Cooperative knowledge management systems for grouting

works at tunnel sites

Keyword: digitalization of construction processes, BIM, grouting, data

management systems,

DI Leopold Winkler
Institute of Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management
TU Wien, Austria
leopold.winkler@tuwien.ac.at
Philipp Maroschek, MSc, MLBT
Managing Director of eguana GmbH
eguana GmbH, Austria
philipp.maroschek@eguana.at
DI Melanie Piskernik
Institute of Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management
TU Wien, Austria
melanie.piskernik@tuwien.ac.at

Abstract
Construction is characterized by traditional and continuously developing
strategies. New technologies are influencing the way construction projects are
executed at every stage and require new organizational processes. Building
Information Modelling (BIM) is a method that connects important data produced
during the whole life-cycle of a building. In pilot projects these models are
implemented during the planning stage, but are not connected with data
produced on site once construction begins. Research programs have started to
implement the BIM process in planning and develop interconnected autonomous
control systems for construction site logistics. The different approaches do not
provide sufficient direct connection throughout the whole construction process
yet.

eguana, a development company for electronic system solutions, and the

Institute for Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management (IBPM) of the
TU Wien are working together on a research program which focuses on digital
solutions for grouting and drilling. This project is funded by the Austrian
Research Promotion Agency FFG. The aim is to establish knowledge management
systems on site. The combination of sensor technology and intelligent databases
is a step towards Industry 4.0 on construction sites. Through algorithms this
combination will provide systematic analysis, reporting and access to data from
the planning to the construction phase until long after the building is completed.
The Department of Construction Process and Methods of the IBPM concentrates
on three major research fields: tunneling methods, digitalization of construction
processes and cooperative knowledge management systems for construction
methods. Therefore this article presents latest developments in this fields,
highlighting the advantages of the BIM method. Furthermore, it shows ongoing
development in tunnel construction. The article also compares a cloud-based
system with the traditional organization and documentation of grouting works at
tunnel sites. The acquired data from the research program are systematically
analyzed, and first results for the quality and documentation management are
shown.

Introduction
The term “construction management” covers the planned combination of the
production factors (labor, equipment, materials) by means of steering activities
(management, planning, organization, monitoring) for the construction of
buildings. Construction management comprises the entire construction, starting
with the planning concept up to the realization [15].

The future of construction management is closely linked to Building Information

Modeling (BIM) and digitalization of construction processes. The key to increase
the productivity throughout the entire life-cycle of a construction is the digital
connection of all the information across the project phases: development,
planning and building as well as use and operation, which is implemented with
BIM [9].

BIM means the continuous use of digital data throughout the entire life-cycle of a
construction. Throughout the whole process, breaks in the flow of information
and recurring manual entries can be avoided. Working with BIM ensures that
derived plans are consistent with each other, possible planning errors are
detected at an early stage (known as clash detection) and quantity
determinations are reliable. It also allows the simulation and optimization of
construction processes, including construction site logistics. After completing the
construction, the building model can be used for facility management [6].

In building construction BIM is widely used, especially in the US, Scandinavian

countries, and the UK. In German-speaking countries there is an increasing
interest from public owners to use BIM for the handling of construction projects.
Because of the expected benefits in staying on time and cost schedules in the
operation phase, a major focus lies on construction in the infrastructure sector.
In this context, the statement of the German Federal Minister for Transport and
Digital Infrastructure Alexander Dobrindt should be emphasized: “Modern
construction means: building first virtually, then in reality.” [3, 9].

A survey conducted at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Construction Process

Management at the TU Wien has shown that the majority of a representative
sample of project managers, consultants and public clients in the Austrian
construction industry see a positive impact through BIM on the planning
process, execution and the operation of construction projects. The same survey
showed that the respondents anticipate strengthened co-operative partnerships,
proper documentation, verification and overall saved costs (see Fig. 1).
Particularly noteworthy is the low self-assessment of knowledge about BIM: only
four percent of the surveyed already worked with BIM, a majority feels well (23
percent) and slightly (64 percent) informed. Nine percent of the respondents feel
little or uninformed about BIM.
The survey shows that implementing BIM in Austria is still work in progress. The
participants in the construction industry are increasingly informed, but there are
few projects currently operating with BIM; in particular tunnel construction
projects.

