Cambridge Centre for Sa I a a C AnnuAl Review 2014...Centre for Smart infrastructure and...

sensors

assets

cities

TRAnSFORMinGinFRASTRuCTuRe

Cambridge Centre forSmart Infrastructure

and Construction

AnnuAl Review 2014

“CSIC’s work on Crossrailand other related projectsis cutting edge. Optic fibrestrain gauges to measurethe performance of ourtunnel sections andshafts – something that isa first anywhere in theworld. Developing assetmanagement systemsthat detect changes in thecondition of the asset overits life cycle. Both theseprojects are beingdeveloped for us tounderstand better howour structures and assetsbehave and how, longterm, we can save moneythrough more economicdesign and reduced lifecycle costs.”

Andrew WolstenholmeCEO of Crossrail

Centre for Smart infrastructure and Construction Annual Review 2014 1

Transforming thefuture of infrastructurethrough smarterinformation

42collaborative projects withindustry to date

41active industry partners

50field demonstrations

158trainees or students throughthe Centre

562publications includingacademic papers

7awards and shortlistings

1patent

£753,615income from commercialservices

£10,425,874non-IKC research grantfunding

cumulative figures 2012 to February 2014

ContentsTransforming construction and management of infrastructure 2

Strategic direction – delivering industry’s needs 4

Innovative measurement tools and techniques 6

Managing our assets – focusing on value as well as cost 12

Understanding our cities 16

Developing relationships with industry 22

Engaging industry through training 26

Steering GroupProfessor John Burland CBE, Imperial College (Chair)Dr Keith Bowers, London Underground Alan Couzens, Infrastructure UKTim Embley, CostainRab Fernie, ex Cementation SkanskaTom Foulkes, Victoria BIDSteve Hornsby, ex IBMProfessor Robert Mair CBE, CSIC, University of CambridgeProfessor Duncan McFarlane, CSIC, University of CambridgeProfessor Andrew McNaughton, HS2Professor Campbell Middleton, CSIC, University of CambridgeRichard Ploszek, Royal Academy of Engineering & Infrastructure UKDr Jennifer Schooling, CSIC DirectorProfessor Kenichi Soga, CSIC, University of CambridgeDr Scott Steedman CBE, British Standards Institute (BSI)John St Leger, Strainstall UK LtdPaul Westbury CBE, Buro HappoldProfessor Ian White, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

international Advisory Group Professor Tom O’Rourke (Chair), Cornell University, USAProfessor Yozo Fujino, University of Tokyo, JapanProfessor Bill Spencer, University of Illinois, USAProfessor Paul Wright, University of California, Berkeley, USAProfessor Hehua Zhu,Tongji University, China

CSiC in numbers

TRAnSFORMinG COnSTRuCTiOnAnd MAnAGeMenT OFinFRASTRuCTuRe

Professor Robert MairHead of CSiC, Head of Civil engineering, university of Cambridge


“With our industrypartners, CSIC is pushingforward new frontiers oftechnology andinnovative managementin a sector of theeconomy which hastraditionally had verylittle investment inresearch.”Professor Robert MairHead of CSIC

High-quality infrastructure, such as tunnels,

bridges, roads, railways, buildings and utilities,

is essential for supporting economic growth

and productivity. It attracts globally-mobile

businesses and promotes social well-being.

Modern construction and infrastructure must be

robust, resilient and adaptable to changing

patterns – particularly natural disasters and

climate change. It also needs to be optimised in

terms of efficiency, cost, low carbon footprint

and service quality.

There is a compelling need for change –

the UK construction industry is perceived:

• to be expensive, often late and of mixed

quality

• as being ‘old and slow’ as opposed to the

‘new and fast’ technology sectors

• as having a fragmented supply chain

• as being resistant to innovation

The industry creates significant waste –

an estimated 20% of 420m tonnes of material

used each year is thrown away – contributing

to 109m tonnes of construction and demolition

waste produced annually – three times more

than produced by UK households.

Historically all these reasons have made

transformation of the construction industry

difficult to deliver.

The way forwardModern infrastructure and construction can

benefit enormously from the innovative use of

emerging technologies in sensor and data

management such as:

• fibre optics

• Micro Electro Mechanical Systems

(MEMS)

• computer vision

• power harvesting

• radio frequency identification (RFID)

• wireless sensor networks

There are real opportunities for these new

technologies to make radical changes to the

construction and management of infrastructure,

leading to considerably enhanced efficiencies,

economies, resilience and adaptability.

Emerging technologies can be applied to

advanced health monitoring of existing critical

infrastructure assets to quantify and define the

extent of ageing, ascertain the consequent

remaining design life of infrastructure, ensure

resilience and reduce the risk of failure.

Fresh thinkingThe engineering, management, maintenanceand upgrading of infrastructure require freshthinking to minimise use of materials, energyand labour whilst still ensuring resilience. Thiscan only be achieved by a full understanding ofthe performance of the infrastructure, bothduring its construction and throughout itsdesign life, through the application of innovativesensor technologies and other emergingtechnologies.

The key aim of CSIC is that emergingtechnologies from world-leading research atCambridge will transform the constructionindustry through a whole-life approach toachieving sustainability in construction andinfrastructure in an integrated way.

This covers:• design and commissioning• the construction process• exploitation and use• eventual de-commissioning

Crucial elements of these emergingtechnologies are the innovative application ofthe latest sensor technologies, datamanagement tools, manufacturing processesand supply chain management processes tothe construction industry, both duringinfrastructure construction and throughout itsdesign life.

The major objective of CSIC is to integratethese innovations for exploitation andknowledge transfer – something which is newto the UK construction and infrastructureindustry. We believe that the outcome will bemajor transformations in the approaches to thedesign, construction and use of complexinfrastructure leading to step changes inimproved health and productivity, a low carbonsociety, and sustainable urban planning andmanagement.

There will be a very substantial market forexploitation of these technologies by theconstruction industry – particularly contractors,specialist instrumentation companies andowners of infrastructure for both domestic andinternational markets.

With our industry partners, CSIC is pushingforward new frontiers of technology andinnovative management in a sector of theeconomy which has traditionally had very littleinvestment in research, particularly whencompared to sectors such as computing orelectronics.

CSIC draws on recent research in newtechniques, new models of construction andnew management approaches. Through thisinnovation in technology and management,supported by extensive training anddevelopment, deep-rooted attitudes andassumptions are being challenged by CSICwith the aim of revolutionizing construction andthe public perception of it.

STRATeGiC diReCTiOn –deliveRinG induSTRy’S needS

Installing a steel reinforcementin a bored pile

As an Innovation and Knowledge Centre(IKC), CSIC is in the privileged position ofbeing jointly funded by the Engineering andPhysical Research Council (EPSRC) and theTechnology Strategy Board (TSB), withsignificant in-kind contribution from industrypartners. This brings with it an expectationthat we will go beyond the normal boundariesof research, and deliver outputs at a higherlevel of technology readiness that industry cantake forward.

