NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set to introduce a state-of-the-art mechanism to monitor in real-time the condition of buildings while carrying out tunnelling work between Derawal Nagar and Pulbangash on the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg corridor under its Phase 4 expansion, officials said.
The stretch between Derawal Nagar and Pulbangash will comprise three underground metro stations, Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, and Pulbangash. These areas are extremely congested and there are innumerable buildings that are centuries-old, they said.
Therefore, the DMRC will have to monitor the condition of these structures continuously once the tunnelling work commences here next month. The DMRC has in the past carried out construction in similarly difficult areas in old Delhi for the Violet and Yellow lines with great success due to round-the-clock monitoring, it said in a statement.
However, this time, the process has been digitised with the provision of real-time monitoring with the click of a button. “This would be made possible by installing smart gadgets such as Automatic Total Stations, vibration sensors, tilt metres, and load cells that are capable of capturing and transmitting 24x7 real-time data to DAS (Data Acquisition System) which keeps on processing the same and transmitting the desired report to all stakeholders through SMS and e-mail,” it said.
As the tunnelling work commences, the behaviour of structures shall be monitored in real-time to take timely measures (as required) as the data shall be available on a custom-made software accessible through mobile or desktop for round-the-clock monitoring, officials said.
This real-time monitoring exercise will be done from eight different locations on this stretch where elaborate instrumentation is being done, which will pass on the real-time data to the software. These locations are spread across areas of Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, Nabi Karim, Pulbangash, and Sadar Bazar. This web-based mechanism is a major step forward towards ensuring safe construction of the tunnelling work on this stretch, it said.
Further, the DMRC’s other initiative this time is to equip all its TBMs with BEAM (Bore Tunnelling Electrical Ahead Monitoring) System. It enables the TBM to work as a real-time probe for predicting the geological strata up to 20 metres ahead of the machine’s cutter head face, and predict any unexpected encounter with filled wells, cavities, and aquifers that may lead to the settlement over the ground if hit by the TBM without proper treatment, the statement said.
In the last few years, the DMRC has focused a great deal on digitising its project monitoring mechanisms. Through the indigenously developed STAMP (System for Tracking and Monitoring Project) software, DMRC engineers monitor the progress of construction, officials said.