Fig. 1: Survey among leading experts of the Austrian construction industry

BIM in tunnel construction

Digital planning using BIM is not well established in tunneling construction. Even
though in tunneling less complex models are the rule, compared to complex
projects in building construction. Recurring construction processes are known in
advance, which leads to a smaller number of different construction elements.
The reason for this non-widespread evolution of BIM in tunnel construction is
probably due to the interdisciplinarity of the profession. The requirements for
the data storage and detection are diverse and can also cause conflicts of
interest. Also tunnel construction is understood as a moving construction site;
apart from the time, changing local conditions must be considered [11].

Standardization
Due to the high interdisciplinarity of tunnel construction, openBIM is considered
a future-oriented approach. In building construction there is already functioning
standardization for the open data exchange in place, namely Industry
Foundation Classes (IFC) interfaces.
There are research projects and approaches which deal with an extension of the
IFC for elements (Yabuki 2008) and a product model for machine tunneling
(Yabuki, Aruga and Furuya 2013, respectively Hegemann, Lehner and Koenig
2012). Schindler et al. (2014) pursued the approaches and developed an
interactive platform for machine tunneling, called Tunneling Information Model
(TIM). TIM visualizes the progress of the tunneling machine, including the drive-
force and supporting pressure of the machine. It also visualizes settlements
interactively in 3D. The developed concepts and tools were verified with real
data, but are still prototypes and not available for commercial use [11].
The implementation of consistent data exchange formats as well as the
interoperability between different programs is essential for further
development.

As a basis for future standardization in infrastructure engineering, the IFC-

Alignment-Project was carried out under the leadership of the buildingSMART
Model Support Group. Thus, the first important step was set for the
standardization of BIM in infrastructure construction as well. Extensive
enhancements are planned for the next major release of the IFC interface, which
allow the specification of infrastructure buildings, such as roads, bridges and
tunnels.

Pilot projects
One of the first BIM-supported projects was the Hallandsas Tunnel in Sweden
2015. It is considered as a mature pilot project, with the goal to optimize the
time management and have a consistent and up-to-date database at all times.
The model can be used to simulate variations, which leads to easier coordination
between parties. To use individual elements in future projects, a standardized
object library was developed. The gained model can visualize the planning stage,
automatically create consistent drawings and reports as well as facilitating
analysis [11].

In Germany, the Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure has
issued the digital design plan, which is implemented in the form of pilot projects.
One of the pilot projects is the Rastatt Tunnel. The construction of the two-laned
tunnel, which is about 4,2 km long was started in May 2016. There is a wide
range of BIM applications. The main objectives of the BIM process are, however,
improved communication, increasing planning quality and higher reliability for
cost and time planning. This results in a better risk management overall [4].

In Austria there are also pilot projects implementing the BIM process into the
planning stage of tunnel construction, namely the tunnel chain Granitztal and the
Karawanks Tunnel North and South.

Implementing production data into BIM

Through the further development of BIM and increasing technological
possibilities, the digitalization of construction processes is expanding. To
integrate production data from the construction site into the presented BIM
models, the systematic logging and storing of data on-site must be established.
Secondly, the interface between the data management on-site and the BIM model
needs to be developed.

Efficient data management for grouting works

The described trends of digitalization on-site require further research. Therefore
eguana, a development company for electronic system solutions, and the
Institute for Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management of the TU Wien
are working together on a research program. The presented project focuses on
data management and mining for grouting works at tunnel sites. In the following
chapters the stages of data management and the potential for digitalization on
sites are shown. The flow of data from the source to the final analysis and the
current data storage systems available are discussed.