This development and delivery is a majorfocus of CSIC’s current and future activities,and the award of our Tranche 2 grant in Junelast year reflects this. We are embarking on arange of exciting initiatives to achieve thisambition, including: • focus on scale-up and standardisation –

making our methodologies andtechnologies robust and repeatable

• recruiting a deployment team to test andimprove these methods and technologieson site-based projects

• developing best practice guidance andindustry training courses

• new collaborative projects• holding industry partner meetings to

present and test our findings• exploring secondment of staff from our

industry partners into our deploymentteam to bring the wisdom and experienceof site-based work and industry analysisrequirements to shaping our outputs anddeveloping standards

The model of seconding staff into CSIC fromour partner organisations has received strongsupport from industry partners and from ourfunders, as it is seen as an effective way ofmaking sure that our work delivers to realindustry needs. We plan to host thesesecondees for periods of six to twelve months,allowing us to vary the skill set in ourdeployment team as our requirements changeand we progress our different technologyofferings through the development phase. Wehave just welcomed our first two secondeesfrom Arup and Mott MacDonald and are keento discuss further secondments with otherpartner organisations.

We have a strong team supporting theseactivities. We have been delighted to welcomeHelen Needham, our new CommunicationsManager, who has already made a realdifference to our ability to reach out to industrypartners and a wider audience. Helen’s Flickrsite on The Making of a Smart Tunnel hasreceived around 4,000 viewings, and she isthe architect of this Annual Review you arereading.

Other exciting milestones, for CSIC were ourfirst two training courses for industry, expertlydeveloped and delivered by our Training andKnowledge Transfer Manager, Dr CedricKechavarzi. You can read more about this andour plans for further training courses later inthis Annual Review.

Phil Keenan, our Business DevelopmentManager, is also continuing to provide first-rate support in developing our engagementwith industry, and has been a driving forcebehind the development of our new dynamicsensing project, to be led by Dr MohammedElshafie. Phil is coordinating our efforts in thewider arena of Horizon 2020 and other EUand UK funding, as well as supporting ourcollaborative projects in assessing the marketpotential of their outputs.

The last year has witnessed a sea-change inCSIC’s activities, from producing potentiallyuseful research outputs to developing thoseoutputs into offerings that industry can use,develop and benefit from – truly helping totransform the future of infrastructure andconstruction through smarter information,technologies and approaches. We welcomeyour continued involvement in this journey.

“The last year haswitnessed a sea-change inCSIC’s activities, fromproducing potentiallyuseful research outputs todeveloping those outputsinto offerings thatindustry can use andbenefit from – trulyhelping to transform thefuture of infrastructureand construction throughsmarter information,technologies andapproaches.”Dr Jennifer Schooling Director of CSIC

dr Jennifer Schoolingdirector of CSiC,university of Cambridge


Secondees at work

innOvATiveMeASuReMenT

TOOlS AndTeCHniqueS

©Im

age courtesy of Tham

es Water

Instrumentation of diaphragm walls forstrain measurement, Abbey Mills shaft


On-site application

CSIC’s strength is applying new andinnovative sensor technologies to real fieldenvironments involving construction andmaintenance of infrastructure.

This year we have worked on more than 15sites with our industry partners, deploying andtesting CSIC’s sensor technologies. Theindustry’s pull for these technologies andsystems is very strong – we have now had toinvest in creating a special Deployment Teamto respond to the high demand and quickresponse requirements.

As an international centre of excellence insensors, CSIC is always pushing theboundaries of new sensor technologies.

Some of the current transformative tools andtechnologies CSIC has continued to developover the past year include:• fibre optic dynamic strain measurement• new computer vision tools• a MEMS strain sensor • an ultra-low power wireless sensor• a parametrically excited vibration-based

energy harvesting device

The highlights of this year’s activities in fibreoptic sensing are:• performance monitoring of retaining walls

at Crossrail’s Pudding Mill Lane, LimmoShaft, Stepney Green and PaddingtonStation sites

• monitoring of a very deep diaphragm wallat the Abbey Mills Shaft for Thames Water(winner of the 2013 Fleming Award)

• assessment of National Grid’s tunnel liningbehaviour during tunnel construction byembedding optical fibre in the precastconcrete lining segments

• monitoring of masonry structures atLondon Bridge Station to observe themovements during extensive piling workbelow

• field testing of thermal piles to evaluatethe thermo-mechanical response of pilesduring heating and cooling for groundsource heat pump systems, carried out atLondon’s Shell Centre; a major newLondon embassy; and a site in Houston,US with Virginia Tech and the US NationalScience Foundation

• field testing of large diameter piles byintegrating fibre optic strain measurementwith O-Cell loading test technology

• monitoring of the 100-year-old Post Officerailway tunnel during construction ofCrossrail’s tunnels immediately below

distributed fibre optics strain measurement

Structural integration of fibre optic sensing systems represents a new branch ofengineering. It involves the unique marriage of fibre optics, optoelectronics andcomposite material science to monitor a wide range of structures.

Looking ahead• we are currently developing a new low cost miniature fibre optic analyser in collaboration

with UCL and Aeroflex• we are developing cheap fibre optic sensing cables and connectors with several industry

partners• new field deployment projects are starting, including tunnels at CERN and piles at the

Victoria and Albert Museum • we are starting a new research project to develop a system to measure strains for

dynamic problems, such as traffic-induced vibration on bridges • we are targeting all our developments for practical use in civil engineering and the

construction industry• CSIC is hosting its first international conference in June 2014 to disseminate our fibre

optic sensing work as well as to provide opportunities for academics and practitioners toshare their experiences

Professor Kenichi Soga Co-investigator CSiC,Professor of Civil engineering, university of Cambridge A pre-tensioning clamp and fibre optic cable on a reinforcement cage

Our computer vision tools transform imagesets from varying and unknown coordinatesystems into one single coordinate system.This will provide inspectors with automatictools to combine large numbers of pictures intoa single, high-quality, wide-angle compositeview.

Subsequent images can be compared to thepast history and used for change detection toidentify anomalies such as water leakage andcrack development.

We are also developing another computervision system called Digital Image Correlation(DIC), which evaluates the movements of anobjective from multiple images taken atdifferent times using fixed cameras. Thissystem is considered to be complementary to

conventional theodolite surveying systemsand can be effective when targets are

difficult to install or when a siterequires large numbers of multiple

‘moving’ locations formonitoring.

The highlights of thisyear’s field activities incomputer vision are:• we have trialled anew computer visionsystem at NationalGrid’s new powertunnels in London incollaboration withToshiba CambridgeResearch Laboratory.

This work waspresented at the 13th

IAPR Conference onMachine Vision

Applications in Kyoto,Japan and won the best

paper award• digital image correlation

techniques were used to monitorthe movement of the Post Office

railway tunnel during construction ofCrossrail’s tunnels immediately below

Computer visionCSIC’s innovative computer vision tools aim to replace current visualinspection to detect and monitor anomalies such as cracks, spalling andstaining of concrete in construction and maintenance work.

Looking ahead• we are developing change detection

software, which identifies the regionsof changes between multiple imagesof the same scene taken at differenttimes

• the computer vision software toolswill be integrated to robotics for semi-automated image capturing

• field trials at London Undergroundsites, London Bridge Station andCERN are planned

“This technology has thepotential to transform theway in which we monitor thestructural integrity of ourtunnel network andpotentially removes the risksassociated with inspectionpersons entering the cabletunnels.”Mark Farmer, Project Engineer,National Grid

Digital Photogrammetry and deployment of WSNsystem in the 100-year-old Post Office railway tunnel


WSN (Wireless Sensor Network)CSIC’s challenges have been to establish amethodology that:• is robust• works in confined space conditions with

intensive construction activities• ensures that the system (both sensor and

communication) is calibrated properly on site• the data is reported in the way that clients

can use effectively to make decisions

Our R&D development in WSN includes opensource WSN software and hardware for civilengineering monitoring, a network diagnostictool and a ‘BIM friendly’ WSN planning andmaintenance tool.

