Investigation into the use of Continuous Strain Monitoring Fiber Optic techniques with a view to optimization of Ground Support Design associated with Tunnelling for Civil Infrastructure

随着世界范围内采矿和隧道掘进业的不断革新和技术进步，加拿大将需要保持竞争力；不仅要开发自己的自然资源，优化民用基础设施的设计，还要继续向全球出口这些专业知识。利用城市中心的地下足迹对这些居住地的可持续性至关重要。人口和经济增长与公共基础设施投资的减少相平衡，逐渐使加拿大的公共基础设施紧张。因此，工程师们的任务是用更少的资源做更多的事情，必须优化他们的设计，以提供安全、可持续和具有成本效益的解决方案，同时最大限度地减少对邻近基础设施和环境的影响。作为土木基础设施工程（即公路、铁路、发电站、矿井入口、核储存设施等）的一部分，隧道穿越软弱岩石（或土壤）对工程师提出了独特的挑战，因为地面支撑系统设计中的错误判断可能导致昂贵的故障、延误和潜在的人员伤害，如果设计不足，则可能导致高隧道成本。此类缺陷的例子包括渥太华轻轨工程的地下坍塌，以及2018年阿肯色州、2018年俄勒冈州、2014年吉隆坡、2009年科隆、2007年圣保罗和2005年悉尼发生的类似城市隧道坍塌事件。这些故障突出表明，必须确保在设计阶段识别和理解这些机制，并且在施工和后续运营期间，组合支护配置要考虑到与隧道潜在行为和稳定性相关的所有相关因素。该发现基金（DG）申请涵盖的拟议研究利用了NSERC资助的研究早期取得的成功，以推动与优化地面支撑元件相关的实质性创新和进展。该研究将专注于开发（并改进）一种新的优化、数据驱动和基于机械的隧道支撑技术系统设计流程，以取代目前以经验和部件为中心的设计实践。多个高素质人才（HQP）（博士生、应用科学硕士生、研究助理和研究技术人员）将在DG研究项目中接受培训，并获得重要的国内和国际曝光。申请人已获得资金（以及来自工业和政府合作伙伴的购买），以便为HQPs提供国内和国际现场经验：多个隧道建设工地、采矿工地、掩体、深层地质储存库和核储存设施。HQP还将在现场使用最先进的光纤技术，并在高科技和设备齐全的实验室设施内使用。

With the increasing world-wide innovations and technological advancements within the mining and tunnelling industry, Canada will require to remain competitive; not only to exploit its own natural resources and optimize design of civil infrastructure but also to continue to export such expertise globally. Exploiting the underground footprint within urban centers will be crucial to the sustainability of such habitations. Population and economic growth balanced against a decreasing investment in public infrastructure are combining to progressively strain Canada's public infrastructure. As such, engineers will be tasked to do more with less and must be forced to optimize their designs in order to provide safe, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions while minimizing impact on adjacent infrastructure and the environment. Tunnelling through weak rock (or soils) as part of civil infrastructure works (i.e. tunnelling for roads, railways, intakes for power stations, mine access, nuclear storage facilities etc.) presents unique challenges to the engineer, as misjudgments in the design of ground support systems can lead to costly failures, delays and potential human injury if under designed or high tunnelling costs if over designed. Examples of such shortcomings were include underground collapses in the light rail works in Ottawa, and similar urban tunnel collapse events in Arkansas, 2018, Oregon, 2018, Kuala Lampur 2014, Cologne 2009, Sao Paulo 2007, and Sydney 2005. These failures highlight the requirement to ensure that such mechanisms are identified and understood at the design stage and that the combined support configurations take into account all relevant factors associated with the potential tunnel behaviour and stability both during construction and subsequent operation. The proposed research covered by this Discovery Grant (DG) application leverages earlier successes achieved through NSERC funded research, to drive substantial new innovation and progress associated with the optimization of ground support elements. The research will concentrate on developing (and improving upon) a new optimized, data-driven and mechanics-based system design process for tunnel support technologies, replacing current empirical and component-focused design practice. Multiple Highly Qualified People (HQP) (PhD Students, Masters of Applied Science Students, Research Associates and Research Technologists) will be trained during this DG research program and gain significant national and international exposure. The applicant has secured funding (and buy-in from industrial and government partners) in order to provide HQPs with national and international on-site experiences at: multiple tunnelling constructions sites, mining sites, bunkers, deep geological repositories and nuclear storage facilities. The HQP will also be utilizing state-of-the-art fiber optic technologies in the field and also within a high tech and well equipped laboratory facility.