Shimizu Smart Tunnel- For the next-generation tunnel construction management -‫اﻷﻧﻔﺎق اﻟﺬﻛﯿﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺷﯿﻤﯿﺰو‬- ‫ ﺳﻌﯿﺎً ﻧﺤﻮ إدارة إﻧﺸﺎء أﻧﻔﺎق اﻟﺠﯿﻞ اﻟﻘﺎدم‬“Shimizu Smart Tunnel”, a next-generation
advanced tunnel construction management
system, is being developed for the aim ofdrastically improving the productivity andsafety of tunnel construction projects in linewith the government-sponsored “Society 5.0”
vision, depicting our future human-centeredsociety where economic growth and theresolution of social issues are concurrentlyachieved. The system collects, analyzes andshares all digital information related to yourtunnel construction project, including worker
information and their work condition,equipment and the surrounding naturalenvironment.

Digitally integrated, advanced production control
capability (safety and quality)
realized by collection, analysis and sharing of all
relevant information
Environmentalcondition

Workers, vitalsigns

Machinecontrol

Data serverand AI

Cyberspace

Physical space

Elemental technologies■ Safety monitoring system
The system helps assure a safe working
condition and improves work efficiency. For
example, the system monitors and senses
minute vibration of the tunnel faces todetect signs of potential collapse. It also
observes the position and activities of thepeople and equipment being engaged in
the work and have them analyzed by AI toevaluate the appropriateness andeffectiveness of the work being done.

■ Biological data analysis
The system collects and analyzes vital sign
information of the workers to monitor their
physical condition, reducing potential healthrisks and contributing to greater
productivity.

■ Remote witnessing system
The system allows the project owner’s
inspectors to remotely witness theinspection process without actually visiting
the site, contributing to greater inspection
and management efficiency for both the
project owner and the contractor andpotentially making way for a more flexible
work hour management.

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/

Construction
vehicleHumanworker

Visual camera
image

Thermal camera image

Use of AI capability to optimize tunnel excavation planning
Shield Excavation Planning Assistance System‫ﺗﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﺧﻄﻂ ﺷﻖ اﻷﻧﻔﺎق ﺑﻮاﺳﻄﺔ اﻟﺬﻛﺎء اﻻﺻﻄﻨﺎﻋﻲ‬‫ﻧﻈﺎم دﻋﻢ ﺧﻄﻂ ﺷﻖ اﻷﻧﻔﺎق ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﺪرع‬Traditionally, shield excavation parameters are calculated by on-site engineers prior to eachexcavation session for planning purposes.
The proposed system has a self-learning AI capability which sets conditions and calculates
excavation parameters from the given information and then reviews the calculated values forimprovement. The system repeats this cycle of calculation, review and improvement until an
optimally calculated set of parameter values are obtained.
The calculation capability is useful not only in the planning stage prior to each excavation
session but also for work instruction preparation tasks after the actual excavation work has
started, potentially contributing to on-site work hour reduction. Currently the system is being
tried out in an actual project for effectiveness validation.

Shield Excavation Planning Assistance System
Shield machine operation planning
Segment planning

Excavation planning by AI

Tail clearance

Shield Excavation Planning
Assistance System

Currently

Intermediate
bend angle

Autonomous simulation by AI
Obtains an optimally calculated set ofparameter values
Useful for ongoing excavation
instruction preparation

Calculation is done based ontheoretical values
Careful, time-consuming
calculation and review
required for curved sections

Segment typeDeviation from theplanned line

Copy cutter
lengthStrokeClearance fromthe soil surface

Excavation simulation image
Shield excavation planning by the system is done somewhat like virtual gaming. From the given information,
the system sets conditions and runs excavation simulation to calculate the performance rating. This cycle ofsimulation, calculation and evaluation is repeated until the highest rating is achieved, from which an
optimally calculated set of parameter values is obtained.
Shield machine
Copy cutter(outbreaksize)

Front
sectionRear
section3 types of segments

Path of the frontend of the shieldmachine

DeviationCalculated line significantly
deviates from the planned line

Not enough clearance
Potential tail interference

Planned line
Segment edge
profileShield edge profile

Not enough overbreakInsufficient overbreak amount

Simulation ends; destination
not reachable⓪ Setting conditions for simulation
As the calculation basis, AI is given preliminary information about the tunnel
being constructed, the shield machine and the segments planned. AI then setsconditions for simulation based on the given data.