The highlights of this year’s field activities inWSN are:• we deployed a portable WSN system that

was attached to temporary timber tunnellinings at London Underground’s Victoriaand Tottenham Court Road Stations. Theobjective was to measure the load appliedto the timbers during and after tunnelconstruction so that the size and thicknessof the timber can be optimised for safeconstruction

• we installed a large scale WSN system inthe 100-year-old Post Office railway tunnelto measure its movement duringconstruction of a large diameter platformtunnel underneath it as part of Crossrail’sproject

• a WSN system was installed at Crossrail’sPaddington Station site to monitor themovement of retaining walls duringexcavation

• CSIC PhD student Heba Bevan developedan ultra-low power ‘UtterBerry’ WSN motewhich received recognition at the 2013 IETInnovation Awards.

Wireless Sensor Network and Micro Electro Mechanical SystemsFuture monitoring systems will undoubtedly comprise Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) as part of the ‘internet of things’ and will be designed around the capabilities of autonomous nodes. Each node in the network will integrate specific sensing capabilities with communication, data processing and power supply. The use of wireless sensor technology has significant potential benefits for infrastructure monitoring, allowing a rapid deployment due to elimination of cabling. Combined with low power Micro Electro Mechanical Systems(MEMS) sensors, there is an opportunity for substantial overall cost savings for large scalemonitoring.

Looking ahead• we are working with its industry

partners to develop a WSN guidancedocument to be published in 2015

• more field deployments are plannedat several London Undergroundstations and for the London BridgeStation upgrade project

Wireless sensor network mote

Looking ahead• we are developing a low power

MEMS-based strain sensor whichhas a strain resolution of at least 20nanostrain

• we are developing a 1 cm3 packagecomprising low-noise multi-axisresonant MEMS strain gauges (and atemperature sensor) co-integratedwith low-power interface circuits thatprovide digital output

• the circuits will be optimised to targetan average power dissipation of lessthan 100 microW to enable the futureintegration of energy harvestingtechnologies

• a prototype MEMS circuit integrateddevice is expected to be available fortesting in mid-2014

MEMS (Micro Electro MechanicalSystems) technology:CSIC’s WSN system is integrated withsensors – many of these are based on MEMStechnology.

About MEMS:MEMS are small integrated devices orsystems that combine electrical andmechanical components varying in size from micrometres to millimetres. These canmerge the function of computation andcommunication with sensing and actuation to produce a system of miniature dimensions.

We envisage an integrated MEMS WSNsystem offering a solution to monitor andcontrol physical and chemical parameters inmany civil infrastructure applications.

MEMS sensors offer major advantages overconventional monitoring systems:• smaller size• lower power consumption• value for money due to mass production• extended performance and lifetime

MEMS strain sensor designed with its own unique‘compass’ of sensing elements to sense strain fromdifferent directions

Ultra low power ‘UtterBerry’ wireless sensor mote

5mm

30mm

36mm

Energy harvesting solutions can enhancebattery lifetime or potentially eliminate theiruse completely. They will cut cost byminimising the requirement for repeatedmanual intervention

CSIC has developed an innovative vibration-based energy harvesting device at macro- andMEMS- scales. This device is based onparametric resonance with the followingbenefits:• it provides the potential for an increase in

harvested power density• It enables a wider frequency band of

operation compared with similar devicesexcited by direct resonance

• CSIC and Cambridge Enterprise have filed a patent on this unique technology

All parties need to understand theadvantages and limitations of thetechnologies and work together to overcomeissues arising from the technology level,regulations and the site environment.

Our main mission is to pass this knowledgeto the construction and infrastructureindustry through field demonstrations,training courses and guidance documentpublication, so that the industry as a wholecan be recognised as an innovation leader.

Many of our CSIC industry partners believein this and we have started to see moreinfrastructure owners and consultantsspecifying the use of new sensortechnologies in their design and constructionactivities.

We will continue to develop new sensortechnologies, at the same time beingcommitted to delivering practical solutions tothe industry so that everyone can use them.

Energy harvesting technologyThis is a key enabler for the development of a range of WSN-based structural healthmonitoring solutions where the use of batteries or mains power is either impractical oradds significant cost.

Looking aheadCSIC is currently developing secondgeneration prototypes for parametricallyexcited vibration energy harvesters,expected to be ready forcommercialisation in 2015

Way forwardWe believe that working with teams of infrastructure owners, consultants andcontractors is the key to introducing innovation into the construction andinfrastructure industry quickly.

The Technology Team

Fibre opticsProfessor Kenichi Soga Dr Mohammed Elshafie Professor Robert Mair Dr Cedric Kechavarzi Dr Loizos PelecanosPeter Knott

Fibre optics analyser Professor Kenichi Soga Dr Jize Yan Dr Xiaomin Xu

Wireless Sensor Network Professor Kenichi Soga Dr Cecilia Mascolo Professor Campbell Middleton Dr Jize Yan Dr Xiaomin Xu Dr Sarfaz Nawaz Paul Fidler David Rodenas HerraizDr Christos Efstratiou

Computer VisionProfessor Kenichi Soga Professor Roberto Cipolla Dr Ankur Handa

MEMS/Vibration Energy Harvesting Dr Ashwin Seshia Professor Kenichi Soga Dr Cuong Do Yu Jia

16mm

CSIC’s macro-scale vibration energy harvesting device providing enhanced operational frequency and improved power density

MEMS-scale energyharvester on a silicon chip

155mm

“Energy harvesting has been attracting serious research anddevelopment attention over recent years. Increasing theharvested power will expand the potential implementationinto real industrial remote sensing applications.”Steve Riches, Business Development, GE Aviation Systems, Newmarket


Location Abbey Mills Shaft F, Stratford, East London(Thames Water Lee Tunnel project)

Working withThames Water along with AECOM, MVB JV,CH2M Hill, Bachy Soletanche andUnderground Professional Services

Challenges • to ascertain accurate ground movements

around a deep excavation • to reduce costs by improved

understanding of structural performance

Project details • one of the largest and deepest shafts

ever constructed in London• 72m deep; 30m diameter• forms an integral part of the Lee Tunnel

and Thames Tideway Tunnel projects• CSIC asked by Thames Water to deploy

fibre optic strain sensors in the majorcircular shaft excavation at Abbey Mills

• we monitored deformation in the retainingwalls and adjacent ground during shaftexcavation

• we instrumented three diaphragm wallpanels with fibre optics to monitor bothbending strain (in the vertical direction)and hoop strain (horizontal direction)

Achievements • fibre optic sensors successfully installed

in three 84m deep diaphragm walls –minimal disruption to constructionprocess

• first use of fibre optics as a measure ofhoop strain (and hence hoop stress)

• new and detailed understanding ofperformance of 72m deep shaft showingthat separate segments of the wall act asa solid wall with isotropic stiffness in hoopdirection

• surface settlements were extremelysmall, particularly during excavation: < 2mm (vs. empirical predictions of 40mm)

Transformative benefits to theconstruction industry • an estimated cost saving of at least

£10 million in risk mitigation for futureThames Water construction projects

• minimal disruption to constructionprocess: as fibre optic sensorssuccessfully installed in three 84m deepdiaphragm walls