Motivation and current statistics

The 500 Digital Index published by Accenture 2016 [1] shows that the progress
of digitalization in the building industry is significantly worse than the national
average of other industries in Germany. Especially in the sector “production and
process”, the construction industry is lagging behind. On the contrary, a survey
of PwC shows that the construction industry is expecting a cumulative benefit of
3,4% in cost reduction per year until 2020 due to digitalization [2]. In special
geotechnical works the potential for digitalization can be assumed much higher
because of missing research and development in this area. A desk research of
Roland Berger from 2016 shows the context between influence and degree of
implementation of digital solutions in the construction business. In the
construction phase the topic of innovative human-machine-collaboration and the
analytics of data have the biggest impact but are not well implemented yet.
Furthermore, the study reports that room for improvement in the construction
phase is highest in the fields of digital access and automatization.

In special geotechnical works efficient data management is becoming more and

more important for contractors on site. Especially for underground works like
drilling and grouting, the analysis of data during the production process is
crucial. Data analysis in “real time” can give feedback regarding ground and
other assumed boundary conditions to optimize the construction processes
during the construction of a building. For the development of a consistent
monitoring system on site, it is essential to define what data is needed in order to
find useful conclusions during the construction process. The focus of the
development of the research program “data monitoring of special geotechnical
works” lies on finding and combining useful data and generating valuable
information, using efficient data management and data mining. Fig. 2 is an
example of what production data could look like at a jet grouting site and of how
the machinery could communicate with each other.

Fig. 2: Data logging on-site

Three stages of data management

In order to find the main issues for the implementation of efficient data
management on-site, a three stage approach of digitalization is defined. Tab. 1
shows simplified procedures of production data from the origin to final analysis
and application. Currently on construction sites data is measured, stored and
processed either through “analog data management” or “partial digital data
management”.

Isolated solutions already exist without direct interfaces between the single
steps. Indirect interfaces are too time and human-resource intensive to
guarantee sufficient quality control. Furthermore, there is an increased risk of
inaccuracies through human error. The goal of this research program is to
automate interfaces and implement data analysis to eliminate these errors and
to provide reliable data and valuable information for quality assurance,
optimization of the grouting process and to ease communication among the
different stakeholders.

Procedure of
1. Logging 2. Collection & Storage 3. Processing & Use
production data
Interface
Stages of Interface Interface
Method Method Method to building
digitalization to stage 2 to stage 3
model
1. Analog data handwritten spreadsheet -
analog indirect indirect
management protocol program
2. Partial digital proprietary export –
digital / direct / separated direct /
data software & import
analog indirect datasets indirect
management spreadsheet files
real-time
3. Digital data digital / structured analysis and
direct direct direct
management Input mask database data
processing
Tab.1: three stage approach for efficient data management

Digitalization of construction processes

Organizations like “Plattform 4.0” in Austria or “Planen bauen 4.0” in Germany
are promoting efficiency in the construction industry through digitalization. The
industry is expecting to become more resource-friendly and cost effective
through the automatization of processes during the construction phase and
knowledge management, which provides information for facility management
and planning future projects.

The research program mainly concentrates on three fields, which are presented
below. At the present stage the solutions are isolated to single construction sites,
but the ideas and solutions could be integrated into a working BIM model in the
future.
1. Construction processes for grouting works

Every construction work is comprised of multiple processes which require a

variety of sub-processes. These tasks could be executed simultaneously or in
succession. At grouting and drilling works the definition and measurement of
sub-processes are having an important impact on pricing and quality control.
Resources are able to be categorized to the bill of quantity in combination with
time-dependent sub-processes. Automatically generated bill of cost and
estimations based on site data concerning construction time and cost are the
results.

At the beginning of a project the main works with their sub-processes must be
defined. Depending on the level of digitalization, these sub-processes could be
quantified through machine data, logical sequences of the workflow based on the
construction work or inputs from the site manager or foreman. Tab. 2 gives
examples of grouting sub-processes and their initial data sources. Processes like
the measurement of built-in grout could be implemented automatically by data
loggers installed at the grouting control system. Currently, processes like
“equipment repair” or “standstill” must be recorded manually by the site crew.

