Welcome and introductions

CIRIA is undertaking this survey with our contractors Mott MacDonald to inform the scope of new guidance relating to good practice in tunnel management.

Our existing guidance ‘Tunnels: inspection, assessment and maintenance (C671)’ is widely used by tunnel asset owners, consultants and contractors around the world. It continues to be referenced and used to inform tunnel asset management plans, specifications and associated works.

However, the original document was published over 10 years ago, and since then there have been significant developments in tunnel inspection, maintenance, legislation and technology.

Key areas for development include, but are not restricted to:
  • Tunnel asset management – development and use of tunnel asset information systems, smart monitoring and predictive maintenance. Systems to assess the impact of adjacent construction.
  • Tunnel renovation and renewals – technological advances in re-lining, advances in materials, techniques for mitigation and remediation and tunnel structure failure prediction.
  • Condition appraisal – automation of tunnel inspections, data capture systems, development of technology and computer vision for data-driven condition appraisal and smart survey visualisation and assessment systems.
  • Integration of other asset management systems e.g. mechanical and electrical.
  • Case Studies – update to include new major projects and upgrade programmes.
  • Lessons learned to inform future design codes and standards.
It is intended that this authoritative guidance will enable asset owners to make sound technical and commercial decisions, especially upon increasing tunnel asset stocks and aging underground infrastructure. The guidance will detail new approaches and technology, thereby saving costs relating to inspection and maintenance of tunnels. This will improve health and safety practices by minimising time spent by individuals in tunnels, including real time monitoring of environmental conditions such as air quality. It will also serve as a crucial guide for wide ranging stakeholders including: consultants, contractors, planners, insurers, academia and government.
 
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The quality of your responses is an important first step in distilling the precise needs of the industry. We would be glad to hear of specific case studies for inclusion.

If you have further questions or would like to input project funding – with appropriate credit to your organisation and an opportunity to steer via our advisory group – please get in touch.

Andy.Moores@ciria.org
Director of Research

T