• innovative design for future work:improved understanding of structuralbehaviour and improved understandingand confidence in fundamental behaviourof the shafts and associated groundmovements enabling innovation in design

• award winning: winner of 2013Cementation Skanska’s Fleming Award –one of the top prizes recognisingexcellence in geotechnical engineering

• pioneering research: provided data andevidence for future deep shaft design andconstruction – with particular use for theforthcoming Thames Tideway Tunnelproject involving 18 further deep shaftexcavations in built up areas

“Thames water’s approach hasbeen changed by this successfulresult; it will apply the method to all future major shaftexcavations. The confirmation ofthe design models that will berealised by this work will givegreater confidence and fewerobjections by third partystructure owners and operatorsthus reducing the level ofinstitutional objection during the planning process.” John Greenwood, Tideway Tunnels

Case study

Transforming construction: implementing a large scale monitoring scheme to measure structural performance andassociated ground movements of a deep shaft

Attaching fibre optic cable on a diaphragm wallreinforcement cage

Installation of reinforcement cage with fibre opticcables

Deep circular diaphragm wall shaft – monitored withfibre optic instrumentation

©Im


es Water

©Im


es Water

MAnAGinG OuR ASSeTS –FOCuSinG On vAlue ASwell AS COST

The Forth Road Bridge, Scotland –opened 50 years ago


Professor duncan McFarlane Co-investigator CSiC,Professor of industrialinformation engineering,university of Cambridge

dr Ajith Parlikad Co-investigator CSiC,lecturer, institute for Manufacturing, university of Cambridge

Sustaining economic growth and meeting thechallenges of the future necessitates hugeinvestment to develop and maintain UKinfrastructure. It has been predicted thatapproximately £40-50 billion per annuminvestment is required until 2030 to extend theexisting asset life as well as invest in newinfrastructure to cope with future demands.

Given the current economic climate and thecost of building new infrastructure, it becomesextremely important to find a balance betweeninvestment in new projects and the upkeep ofexisting infrastructure.

We aim to address the challenge of managingthe current ageing infrastructure bydetermining the type, the level and the timingof investment required so our assets can meetcurrent and future demand.

We are doing this by devising a number ofinformative, value-based, predictive toolswhich will inform and enable asset owners tomake appropriate decisions to maintain andeven enhance the value of their asset. Webelieve this is vital, as budget and resourcecapabilities are constrained.

Current best practice methodologies availablefor infrastructure asset management focus oneconomic factors with less attention given tosocial and environmental factors. Theyminimise the whole life cost of an asset. Thisdoes not guarantee best value.

CSIC is developing sensing and data analysismodels which will provide an excellentplatform for providing data to enable smarterand proactive asset decisions.

The case for using sensing and dataanalysis to enable smarter, proactiveasset decision-making:• being proactive not reactive:

maintenance, inspection andrefurbishment programmes across aportfolio of infrastructure assetsfocusing on condition and preventivemaintenance programmes need to bedeveloped

• decisions must result in the bestvalue for money

• it is essential to capture and analysethe right data at the right time forasset management decisions to beeffective

“The Underground hasrecently made goodprogress in developingmethods for treatingcondition issues such as seepages in our tunnels.To achieve best value infuture, our challenge is nowto select the most beneficialof these techniques for eachsituation. The idealtreatment in a station maybe quite different to that in a running tunnel or anequipment room. CSIC’sasset management tooloffers an opportunity toassess systematically whatwe should value in each case and guide the decisionmaking accordingly.” Dr Keith Bowers London Underground’s Profession Head for Tunnel Engineering

Looking aheadThe CSIC asset management work is wellunder way, with the initial tooldevelopments completed. We are in theprocess of evaluating the tool’s practicalapplications through a series of casestudies with the industry. For example,we are working with London Undergroundexamining how to optimise themaintenance of both running and platformtunnels in the Bakerloo Line and withSurrey County Council to optimisereplacement timings for highwayprotection barriers.

In order to promote industrial adoption ofour tools and transform the wayinfrastructure assets are managed in theUK, we will publish guidance documentsfor through-life asset management. Wewill also be working closely with ourpartners and the wider industry throughthe HM Treasury Infrastructure UK, ClientWorking Group to pilot and deploy thetools and methodologies, and to sharebest-practices and pave the way for trulysmart infrastructure management.

CSiC’s value Mapping Tool

The asset management team at CSIC isdeveloping state of the art methodologies andtools to help infrastructure managers developasset management plans that can ensure thatthe asset in question will continue to providethe best value for money.

CSIC’s Value Mapping Tool will identify:• the key stakeholders of the assets. For

example, asset owners, maintenancecontractor and the end users

• their needs and requirements from theasset

• how these requirements are fulfilled byeffective maintenance policies adoptedthrough the asset life cycle

• it will facilitate easy visualisation of keyvalue elements such as the dependenciesbetween type of intervention and thecondition of the asset, and the impact onthe cost, risk and performance of theasset

• it will identify intervention optionsavailable to asset managers to manage orcontrol the value

The Value Mapping Tool’s benefits: • it will help asset managers devise

maintenance policies by taking intoaccount the various possibilities andevaluate the best value. The decisionmaker will be able to choose betweencheaper but frequent short-term repairsand expensive but long-termrefurbishments, and will be able tobalance the cost, risk and performance ina systematic way

• it will be supported by mathematicalmodelling techniques to determinethrough-life costs, risks and performanceof the assets

• this will help the asset managementprogramme to maximise the value to thevarious stakeholders at the best possibleminimum cost

• this approach assists asset managers tothink systematically about the differentways by which the asset value can bemanaged, and also will highlight theimportant pieces of information that arenecessary to manage the asset

information Management:CSiC’s informationRequirement Tool A key challenge in infrastructure assetmanagement is the need for properinformation management.

The problem:The wide variety of infrastructural assetsspread over a large geographical areacoupled with fact that there are variousstakeholders with different requirements posesignificant challenges for informationmanagement.

CSIC’s information requirement tool will helpinfrastructure companies to understand thethrough-life information requirements fordecision making. Its key benefit isunderstanding the business and decisionmaking processes and eliciting the informationrequirements to support them.

This tool will help organisations identify thekey information that is actually needed tosupport the decisions, minimising informationoverload.

information Future ProofingToolThe lifetime of an infrastructure asset istypically more than 25 years, and in mostcases, assets last more than 100 years.Asset related information must be available todecision-makers over a long period of time –something which becomes challenging giventhe obsolescence caused by the evershortening lifecycle of informationtechnologies.