Sub-process grouting data source

Equipment repair
Equipment maintenance
Reposition grouting system Material x
Reposition grouting system Material y
Placing Packer Material x
Placing Packer Material y
Grouting Material x
Grouting Material y
Cleaning grouting system Material x
Cleaning grouting system Material y
Ordered standstill (downtime?)
Quality control tests
Tab. 2: Example of grouting processes and their data source
Manual input / telematic system control
Manual input / telematic system control
Logical sequence
Logical sequence
Equipment operator / grouting control device
Equipment operator / grouting control device
Data logger grouting system
Data logger grouting system
Manual input / telematic system control
Manual input / telematic system control
Manual input client
Manual input / Inspection interval

If these activities are combined with resources and quality data on site, the
actual construction can be compared with the mandatory construction in real
time. Fig. 3 shows how these sub-processes can be analyzed and visualized.
Fig. 3: Visualization and structuring of processes at grouting works

1. Quality management and documentation

Standards like the ÖNORM EN 12715 “Execution of special geotechnical work –

Grouting” and requirements of the client are demanding the contractor not only
to build the specified quality but also to document and report it. At the moment
site engineers of infrastructure projects need about a fifth of their time for
documentation, analyzing and reporting [5].

Through digitalization, automated data collection and reporting, site managers

and quality managers could be relieved significantly. In the presented research
this includes the following documentation for drilling and grouting works:

o Grouting and drilling reports

o Reports of special stop criteria, e.g. Grouting Intensity Number
(GIN)
o Documentation of construction processes
o Shift- and machine specific reports
o Measurement- and totals sheets as foundation for partial invoices
o Daily construction reports

2. Parameter for performance and material consumption

The financial success of the contractor depends on the estimated expense and
cost values at the tendering stage. Through a consistent database of every
project, reliable parameters for cost and time values can be generated.
Construction management

3. Parameter for performance and material consumption

The financial success of the contractor depends on the estimated expense

and cost values at the tendering stage. Through a consistent database of
every project, reliable parameters for cost and time values can be generated.
Construction management issues, like learning curves for specific
construction methods, can be generated after implementing the mentioned
process management on-site.
Sensor technique, data storage and processing
The most important sensor types, opportunities of data storage for
construction sites and services of cloud computing are mentioned to give an
overview of how grouting data can be measured, stored and analyzed.

The presented monitoring system is based on integrating existing hardware.

Sensors and electronic control systems for grouting works are combined and
improved through additional electronic devices. The following chapter focuses
on procedure “1. Logging” and “2. Collection & Storage” mentioned in Tab 1.

1. Sensors in grouting works

Flow sensors are installed to measure the flowrate and amount of material
that is grouted. At special geotechnical works four different types of sensors
are used. Electro-magnetic sensors are used for conducting fluids, especially
for cement or bentonite suspensions. To measure chemical grouts, stroke
counters are installed on the pumping device. Ultrasonic flow meters are used
for retrofit installations and have a wide range of application. The Coriolis flow
meter is able to measure flow, temperature and density but is not fully applied
to construction sites yet.

Pressure sensors are available in a large variety. In grouting works these

sensors are usually equipped with a membrane. Depending on the pressure
sensing technology, the deformation of this membrane is converted into a
digital signal. To ensure long lifetimes, these sensors or their membranes
need to be protected from abrasive grouting materials by adequate protective
materials.

2. Control systems

To reach the planned goal of grouting works, specific stop criteria are defined
for every grouting project. To meet the grouting criteria and to ensure the
quality of the grouting process, control systems are used. Through the
described sensor types, data like the grouting pressure, the flow rate and the
amounts of injected material are measured and processed by the control
system. Furthermore, this system controls the speed of the grouting pumps
automatically to precisely fulfill required grouting criteria like GIN or other
grouting methods. In the presented research program control devices of
several manufacturers are being used and integrated into the data and
information management system.

3. Storage

The grouting process and success is traditionally documented on paper-

based forms. This type of data storage is time and cost intensive because
information needs to be digitalized manually before it can be combined with
other information. Furthermore, measured data can be lost again and a target-
performance comparison is never up-to-date.

