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

随着采矿和隧道行业在全球范围内不断创新和技术进步，加拿大将需要保持竞争力；不仅要开发本国的自然资源和优化民用基础设施的设计，而且还要继续将此类专业知识输出到全球。开发城市中心内的地下足迹将对此类栖息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，正在逐渐给加拿大的公共基础设施带来压力。因此，工程师的任务将是用更少的资源做更多的事情，并且必须被迫优化他们的设计，以便提供安全、可持续和经济高效的解决方案，同时将对邻近基础设施和环境的影响降至最低。作为民用基础设施工程(如公路、铁路、发电站进水口、矿山通道、核储存设施等的隧道)的一部分，在软弱岩石(或土壤)中挖掘隧道。给工程师带来了独特的挑战，因为地面支撑系统设计中的误判可能会导致代价高昂的故障、延误和潜在的人员伤亡，如果设计不足，则会导致高昂的隧道成本。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，需要确保在设计阶段识别和了解此类机制，并确保组合支撑配置在施工和随后的运营过程中考虑与潜在隧道行为和稳定性相关的所有相关因素。这项探索补助金(DG)申请涵盖的拟议研究利用了NSERC资助的研究取得的早期成功，以推动与地面支持要素优化相关的重大新创新和进展。这项研究将集中于开发(和改进)一种新的优化的、数据驱动的和基于力学的隧道支护技术系统设计过程，取代目前的经验和侧重于组件的设计实践。多名高素质人才(HQP)(博士生、应用科学硕士学生、研究助理和研究技术员)将在DG研究计划期间接受培训，并获得重大的国内和国际曝光率。申请人已获得资金(并从工业和政府合作伙伴处购买)，以便在多个隧道施工地点、采矿地点、掩体、深层地质储存库和核储存设施向总部基地提供国家和国际现场经验。HQP还将在现场以及高科技和设备齐全的实验室设施中利用最先进的光纤技术。

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.