CSIC’s Information Future Proofing Tool will:• help asset intensive infrastructure

companies to develop strategies tofutureproof information

• examine the technological andorganisational aspects for informationfuture proofing

• help decision makers in choosing the righttechnologies and data formats

• help decision makers collect data andensure it is available in the long term

The Asset Management Team

Professor Duncan McFarlaneDr Ajith ParlikadDr Phil CattonDr Tariq MasoodDr Raj SrinavasanDr Rachel Cuthbert


location

Euston Station, London

working with

London Underground

Challenges

• railway tunnels are reliable structureswith relatively low maintenancerequirements but some problems dooccur and can be challenging to treat

• ground water seepage is the mostcommon concern in many undergroundrailway systems. This can be a particularissue in older tunnels not built to modernwaterproofing standards

• uncontrolled seepage can result in avariety of condition problems including:corrosion of track and structures,disruption to signalling and otherelectrical systems and generaldeterioration of surfaces. If untreatedthese issues can lead to reliability issues and a poor ambiance in publicareas

• the precise location of seepages can behard to predict so maintenance to correctspecific instances is often reactive innature. This can make effectivemaintenance planning difficult

Project details

• seepages have occurred in several areason the London Underground tunnelnetwork. Signficant maintenance effort isrequired to prevent these issues affectingthe reliability of the service

• London Underground has invested intrials of materials and methods to treatthese issues. These have established apalate of remedial solutions together withpublished guidance on the design andimplementation of grouting to controlindividual seepages

• the logical next step is to develop amodel to select a treatment approachtaking account of what the railway values in different locations. For example,the right treatment for a running tunnelmay not be same as for a public areawhere appearance is important. Theproject will aim to develop a tool to assistin this process by approaching thesedecisions from the perspective of clientvalues

• it is anticipated that this value basedapproach may have applicability to bothindividual decisions and overall strategicplanning of maintenance

Achievements

• the study will examine what the clientvalues by assessing the specific impactsof water seepage at various points in thetunnels

• it will also aim to provide LondonUnderground with an effectivemaintenance policy tool that canmaximise the tangible value provided bymaintenance within budget constraints

Anticipated transformative benefits to

london underground

• the study will aim to provide a tool whichenables London Underground to assesspossible maintenance strategies in termsof tangible measures of value to theorganisation. These will not be limited tocost concerns but will also incorporateother potential value drivers such asreliability and ambiance

• it is expected that application of the toolwill improve the ability to make goodinvestment decisions and so achievemaximum value benefits from a givenlevel of investment

• the model will also provide an additionaltool to help in making the rightmaintenance and inspection choices forspecific situations

Case studyTransforming asset management: developing maintenance planning tools for metro tunnels based on systematicevaluation of value to the end user

CSIC researchers with engineers from Tubelines surveying the tunnel geometry, feeding into London Underground’s overall maintenance strategies

undeRSTAndinGOuR CiTieS

The availability of new online sources has started toprovide new insights into how transport and publicspace are used across cities with fine temporal andgeographic resolution. This data has the potential totransform the predictive tools of infrastructure use.The image shows the number of unique Twitter userstweeting whilst volunteering information about theirlocation during weekday 8-9am in London, whichilluminates the bulk of the public transport system inInner London. The city is divided by 30 metre by 30metre squares, a square with less than 25 beingcoloured grey, 25-35 white, 35-70 yellow, 70-140orange and 140 or more Twitter users red in a singlesquare. Usually one in five Twitter users opt in toreveal their tweeting locations

The firm economic grounding of the algorithmnow allows quantification of costs and benefitsof investment and regulatory decisions toinform decision-making, with the followingadvantages: • it is capable of modelling travel demand

and road traffic at national scale • it retains high levels of relevant local

details for each origin and destinationassessed

• new advances cut the computer model runtime by up to 10 times whilst improving theprecision of model results

Benefits and application:The algorithm can be used by centralgovernment agencies in assessing nationallevel infrastructure and development planssuch as the strategic road and rail networks. It can also be used by local authorities intesting alternative solutions to unblock localbottlenecks which are used simultaneously by local and inter-regional traffic.


dr ying JinCo-investigator CSiC,lecturer, department of Architecture, university of Cambridge

Cities represent the highest concentration ofinfrastructure and building assets. Intricatewebs of individual and collective decisionsare made about their construction,adaptation and use, which has a directbearing on how cities function and definesthe physical and virtual environments inwhich we live and work.

CSIC has developed new analytical toolsthrough in-depth case studies of goodpractice to reveal how the decisions and theirinteractions form economically productiveand environmentally attractive places to liveand work.

The findings of this project serve a practicalpurpose:• to inform the planning of specific cities

and infrastructure projects through newquantification of benefits and costs

• to shed light on the ethos and code ofconduct for creating a fair, green,resource-efficient and productive urbanenvironment, through working with theStandards Agencies in the UK andworldwide

Our new analytical tools focus on transport,urban development and urban regenerationinitiatives from the local to the national scale.

national scale: fast simulation algorithm that retains localdetails

we have incorporated rigorous economic theories into ‘adaptive zoning’, a highly

efficient computer modelling algorithm which we created as a product of earlier

research work.

The road network of Britain – the adaptive zoning method is capable of retaining the local traffic details whenanalysing traffic through the national network

City scale: the impact of infrastructure on urbandevelopment and redevelopment: evidence from london’shistorywe have developed new ways of examining historic data to uncover and quantify the

evolution of urban land use, transport investment and regulatory measures.

We have developed a detailed database ofland use and transport changes in an area of200 square km between Heathrow Airport andHolland Park in West London from the 1870sto 2011. This has enabled us to analyse theevolution of different types of land use, roads,intersections, rail lines and stations, tube linesand stations, and provide the evidence tocalibrate robust forecasting models for newinfrastructure and development plans.

The data series provides completely newevidence on how infrastructure andconstruction prompted every kind ofdevelopment over time. A meta-analysis of theland use and transport models has resulted inan up-to-date and comprehensive assessmentof the performance of the predictive models.Together they underpin the development ofnew models that are better able to quantify theeconomic and wider impacts of urbaninfrastructure interventions.

The evidence and the new models will enablemajor infrastructure scheme promoters toexamine and prioritise investment optionsunder the new Infrastructure PlanningFramework.

Findings:• analysis shows how development spread

from rail or tube stations in West Londonfrom 1880-2010

• the late 19th century development showsthat the most effective service catchmentof a rail/tube station is within an 800mradius; this has not changed forpedestrians today

• the most recent period from 1990 to 2010shows a steady increase in the distancesto stations, with the median distance fromnew development reaching 1200m andredevelopment 750m

This system-wide picture tells a different storyfrom recent successes in central London railhubs and indicates that there is a realchallenge in redeveloping the surrounds ofstations across the city. Without addressingthis challenge, current and future railinvestment will be unable to achieve the fulleconomic and environmental benefits.

Land areas developed in relation to rail and underground stations in West London 1880-2010


1 British Standards Institution (BSI), Draft ConsultationDocument for Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 181 on theSmart Cities Framework, January 2014.

Crowd-sensing and crowd-sourcing: transforming the waywe monitor infrastructure use

we have recently started this new project focusing on crowd-sensing and crowd-

sourcing. we use open social media data, such as Twitter and Foursquare, and new

urban sensors in collaboration with infrastructure developers.

At London Bridge Station we are collaboratingwith Network Rail and Costain to test multiplepedestrian flow monitoring techniques forpreventing undesirable crowding conditionsinside the station – these will establishpatterns of pedestrian distribution for providingeffective services in and around the station.

