An integrated simulation model for site layout planning of tunnelling projects

Overlooking site layout in the planning phase of construction projects leads to loss of productivity and incurs extra costs. In tunneling projects, site layout has a significant impact on material flow and tunneling operations, particularly on congested sites. In addition, construction planning decisions can influence the efficiency of the layout. This paper proposes simulation as a decision making tool to model tunnel construction operations and site layout, and capture their mutual influences. To facilitate building the simulation model, even for users with limited simulation knowledge, a special purpose simulation (SPS) tool was customized and developed. This simulation tool provides an integrated environment to model the parameters of different disciplines including site layout, material procurement, tunnel operations and logistics. The developed tool is of great assistance for the planners to make decisions simultaneously on site layout and other construction planning parameters, and find the most cost-efficient plan

Innovative Solution Proposals for Infrastructure Problems of Istanbul

As a result of rapid population growth and the lack of adequate controls unplanned construction has increased rapidly in Istanbul up to 1995. Since 1995, in order to prevent irregular urbanization rate, controls have been increased using technology and public housing constructions have been accelerated. Satellite cities with all kinds of planned infrastructure have been created in buildable areas of the city. Despite the acceleration of the establishment of satellite towns in recent years, unplanned construction from the past is existed in a large part of the province. Sustainable development is possible only with the minimization of the high infrastructure costs, urban planning and by having different institutions with infrastructure services that generate joint plans. However, it is a bit late for this goal since a large part of Istanbul completed the process of urbanization. First of all, the solution to the problems of the existing infrastructure should be realized from a headquarters. So, coordination between institutions those provide water and sewerage, electricity, telephone and gas infrastructure services and transportation services of municipalities from a headquarters. Transport infrastructure of the relevant municipalities should also be considered since infrastructures are usually built underneath the pavement and the roads. Concrete channel with a cover known as the Utility Tunnel is proposed for Istanbul as an innovative solution for infrastructure problems. This system provides the implementation of the water, electricity, gas and telephone as well as a combination of infrastructure systems in a single place where the repair and the renewal will be much easier. The ultimate goal of the proposed study is to create a center for the coordination of problems before they occur, and to create many scenarios about infrastructure problems, also to provide necessary prompt and long term innovative and economical solutions based on the infrastructure of the Istanbul

Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace-vehicle Design (IPAD) system. Volume 2: Characterization of the IPAD system, phase 1, task 1

The aircraft design process is discussed along with the degree of participation of the various engineering disciplines considered in this feasibility study

Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace vehicle Design (IPAD). Volume 1B: Concise review

Reports on the design process, support of the design process, IPAD System design catalog of IPAD technical program elements, IPAD System development and operation, and IPAD benefits and impact are concisely reviewed. The approach used to define the design is described. Major activities performed during the product development cycle are identified. The computer system requirements necessary to support the design process are given as computational requirements of the host system, technical program elements and system features. The IPAD computer system design is presented as concepts, a functional description and an organizational diagram of its major components. The cost and schedules and a three phase plan for IPAD implementation are presented. The benefits and impact of IPAD technology are discussed

Technologies for safe and resilient earthmoving operations: A systematic literature review

Resilience engineering relates to the ability of a system to anticipate, prepare, and respond to predicted and unpredicted disruptions. It necessitates the use of monitoring and object detection technologies to ensure system safety in excavation systems. Given the increased investment and speed of improvement in technologies, it is necessary to review the types of technology available and how they contribute to excavation system safety. A systematic literature review was conducted which identified and classified the existing monitoring and object detection technologies, and introduced essential enablers for reliable and effective monitoring and object detection systems including: 1) the application of multisensory and data fusion approaches, and 2) system-level application of technologies. This study also identified the developed functionalities for accident anticipation, prevention and response to safety hazards during excavation, as well as those that facilitate learning in the system. The existing research gaps and future direction of research have been discussed

Stochastic Simulation of Construction Methods of Multi-purpose Utility Tunnels

The traditional method of installing underground utilities, which is based on burying them under the roads, has been used for many decades. Repeated excavations related to this method cause many problems, which can significantly increase the actual costs as well as social costs. Multi-purpose Utility Tunnels (MUT) are a good alternative for buried utilities. Although MUTs are more expensive than the traditional method, social cost savings can make them more practical. Different factors should be investigated to determine if MUTs can be an economical and practical alternative. The construction method is one of the most important factors that should be carefully assessed to have a successful MUT project and reduce its impact on the surrounding area. Simulation can be used for investigating the different construction methods of MUTs. In this research, two stochastic discrete event simulation models depicting two MUT construction methods (i.e., microtunneling and cut-and-cover) are developed. The purpose of these models is to analyze the duration and cost of the MUT projects. Also, 4D simulation models of these methods are developed for constructability assessment of these projects. The conclusions of this research are as follows: (1) the duration of C&C method is more sensitive than microtunneling to the changes in tunnel diameter; (2) the cost of microtunneling method is more sensitive than C&C to changes in tunnel diameter; (3) in average, microtunneling is 52% more expensive and 66% faster than C&C; (4) the impact of the microtunneling on the surrounding area is less than the C&C

Data Asset Management and Visualization Based on Intelligent Algorithm: Taking Power Equipment Data as An Example

Data asset management is adequate in solving the problem of data silence and data idleness for enterprises. Through intelligent algorithms such as neural network, in-depth learning and block chain, and guided by business needs, it extracts, analyzes and visualizes the existing business precipitation data, and forms scattered and disordered data into valuable information to support the development of the company, so as to activate data assets. Taking the management data of electric power equipment as an example, this paper proposes a method of fusion of multiple intelligent control algorithms. The specific modules include the fusion of heterogeneous data; feature extraction of equipment asset management data based on machine learning; intelligent control of multi-objective optimization environment based on energy consumption data; BIM data visualization based on data classification-energy extraction-neural network (SVM-CART-SAE-DNN) algorithm fusion. The algorithm can effectively improve the efficiency of equipment management and enhance the security and economy of power infrastructure through intelligent control of equipment management

Albany: Using Component-based Design to Develop a Flexible, Generic Multiphysics Analysis Code

Abstract: Albany is a multiphysics code constructed by assembling a set of reusable, general components. It is an implicit, unstructured grid finite element code that hosts a set of advanced features that are readily combined within a single analysis run. Albany uses template-based generic programming methods to provide extensibility and flexibility; it employs a generic residual evaluation interface to support the easy addition and modification of physics. This interface is coupled to powerful automatic differentiation utilities that are used to implement efficient nonlinear solvers and preconditioners, and also to enable sensitivity analysis and embedded uncertainty quantification capabilities as part of the forward solve. The flexible application programming interfaces in Albany couple to two different adaptive mesh libraries; it internally employs generic integration machinery that supports tetrahedral, hexahedral, and hybrid meshes of user specified order. We present the overall design of Albany, and focus on the specifics of the integration of many of its advanced features. As Albany and the components that form it are openly available on the internet, it is our goal that the reader might find some of the design concepts useful in their own work. Albany results in a code that enables the rapid development of parallel, numerically efficient multiphysics software tools. In discussing the features and details of the integration of many of the components involved, we show the reader the wide variety of solution components that are available and what is possible when they are combined within a simulation capability. Key Words: partial differential equations, finite element analysis, template-based generic programmin