized to record entrance/exit and generate the daily work report.
Guidance at the site
Smartphone application gives the route guidance in the tunnel. Smartphone receives the signal from Beacon and detects the current location and properly leads the user to the destination.
Emergency route guidance service
Remote route guidance is available with LED light (with EXBeacon). It is also available to give it automatically, utilizing various alerts such as lack of oxygen, fire breakout, and submergence, in addition to manual guidance.
Tunnel environment management service
It constantly collects the information inside the tunnel. Sensors for oxygen loss, fire, submergence, gas leakage and smell can be used together. Alert or mail is provided, when the accident happens.
Safety management service
Attaching the EXBeacon to the heavy equipment enables to detect the unexpected approach of the worker and give a warning to the driver with the lightings. It provides the risk detection and warning, working together with environment management.
Health management service
Vital sensor always check the health condition of the worker. It is helpful for the work in the high temperature zone and t gives an alert, if the worker falls down and shows no sign of rising up again.
Simple communication service
Simple application for the smartphone enables to deliver the formatted message or report from remote place even in the tunnel area where internet is hardly available.