A unique feature of the CSIC smart data workis that we build on our own extensiveknowledge/library of UK cities and theirdemographic, socio-economic, land use andtransport data.

intended applications and benefits

Our aim is to develop new smart datamethods which will:• make it significantly easier, cheaper and

more practical to monitor infrastructureuse at or near real time

• work in tandem with existing data sourcesto optimize the coverage, precision andcorroboration of model predictions

• inform short-term operational decisions(such as pedestrian flows at mainstations) as well as medium to long-termplanning

working with BSi and Smart CitiesAdvisory Group

During the past year we have been workingwith the British Standards Institution (BSI) andthe Smart Cities Advisory Group. We havebeen feeding our new research directly intothe development of a novel, over-arching levelof BSI standards for smart cities. The aim is todevelop cities that effectively integrate thephysical, digital and human worlds to deliver asustainable, prosperous and inclusive futurefor its citizens1.These standards aim to:• understand current gaps in the knowledge

of infrastructure development practice inparticularly challenging locations, such asaround rail and metro stations

• contribute to the development of newurban development and infrastructureplanning standards

• be useful to city leaders • distil current good practices into a set of

consistent and repeatable patterns soleaders can develop, agree and deliversmart city strategies that can transformtheir cities’ ability to meet futurechallenges and deliver policy aspirations

Looking aheadWith support from BSI, our IndustryPartners and government agencies, weare aiming to deliver new case studiesand modelling in the coming year.Additionally, we will incorporate newmethods to account for the inherentuncertainties in complex infrastructureprojects and background urban trends, so that flexible options and adaptiveprocesses can become part of ourrecommendations for developing newstandards and urban infrastructure plans.

Social media data from Foursquare.com showingthe number of occasions when its userscategorise their activities under 'Transport' duringDecember 2013 to February 2014 acrossLondon. Tube and rail stations that featured mostare highlighted with half mile catchments for railand quarter mile ones for Tube stations. Theyare (from left to right) Paddington, Victoria,Camden Town, Oxford Circus, Euston, King'sCross-St Pancras, Charring Cross, Waterloo,Highbury Islington, Elephant and Castle, LondonBridge and Liverpool Street.The data representsa new, emerging dimension to our knowledge oftransport demand and urban land use

The Smart Cities Team

Professor Kenichi Soga Professor Marcial EcheniqueDr Ying JinDr Kiril StanilovDr Claudio MartaniIan WilliamsVassilis ZachariadisSteve Denman

At the city scale, our mission is to providerobust scientific evidence for planning:• infrastructure projects by scheme

promoters • urban development policies by national

and city governments • smart city standards by BSI and ISO

In doing so we will advance the knowledgeon smart data, infrastructure use monitoring,

and the interactions between urbandevelopment and infrastructure. The keyfocus will be on challenging urban locations such as regeneration around public transport hubs, where the knowledgeof good practice and predictive capability iscurrently least developed.

Way forwardWe believe that working with a team of infrastructure owners, consultants andcontractors is the key to introduce innovation into the construction and infrastructureindustry quickly.

Project site scale: developing new standards through goodpractice

Our focus here has been to learn from good practice in integrating urban infrastructure

surrounding main urban rail and underground stations at specific sites.

We are undertaking case studies including:• King’s Cross Central redevelopment• Crossrail station pedestrian catchments –

particularly at Tottenham Court Road• London Bridge Station’s surrounding

redevelopment initiatives

Benefits:• Through the case studies we monitor how

improved infrastructure and design atthese sites reap social as well aseconomic benefits

• the work has highlighted the importance ofassimilating good practice into guidanceand new standards for smart cities

• we intend to use these studies to examinewhat has worked and distil good practiceto inform new policy initiatives across UKcities

Artist’s impression of the intended transformation of the Coal Drops Yard at King’s Cross Central, currently underconstruction

© G

MJ for the K

ing's Cross C

entral Limited P

artnership

“BSI is actively contributing to the creation of international standardsfor smart cities. We have closely engaged with CSIC in doing so,collaborating as an end user of their research.”Dan Palmer, Head of Market Development, BSI


location

King’s Cross-St Pancras Station area,London.

working with

British Standards Institution (BSI), Argent,Allies & Morrison, Chapman Taylor

Context

• London has been facing intense growthpressures unseen since the mid 19thcentury. This is likely to continue to 2030and beyond

• at King’s Cross-St Pancras, new andupgraded rail infrastructure creates anideal environment for urban growth.However, historic legacy and complexurban fabric have foiled many attempts toregenerate the area

• public and private investments since the2000s have reshaped the area andtransformed it into one of the fastestgrowing urban quarters and a populardestination. By 2016, up to 30,000 peoplewill be living, working and studying atKing’s Cross Central

Challenges

• to establish what general lessons couldbe learnt from the success to inform theapproach to planning and infrastructuredevelopment for this challenging type ofurban regeneration

• to ascertain how the general lessonslearned can be translated into appropriatecodes of conduct and standards of urbandevelopment that will be useful in the UKand internationally

Project details

• the King’s Cross experience is beinganalysed as a key case study for the BSIsmart city standards and strategies forredevelopment and regeneration aroundrail stations

• the project is analysed throughout itsdevelopment against the history ofdifficult challenges of regenerating thearea, from the early stages of its currentmasterplan, through the uncertain periodsof the dot-com bust, world financial crisisto the current London property boom

Achievements

• CSIC has actively engaged with DfT,Network Rail, Argent (the Developer),Allies and Morrison (the Masterplanner)and Chapman Taylor (the RetailDesigner), and are continuing to discussthe case study with other stakeholders tobuild up a complete picture of how theregeneration have been planned andimplemented

• the case study benefits from a historicperspective from the 1870s, which wehave built up using similar data to ourWest London study

• the case study has helped to establish anew simulation model for regeneration,which incorporates the uncertaintiesarising from the background trends andinteractions among components ofinfrastructure and building propertydevelopment

Transformative benefits to the

infrastructure and construction industries

• opportunities to develop property andchange consumer behaviour: asimmediate surroundings of the rail/metroservices improve through investment

• powerful regeneration catalyst: as thepedestrian catchment is transformed.

• economic, social and environmentalbenefits from rail investment: carefulplanning and managementhave enabled regeneration of achallenging area

• study recommendations will contribute toplans and actions for other sites,particularly in the surrounds of 25national hubs, 66 regional interchangesand 275 key feeder stations

Transforming cities

King’s Cross is one of three major casestudies CSIC is working on to inform a newtype of over-arching BSI standards for cities.

Case studyThe transformation of a historic urban quarter

© B

AM

Design for the K

Ing's Cross C

entral Limited P

artnership

View from Pancras Square to King’s Cross and St Pancras Stations. Up to 30,000 people are expected to live and work in the King’s Cross Central Development by 2016

develOPinG RelATiOnSHiPS wiTH induSTRy


Working with industry is vital to CSIC and weattach real value to our relationship with ourindustry partners. Working in partnership withleading organisations in the construction andinfrastructure industry enables us to developcutting edge innovations which aredemonstrated in real projects, and which willhelp to transform infrastructure andconstruction.

How we work with industryOur industry partners make time to participatein our project workshops which we holdthroughout the year. We use these workshopsto gain feedback on the direction our work istaking, and to ensure that the constructionindustry’s needs are being adequately andaccurately met. For example, we held a fibreoptic sensing workshop, and gained valuableinsights into industry strain sensing needs(attendees included, Skanska, Arup, LaingO’Rourke, itmsoil, Strainstall, Costain andSoldata). As a result, CSIC decided to investin a dynamic strain sensing technology,widening our capabilities, with threedemonstration projects planned for 2014,supported by a new research associate.