① Initial simulation phase
Early simulation result revealed that the tunnel dug by the initially calculated
values will significantly deviate from the planned line.
The shield machine will not be able to dig through to the planned destination
point.

Not enough overbreakInsufficient outbreak amountNot enough clearance
Potential tail interference

Excessive center line deviation
Inadequate profile
management

Simulation ends; destination reachable but
performance rating not high enough② Intermediate simulation phase
With improved parameter values, the shield machine would be able to dig
through to the destination point but the performance rating is still not highenough and suggests room for improvement.

Simulation ends; destination successfully reached③ Planning completeWith the highest performance rating obtained, the calculated values are
deemed the optimum set and will be applied to actual excavation planning.

The Shield Excavation Planning Assistance System has been jointly developed with the Nagoya Institute of Technology.

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/Heavy reinforcement bars can be handled with ease

Reinforcement Bar Installation Assisting Robot‫ﺗﻮزﻳﻊ ﻗﻀﺒﺎن اﻟﺘﺴﻠﯿﺢ اﻟﺜﻘﯿﻠﺔ ﺑﺴﮫﻮﻟﺔ‬‫روﺑﻮت ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪة ﺗﻮزﻳﻊ ﻗﻀﺒﺎن اﻟﺘﺴﻠﯿﺢ‬Overview
The Reinforcement Bar Installation Assisting Robot has a manipulator arm designed after thehuman arm. A human worker operates the robot’s control grip to move the manipulator arm tohandle the reinforcement bars for installation. The hand-guiding mechanism realizes a work
space where human workers and robots work in harmony.
Features① Manpower saving
Reinforcement bar installation can be completed with one
operator and two other assisting workers. Normally,
installation of 13-m D51 reinforcement bars (approx. 210
kg per bar) requires a crew of seven to eight workers. Withthe Assisting Robot, the same work can be completed withless than half the manpower.
② Reduction in heavy object handlingAll heavy object handling is done by the robot, reducing
the physical stress of reinforcement bar installation workers.
③ Better safety
The operator can operate the installation robot while
checking the surrounding for potential hazards andinterference. The robot is designed with a great focus onsafety as it will immediately stop in place when the control
grip is released.
④ Easy, simple operation
The control grip and the lift control buttons are easy-tooperate. Even novice operators can quickly learn toskillfully oper ate the robot.

Specifications
Base swivel mechanism

Control grip (6-axis motion sensor)

First arm

Liftmechanism

Elbow swivel
mechanism

Second arm

Gripper・Load rating: 250 kg
・Operation radius: Approx. 5.0 m
・Lift stroke: Approx. 2.0 m
・Segmentation: 4 segments(40 kg to 60 kg per component)
・Drive: Electrically powered(200 V)
・Support: Supported by anintermediate pile・Lift operation: Control buttons
・Horizontal operation: Control grip

First arm and control
panel

Lift control buttons

Second arm

Gripper

Operation steps

Operate the robot to grip a bar

SHIMIZU CORPORATIONhttps://www.shimz.co.jp/en/

Carry the bar assisted by the robot

Install the bar

Visualization of objects buried undergroundShimz AR Eye Buried Object View‫ﺗﻄﺒﯿﻖ اﻟﺘﺤﻜﻢ اﻟﻤﺮﺋﻲ ﺑﺎﻹﻧﺸﺎءات ﺗﺤﺖ اﻷرﺿﯿﺔ‬‫ ﻟﻌﺮض اﻹﻧﺸﺎءات ﻏﯿﺮ اﻟﻤﺮﺋﯿﺔ‬Shimz AR Eye
Overview of the system
The system projects the drawing data of underground objects onto the actual camera viewshown on the tablet, visualizing what are buried unseen under the ground.
Human workers will be dependably reminded of underground obstructions, contributing togreater efficiency of excavation work without the need of checking printed information on
paper each time.
Features● Positional relationship between the device user and the underground obstruction is displayed on a real-time basis.
※1● Where GNSS-based positioning is available, the combination of a compact antenna and a receiver offers excellent mobility
and adaptability to a wide range of operations.
※2● Where GNSS positioning is not available, the system can be operated based on SLAM navigation.
● Latest information of all underground obstructions will be stored in a database for centralized management.
※1※2

GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System
SLAM: Simultaneous Localization And Mapping

GNSS positioning
GNSS satellites

On-site office (base station)

Device user (mobile station)
Cloud DB

Antenna

Antenna
RTK location calculation
Drawing data showing
underground obstructions

ReceiverInternetInternet

GNSS data

GNSS dataPC※3

RTK: Real Time Kinematic

GNSS correction
dataDrawing
importation

Receiver

Tabletdevice

SLAM-based position estimation(where GNSS positioning is not available)
Drawing data showing
underground obstructions

Device userInternet

Drawing
importation

Tablet device
Datumposition
reading

Marker placed at a known point

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/AR display

TOKYO-GAIKAN Expressway
Owada Section Project‫أوﺗﻮﺳﺘﺮاد طﻮﻛﯿﻮ ﻏﺎﻳﻜﺎن إﻧﺸﺎءات أوادا‬Project Summary
The project section is part of TOKYOGAIKAN Expressway that goes aroundthe center of the metropolitan Tokyo in
an approximately 15 km radius. A boxshaped road enclosure ofapproximately 1668 m has beenplaced mainly by open-cut excavation.
Part of the sidewalls of the large crosssection box culvert enclosure has been
built using our newly-developed halfprecast construction method.
■ Project owner: East Nippon Expressway
Company Limited■ Contractor: Shimizu-Maeda-Toyo joint venture■ Project completion: July 2019
■ Location: Chiba, Japan

Ibaraki

SaitamaOwadaTokyoChiba

Kanagawa

Half-precast (HPCa) construction tobuild box culvert sidewalls
・The large-size precast concrete construction was achieved with the aim of productivity
improvement by having a simple, non labor-intensive structure to save manpower.
・Features an integrated structure comprising HPCa panels with embedded main anddistributing bars and serving also as the outer formwork, "Perfobond strips, hereinafter PBL"
for the inner penetrating bars, and shear-reinforcement steel panels.
・Experiments proved that the HPCa construction will provide an equivalent or superior
structural performance (shear/flexural capacity) to that of standard reinforced concrete (RC)construction.

PBL

Inner
penetratingbars

PBL

Main and distributing bars
HPCa component
Shearreinforcementsteel panel

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/

Yokohama Kita-Line of Metropolitan
Expressway Baba Interchange Project‫ﺧﻂ ﻳﻮﻛﻮھﺎﻣﺎ اﻟﺪاﺋﺮي اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﻲ إﻧﺸﺎءات ﻣﺨﺮج وﻣﺪﺧﻞ ﺑﺎﺑﺎ‬Project Summary
This project is designed to build four ramp tunnels,
which serve as an entrance to and an exit fromMetropolitan Expressway, by a combination of open-cut
excavation and shield tunneling methods. The shieldtunneling work involves a large cross-section with anouter excavation diameter of greater than 10 m andhas an unprecedentedly demanding set of parameters
including: ① tunnel geometry with sharp curves(minimum curve radius: 50 m) and steep inclinations (i= -7 to -8%), ② shallow overburden (approximately
1.3 m where shallowest) ③ digging through soft soil
directly under existing structures including a power
tower and private buildings, and ④ connecting to thethrough-traffic tunnel under the ground (smallestseparation distance ≒ 0.2 m).

Baba■ Project owner: Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited■ Contractor: Shimizu-Tokyu Specific Construction Work joint venture■ Scope of work: Four ramp tunnels over a length of approximately
1036 m■ Location: Kanagawa, Japan

Large-cross-section shield tunneling involving sharp
curves, steep inclinations and shallow overburden
There are two launching shafts for the tunnel; B-shaft for
B-ramp tunnel and ACD-shaft for A-ramp, C-ramp, and Dramp tunnels. The diameter of each tunnel was designed
as the minimum curve radius of each tunnel. Smaller
curve radius requires larger tunnel diameter to secure
design viewing distance.

