Risks pertaining to construction work relate to situations in which various events may randomly change the duration and cost of the project or worsen its quality. Because of possible significant changes of random events, favorable, moderate, and difficult conditions of construction work are considered. It is the first stage of the construction risk analysis. The probabilistic parameters of construction are identified and described by using the design characteristics model of the structure and the construction technology model. The first describes the probabilistic properties of the structure execution's technology. The second describes the probabilistic properties of the works execution. Both models contain basic probabilistic data for scheduling, cost estimating, and risk assessment of the construction.
Geomechnical model testing has been widely applied as a kind of research technique in underground engineering problems. However, during the practical application process, due to the influence of many factors, the desired results cannot be obtained. In order to solve this problem, based on the measurement requirements of the model test, combined with FBG(Fiber Bragg Grating) sensor technology and traditional measurement methods, an FBG monitoring system, Micro-multi-point displacement test system, resistance strain test system and surrounding rock pressure monitoring system are developed. Applying the systems to a model test of the tunnel construction process, the displacement in advance laws of tunnel face, radial displacement distribution laws and surrounding rock pressure laws are obtained. Test results show that a multivariate information monitoring system has the advantage of high precision, stability and strong anti-jamming capability. It lays a solid foundation for the real-time data monitoring of the tunnel construction process model test.
The steel pipe umbrella is a widely used technology when tunnelling in weak soils in order to create pre-support ahead of the tunnel face. The design of steel pipes is frequently done through simplified analytical approaches which are easy to apply but require proper assessment of the loads acting on the pipe. To provide information on this key design aspect, the results of the comparison between a three-dimensional numerical model developed with the code FLAC 3D and an analytical model based on the approach of a beam on yielding supports is presented and discussed. The comparison refers to a shallow tunnel with an overburden of three times its diameter for two different types of weak rock masses. The obtained results provide suggestions about the load that has to be applied in the analytical model for the design phase.
U-turn lanes eliminate left turns at intersections and allow the manoeuvre to be made via median crossovers beyond the intersection. However, there are many situations where road infrastructures are characterized by the reduced width of the median. It is clear that, in such situations, we must adopt design criteria that take into account limitations imposed by the width of the cross-section of the road. This is the reason why it is necessary to adopt design solutions which expect a complete reorganization of the road section affected by the insertion of U-turns. In this paper, we intend to propose original guidelines for U-turn lane design, suitable to guarantee both the necessity to offer a high level of functionality of the road sections to be implemented by U-turns, and the principles of safety in order to reduce unsafe conditions during inversion manoeuvres as much as possible.
The aim of this study was to identify thoroughly the geological structure of the Choszczno Anticline for potential CO2 storage. The paper presents the interpretation of seismic materials for a selected seismic profile reprocessed into a section of reflection coefficients characterized by increased recording resolution as compared to the wave image. Particular attention was paid to the geological complexes associated with the Jurassic reservoir formations suitable for carbon dioxide storage within the anticline. The correlation of the identified layers reflects the lithology and structure of the rock series. It allows determination of the thicknesses of the series and changes within them, and enables linking the individual layers with the lithologic units, based on geological data. The study refers to the whole Zechstein-Mesozoic succession of the Choszczno Anticline, with special emphasis on these series, in which there are potential reservoir formations for CO2 storage. The interpretation has significantly expanded the amount of data provided in standard seismic documentations. While assessing the suitability of the formations for CO2 storage, special attention should be paid to the tectonic disturbances within the Komorowo Formation, especially in the top part of the Choszczno structure. The Reed Sandstone bed is more continuous in this respect. The obtained results seem to suggest wider application of reprocessing of seismic materials into effective reflection coefficients to study the geological structure, also for other structures.
During implementation of construction projects, durations of activities are affected by various factors. Because of this, both during the planning phase of the project as well as the construction phase, managers try to estimate, or predict, the length of any delays that may occur. Such estimates allow for the ability to take appropriate action in terms of planning and management during the execution of construction works. This paper presents the use of the non-deterministic concept for describing the uncertainty of estimating works duration. The concept uses the theory of fuzzy sets. The author describes a method for fuzzy estimations of construction works duration based on the fact that uncertain data is an inherent factor in the conditions of construction projects. An example application of the method is presented. The author shows a fuzzy estimation for the duration of an activity, taking into consideration the distorting influence caused by malfunctioning construction equipment and delivery delays of construction materials.