Our partners also provide us withopportunities to demonstrate our technologieson construction projects and infrastructuredeployments which we value greatly. Thisyear, CSIC has worked on many projects withour industry partners, implementingmonitoring systems to provide insights into thebehaviour of structures and demonstrate thecapability of our technologies. These include:• Crossrail: instrumenting the new

Paddington Station box with wirelesssensors and fibre optics; instrumentingtunnel segments for the Thames crossingat Woolwich (with Hochtief); andmonitoring the Post Office railway tunnelwhere it is affected by construction of amajor platform tunnel at Liverpool StreetStation

• National Grid Power Tunnels (withCostain), where our innovative work wasshortlisted for the ITA Awards in twocategories

• London Bridge Station (with Costain andNetwork Rail), where we are using fibreoptics to understand the behaviour ofVictorian masonry arch structures, as wellas developing innovative wireless sensorsystems for monitoring sound

Field trials are an excellent opportunity for usto demonstrate and deliver robust constructionsite instrumentation. The knowledge that wegain in the instrumentation of structures oftencannot be obtained by conventional means.

Without these opportunities many of CSIC’stechnologies would remain in the laboratory.

Our site work provides CSIC personnel withthe opportunity to deliver important newinsights into how structures perform andenables them to challenge conventionalunderstanding.

developing offerings tocommercial maturityBeyond demonstration, we also need todevelop our technologies and techniques tothe point where industry can deploy them.This involves providing initial installationservices while we develop robust solutionsand best practice guidance, and then trainingindustry to deliver these services.

We have begun to provide monitoring andanalysis services in fibre optic instrumentationof piles for load testing and geothermal piletesting. This year we have carried out pilemonitoring at two high profile projects inLondon, including one at Canary Wharf, andwe are working closely with industry partnersto deliver services for a number of otherprojects in the coming year. Next year we willfurther develop this approach to develop acommercial offering for wider fibre opticsapplications.

We have also held successful fibre opticsawareness training courses, and over the nextyear we plan to develop our fibre opticstraining further, so that we can begin to trainindustry in the practical tasks of bothdeployment and analysis and interpretation offibre optic strain data.

winning awards with ourpartnersCSIC was delighted to win two awards incollaboration with industry partners this year:• the Bevis Marks project, with Cementation

Skanska, won the 2013 GroundEngineering Sustainability Award

• the Thames Water Lee Tunnel Project-Abbey Mills Shaft won the 2013 FlemingAward, in collaboration with ThamesWater and MVB JV, AECOM, CH2M Hill,Bachy Soletanche and UndergroundProfessional Services

In both of these projects, the closecollaboration between CSIC and our industrypartners was crucial to us being able to deliverthe innovations and insights which helped winthe awards.

Phil KeenanBusiness developmentManager, CSiC,university of Cambridge

Broadening our reach –welcoming new members,developing newcollaborations anddisseminating our workCSIC has welcomed two new industry partnersthis year:• Imetrum, which is working with CSIC on

projects involving video extensometry andphotogrammetry, and

• Geosense, a geotechnical instrumentationcompany which has been providingconventional instrumentation to back upthe measurements CSIC makes with noveltechnologies

We have also developed valuablerelationships with the Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors (RICS) and itssubsidiary, Building Cost Information Service(BCIS), and with CERN and Hochtief, who areproviding unique demonstration opportunitiesfor our technologies.

We are in discussion with professionalinstitutions, including the Institution of CivilEngineers (ICE), the Institution of Engineeringand Technology (IET) and the Institution ofAsset Managers (IAM) regarding how we canbroaden the reach of CSIC’s work. Inparticular, we are discussing a CSIC bookseries with ICE Publishing, which will include:• best practice guidance for structural health

monitoring• a series of best practice guides for specific

technologies, including fibre optics andwireless sensor systems

• asset management guides

looking ahead to newopportunitiesnew Capabilities – dynamic StrainSensingFeedback from a successful industry partnersmeeting for Fibre Optic Strain Sensingconfirmed a need to develop CSIC’s capabilitiesin dynamic strain sensing. To address this,CSIC has begun a new programme to developDynamic Strain Sensing using both distributedand multipoint (Fibre Bragg Grating – FBG) fibreoptic strain sensors. We are particularlyinterested in being able to measure highlydynamic events. We are partnering with leadingusers and providers of FBG technologies in theUK, EU and USA to develop this capability, andwill be hiring a new research associate to workwith our existing team. With our existing industrypartners we have already identified a number ofpotential demonstration sites for this excitingnew project.

new industry sectorsCSIC’s approaches are applicable to a widerange of industry sectors, and we are taking theopportunity over the next year to develop ouroutreach in a number of areas, includinginvestment, insurance and reinsurance, whereby better understanding of risks duringconstruction and of the condition ofinfrastructure, a more informed assessment ofinvestment or insurance risk can be made. Tosupport this activity, CSIC is being assisted byDr Jan Hellings (formerly the London 2012Olympics Enabling Works Manager) as anadvisor to reach out to investment, insuranceand reinsurance companies to explain the valueof CSIC’s developments of sensingtechnologies and their application toconstruction and infrastructure riskmanagement.

Horizon 2020 and TSB FundedResearchCSIC is keen to collaborate more broadly ininnovation and applied research funding calls.We are already active in this area and arekeen to engage with partners to take forwardopportunities, for example:• CSIC is actively investigating opportunities

around Horizon 2020 funding, particularlyaround smarter design, construction andmaintenance where our fibre optic strainsensing knowledge and experience canplay a part

• CSIC has joined a consortium with OWLCLtd to submit a proposal to the TSB call ininfrastructure for offshore renewables

In summary, engaging with industry partners toimplement our latest developments and helpour partners to innovate in their own businessis core to CSIC’s activities. We greatlyappreciate the support we have alreadyreceived from our partners, and look forward toanother year of working together to deliverinnovation and value to industry.

Fleming Award Winners: Matthew Bellhouse (Bachy Soletanche), Richard Sutherden (AECOM), Tina Schwamb(CSIC), Professor Robert Mair (CSIC) for the work on the Thames Water Lee Tunnel Project


location

Paddington Station, Stepney GreenCrossover, Pudding Mill Lane, Limmo Shaft.

working with

Crossrail

Context

• working closely with two KnowledgeTransfer Partnership (KTP) Associates(employed by Cambridge University andfunded by both Crossrail and TSB) CSIChas led the development and installationof optical fibre and conventional monitoringinstrumentation on four major Crossrailsites

Challenges

• to provide new insights into the behaviourof the shaft linings and retaining walls,and adjacent ground movements, duringconstruction

• to develop a robust method for installingfibre optic sensors during construction

Project details

• CSIC has been actively involved on fourkey sites during construction of Crossrail,principally in the implementation of fibreoptic sensing to measure the performanceof shafts and deep excavations

• CSIC has successfully installed opticalfibre sensors on the diaphragm wallreinforcement cages at the Crossrailsites, with the fibre optic cable beingunrolled from drums and fixed to the cageat intervals as it is lowered into the deeptrench in the ground

• tunnelling machines were launched fromthe 40m deep Limmo Shaft

• a novel wireless sensor network has alsobeen installed in the deep excavation forPaddington Station

Achievements

• the monitoring data has providedcompletely new insights into the

behaviour of the shaft lining and groundmovements adjacent to the shaft duringconstruction

• the information has highlighted theconservative nature of the design of theshafts and retaining walls – only verysmall wall strains and deflections wererecorded by the fibre optics. Themonitoring has also shown much smallerground movements than predicted