Since the 1980s, the way how production data on-site is stored has changed
completely. At the beginning of this process a central computer on-site stored
the data. When information needed to be transferred, hard-disks were
physically shipped. After establishing computer networking, servers were
installed on-site where all computers shared information and managed data.
Through telecommunications and internet access, construction companies
began to first implement project data management solutions where
participants like planning engineers were able to contribute with a VPN (virtual
private network) connection.

Currently engineering companies have central document management

systems (Enterprise Content Management or virtual rooms) where information
of all the projects are stored. Data storage is combined with a database. That
makes it possible to share data and assign user-defined access rights [10].

Once the idea of BIM is implemented in the construction phase, product

model servers need to be established. In this storage system data is stored
object-oriented and not in a relational schema like in conventional systems.

4. Processing and use

Suppliers of control systems often provide proprietary software to visualize

single datasets of grouting or drilling processes. Analysis of data is connected to
a single workplace as the software is installed at a computer on-site. The
interface of the data logger of the machinery to the storage is realized by USB
connection or other indirect interfaces. Combined analysis of datasets and
visualizations are realized by using spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel charts.

The research program is pursuing an integrated idea of processing and

visualization of grouting data with direct interfaces through cloud computing
and a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.

5. Cloud systems

Cloud computing can be categorized into three different service models:

Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS). At SaaS the provider operates the application software in the
cloud and the user accesses the software from the cloud clients, like mobile apps
or browsers. The consumer does not manage the cloud infrastructure, but has
limited access to user-specific application settings. In the case of an engineering
project, companies have the local-independent access to production data. For a
construction company using SaaS solutions it is important to specify where the
data is physically stored because of the confidential content of the data [8].

At PaaS the consumer does not manage or control the cloud infrastructure, but
can run software systems and have the control over configuration settings for
the hosting environment. IaaS is the most basic cloud service model where just
the underlying infrastructure is provided. As the user will be a civil engineer,
these two service models do not meet the requirements on construction sites.

Examples and first results

After nearly one and a half years of development, the first ideas of digital data
management are being tested at various tunnel sites in Germany and Austria.
Therefore a cloud based platform with a SaaS model was developed. The first
results show how the new approach makes construction processes of grouting
more efficient.

1. Optimizations in the procedure of data flow

Due to direct digital interfaces and the optimization of evaluation and analysis
processes, the time and effort for evaluation and analysis which goes along with
traditional approaches could be reduced by up to 70% [13]. Data is being
transmitted in real-time, which increases the information flow significantly. This
allows stakeholders, e.g. site and project managers to keep up with construction
work and progress. Furthermore, problems can be identified earlier, solutions
found and decisions made much faster. This increases the productivity of the
construction works.

2. Accuracy of quantities and billing

A comparison between traditional and digital quantity calculation has been

performed. In the traditional approach the amounts are calculated through
various spreadsheets. This has the disadvantage that incorrect formulas, typos
etc. can cause errors in the calculation. With a single-source system, such as the
presented data management system, these errors can be eliminated. Both
approaches have been carried out and evaluated simultaneously on several
construction sites. The studies have shown that besides the speed up of the
calculation process an improvement of the accuracy of up to 3,4% has been
achieved [13].

3. Data-Driven visualization

Through data-driven visualization abstract forms of visualizations of the

construction field have been developed. The user can navigate from an overview
of the construction field to detailed process information (as shown in Fig. 4).
Through color schemes and geometrical forms the focus is set clearly on the
communication of information. High amounts of datasets are being processed
and transformed into information about the status and quality of grouting works.
The fast identification and communication of problems is increasingly efficient,
as well as decision processes are anticipated.
Fig. 4: Visualization of grouting data

Conclusion and future studies

The presented article gives an overview of the ongoing pilot projects and
developments implementing BIM in tunnel construction. The second part
concentrates on data management, examined for grouting works at tunnel sites,
covered by the research program “data monitoring of special civil engineering”.
The first results show that digitalization on-site offers many benefits mainly
through the increased speed, efficiency and accuracy of data reporting via direct
digital interfaces.

Further research is necessary to generate these efficient interfaces between the

planning and construction stage. The vision of the Department of Construction
Process and Methods of the TU Wien and eguana is to combine research
approaches with practical solutions on-site.
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