Tunnelling 4.0 – Construction‐related future trends

Abstract

AbstractThe digitalisation of construction‐related processes will increasingly penetrate the individual development phases of tunnel construction projects (design, construction and operation). The digital transformation will affect all tunnelling processes through its four key levers: ”digital data, automation, networks and digital access“. Topics such as Industry 4.0, digital twins, Building Information Modelling or Lean Management will lead to a rethink in the construction industry. The constant use of data sources and the storage of data in independent databases is already possible. This makes it possible for the project participants to analyse collected construction‐related data, to process it and to make it available through an online portal. This results in the possibility to evaluate, optimize and document construction processes on a well‐founded data base. Complex construction management systems will be described with digital models, and the use of digital knowledge systems will support the decision‐making process for stakeholders. The fundamental philosophy of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method should not be called into question by standardised calculation algorithms and tunnelling software. In this contribution, visionary future trends are outlined for cyclical and continuous tunnelling methods, which should stimulate a controversial discussion.