An integrated relational database for tracking rock mass data during tunneling

Abstract

There is an immense amount of geological and monitoring data that can be collected during tunnelling. The organization and ready use of this data determines how effectively the data can be utilized in real-time analysis and visualization. The ongoing collaborative research project AMADEUS (Adaptive Real-Time Geological Mapping Analysis of Underground Space) being conducted at Virginia Tech which integrates real-time data collection, analysis, and visualization of geological and monitoring data as a tunnel is advanced. A well structured database is a key component to the success of tunnelling operations when large amounts of data are acquired. A database for tracking and organizing tunnelling data has been designed as a part of the AMADEUS research project. This paper provides design details of this database and its implementation to AMADEUS. The database design allows for the integration of the main aspects of the AMADEUS project, which are as follows: digital imaging and interpretation of tunnel geology, statistical processing of joint data to build stochastic geological models, development and advancement of computational tools for rock mass modelling, computer tomography to detect and map stress changes and concentrations, virtual environment (VE) for visualization & interaction with a virtual excavation model. Using the database to integrate all these aspects, allows for quick reliable recording and sharing of location based data. (A) This paper was presented at Safety in the underground space - Proceedings of the ITA-AITES 2006 World Tunnel Congress and the 32nd ITA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, 22-27 April 2006. For the covering abstract see ITRD E129148. Reprinted with permission from Elsevier.