• many lessons have been learned on thecomplexities of installing fibre opticsensors in diaphragm walls on theCrossrail sites, including the importantchallenges of working under difficultconstruction site conditions. Robustinstallation techniques for achievingreliable measurements have beendeveloped

Transformative benefits to the

infrastructure and construction industries

• informed decision making: the fibre opticsmonitoring on these sites hasdemonstrated that potential economicbenefits can be achieved with refineddesigns. Rationalisation of the designapproach for shafts and retaining wallswill benefit the wider construction industry

• cost saving: a more efficient designapproach should result in reducedamounts of material used and a fasterconstruction process

Going forward

• further plans have been developed byCSIC with Crossrail for monitoring thebehaviour of tunnel lining segments in thetunnels to be constructed beneath theRiver Thames: fibre optic sensors havebeen installed in the segments when theywere cast in the factory

• the behaviour of a sprayed concreteCrossrail platform tunnel duringconstruction of a cross-passage tunnelwill also be monitored with fibre optics

Case study

Transforming construction: innovative fibre optics sensors deployed on a variety of Crossrail sites

CISC fibre optics installations on Crossrail shafts and retaining walls

Above: installation of reinforcement cage fordiaphragm wall with fibre optic sensors attached.Below: diagram showing detail

Lifted by crane

2nd reinforcement cageP2

Cable drum A Cable drum B

Cable drums areunrolled from a stand

Pre-tension clamp

Optical fibreBottom reinforcementcage

Trench (filled withsuspension liquid)

Paddington Station Stepney GreenCrossover

Limmo Shaft

Pudding Mill Lane Portal

enGAGinG induSTRyTHROuGH TRAininG

Industry delegates engagewith a lab demonstrationduring a specialist trainingcourse


Transferring specialist knowledge and skills isat the heart of CSIC’s vision. It is our strategicaim to achieve a step change in theapproaches of designers, contractors andclients to the design, construction and use ofcomplex infrastructure.

CSiC’s programme ofspecialist training anddevelopment tailored forindustryOver the past year, we have been developing aseries of specialist training and developmentcourses which are being rolled out.

October 2013 saw the successful pilot ofCSIC’s first short course for industry on fibreoptic sensing, as described in the associatedcase study. Other courses have followed.

The programme consists of short courseswhich impart the very latest information andnovel sensing and measurement techniques toenable decision making in the industry.

These one to three-day practical courses aim to:• offer the very latest research outputs and

technologies with an advanced level ofreadiness, having been validated throughfull-scale field demonstrations

• be hands-on and practical – involving allelements of the construction supply chain,to ensure rapid progress in achieving theintended step change

• promote commercialisation and adoption ofnew technologies

• reach executive, manager, engineer andtechnician levels

These courses are led by the University ofCambridge’s leading academics and specialistsin the fields of civil engineering, assetmanagement and urban infrastructure planning.They are supplemented by regular awarenessbriefings and workshops with the Centre’sindustry partners.

developing internalknowledge transferWe have also put a great emphasis ondeveloping the capacities of our researchersthrough internal knowledge transfer and trainingover the past year:• in the field of fibre optics, this has included

specialised training on newly acquiredequipment delivered by external experts inphotonics and telecommunication

• an expert group consisting of experiencedresearchers in fibre optics deployment wasformed to oversee the internal transfer ofknow-how, the efficient adoption ofinnovation and the retention of knowledgethrough regular workshops, seminars orsupervisions with CSIC staff

• CSIC activities are also being disseminatedinternally to a wider University audiencethrough fortnightly seminars

“I am very pleased to beable to support the CSICteams at work inCambridge today, whilethey develop the productsand train the teams thatwill transform theconstruction processes of tomorrow.”John St Leger, Strainstall

dr Cedric KechavarziTraining & KnowledgeTransfer Manager, CSiC,university of Cambridge

Industry delegates get involved with a practical workshop task

In October 2013, CSIC partnered withCostain to support an initiative to transferknowledge and embed a new technology thataims to provide a step-change in the waystrain is measured in structures, deliveringbetter data and therefore improvements indesigns in current Costain constructionprojects.

The UK’s ageing infrastructure requiresextensive monitoring and remedialinterventions to extend life and preventcatastrophic failures. In addition, ‘smartmonitoring’ has become an importantassessment tool for delivering more efficientdesign and reducing over-specification innew constructions.

Distributed optical fibre strain sensing is atechnology that allows continuous strainmeasurement over an extended distance,with signals being sent along optical fibresattached to or embedded in structures or inthe ground. This technology can replace theuse of large numbers of point sensors, suchas strain gauges.

This form of strain measurement helpsimprove understanding of the performance ofstructures during and after construction, andgives insight into the complex soil-structureinteraction mechanisms involved, helping toidentify localised problem areas.

Fifteen Costain engineers and managersattended a training course entitledIntroduction to Distributed Optical Fibre Strain Sensing for GeotechnicalInfrastructure Monitoring at CSIC,participating in lectures and workshops tounderstand and become familiar with theapplication of the technology and to use thisknowledge to exploit market opportunities.

This training course formed part of the firstphase of the Centre’s aim to increase the UKconstruction industry's knowledge andunderstanding of the benefits of distributedstrain sensing using fibre optic technology.The course included several case studieswhere CSIC had delivered knowledge andnew insights to construction projects usingdistributed fibre optic strain sensing.

“This is a great initiative to bring technology fromCambridge’s CSiC to ourprojects, deliveringtechnological innovations tomeet and better our clientexpectations. The training willhelp us better manage theassets we build throughout their life cycle.”

Aalok Sonawala, Businessimprovement Manager, Costain

Case studyengaging with industry

Towards best practice:developing guidancedocuments for industry

CSIC is committed to developing andpublishing guidance documents to accompanyits technology outputs as an efficient mode ofknowledge transfer by making it widelyavailable to industry.

During the past year, we have focused onconsolidating the current state of knowledge inoptical fibre strain sensing technology and thecompetence required of those designing,installing and interpreting the output of this typeof system.

We have achieved this by working withresearchers and technicians involved in morethan 30 installations in the field. This hasenabled us to identify specific knowledgerequirements as well as identify areas in whichthe technology has required refinement toenable reliable and resilient installation anduse.

This knowledge has been encapsulated into adraft Best Practice Guide, the first of its kind fordistributed fibre optic strain sensing forgeotechnical infrastructure monitoring, whichwill be published and available to industry nextyear.

Looking beyond this next year, CSIC’sresearchers and investigators will bedeveloping training materials to accompany thenew technologies being developed by CSIC.These training materials will be used to informthe content of future training and developmentcourses.

Some of this information will also form the basisfor new guidance documents. These will bepublished and made widely available to theconstruction industry, infrastructure owners andoperators, and to the manufacturing, electricaland information sectors.

In summary, it has been an exciting and fruitfulyear of progress with excellent feedback fromall those organisations with which CSIC hasengaged. The forthcoming year will build on thisprogress and see a continued focus on thedevelopment of our programme of training,knowledge transfer and dissemination.

Costain engineers and mangers at CSIC’s Introduction to Distributed Optical Fibre Strain Sensing for GeotechicalInfrastructure Monitoring course

CSiC would like to thank our industry partners

RedBiteS O L U T I O N S

Technology & information Sectors

Unless credited all photographs have been provided by staff and students at CSIC, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

infrastructure Sector

Construction Sector

An Innovation and Knowledge Centre funded by

email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)1223 746976

www.centreforsmartinfrastructure.com

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