Three tunnels are located under the existing power tower.
The original foundation of the tower, consisted of four
independent structures, was reinforced prior to tunneling.
The displacement of the foundation was measured
automatically.
Prior to arrival of a new TBM, a protective
wall was installed. The New TBM wasconnected to the existing main tunnel,
without disturbing main tunnel’s function
as underground expressway (just one laneof main tunnel was closed) .

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/

The Bai Chay Bridge
Construction Project (Package BC-2)(Package BC-2) ‫ﻣﺸﺮوع إﻧﺸﺎء ﺟﺴﺮ ﺑﺎي ﺗﺸﺎي‬Bai Chai Bridge

Vietnam

Project Summary
The Bai Chay Bridge, over Hạ Long Bay (world heritage) in the northeastern part of Vietnam,
is a six-span continuous cable-stayed PC bridge with a total length of 903 m. It has the world’slargest (as of the construction date) center span of 435 m as a single plane cable-stayed
bridge. To resist the 50-m/s cross wind during typhoons, a series of latest and most advanced
technologies are adopted to the bridge construction including wind tunnel tests using wholebridge models, use of a reinforced box-shaped cross section, the liquid damper-based vibration
reduction system inside the main towers, and a monitoring system based on optical fiberassisted distortion measurement.
■ Project owner: Project #18 Management Office of the Ministry of Transport of Viet Nam■ Design supervisors: Japan Bridge & Structure Institute, Inc. / Pacific Consultants International / TEDI / HyderCDC joint venture■ Contractor: Shimizu-Sumitomo Mitsui Construction joint venture■ Completion: November 2006
■ Scale and structure: Six-span continuous cable-stayed PPC bridge
Total bridge length: 903 m, center span: 435 m, width: 25.3 m
Foundation: Three pneumatic caissons■ Location: Viet Nam

Characteristics of Works■ Wind-tunnel tests using three-dimensional whole-bridge models to evaluate wind stability
during and after construction■ World’s first use of a distributed liquid damper system inside the main tower to reduce windinduced vibration.
■ Lightweight box-shaped cross section using steel pipe bracing, proven by demonstration
tests.
■ Main girder stress evaluation based on precision three-dimensional FE analysis, wheregeometry in each stage of construction was faithfully simulated.

Wind stability validation bywind tunnel tests

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/

Lightweight box-shaped crosssection with steel pipe bracing

Three-dimensional FEM model forstress evaluation

Ghana International Corridor
Improvement Project‫ﻣﺸﺮوع ﺗﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﻣﻠﺘﻘﻰ طﺮق ﻏﺎﻧﺎ اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ‬Before work start

Completion image

Project Summary
The Tema Junction is a five-way roundabout
intersection connecting two international highways(the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor connecting the coastal
cities of West Africa, the Eastern Corridor connecting
Ghana and Burkina Faso), and one domestic routeconnecting to the Ghanaian capital city of Accra.
Heavy traffic through the junction is a cause ofchronic traffic congestion.
It is hoped that completion of the project will bringbetter traffic convenience and a smoother and more
efficient transport of goods not only in Ghana but also
across West Africa.
■ Project owner: Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) under the Ministryof Roads and Highways of Ghana (MRH)■ Design supervisor: CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd.
■ Contractor: Shimizu-Dai Nippon Construction joint venture■ Project period: From February 2018 to June 2020
■ Project overview:・Construction of an east-west underpass
Box-shaped section: L = 190 m (B (16.45 m x 2)
x H 7.5m), Approach, L = 660 m
・Width extension and road improvement (totallength = 14,500 m)
Two lanes each way => To be expanded to threelanes (four lanes both ways => six lanes)
The existing roundabout will be removed toimprove the north-south road geometry.
■ Location: Ghana

WesternCorridor
CentralCorridor
EasternCorridor

GhanaTemamotorway
Roundabout

Construction in progress

Box culvert

SHIMIZU CORPORATION
https://www.shimz.co.jp/en/Concrete casting

Pedestrian Bridge construction