The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will ensure all sorts of safety measures during the tunnelling work on the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg corridor under its Phase 4 expansion. The city’s rapid transit system will introduce a state-of-the-art mechanism to monitor the real-time condition of buildings during the construction work. The move is a major step towards the safe construction of the tunneling work on the corridor.
Tunnelling work on Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg corridor:-
The tunnelling work will begin from the next month onwards. The DMRC will carry out the work between Derawal Nagar and Pulbangash stretch on the corridor. The stretch will consist of three underground metro stations. These are – Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, and Pulbangash.
Why does DMRC face challenges in tunnelling work on the stretch?
The precaution becomes necessary as the areas under this stretch are congested and there are innumerable buildings which are more than 100 years-old, and some are not in very good condition.
How will DMRC overcome the challenges?
The DMRC will introduce a state-of-the-art mechanism to monitor in real-time the conditions of these buildings. It will have a provision of round-the-clock monitoring with the click of a button. It is installing smart gadgets such as Automatic Total Stations, vibration sensors, tilt metres, and load cells. These are able to capture and transmit 24×7 real-time data to DAS (Data Acquisition System) which keeps on processing the same and transmitting the desired report to all stakeholders through SMS and e-mail.
The authorities will hold the real-time monitoring exercise from eight different locations on this stretch. These locations are spread across the areas of Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, Nabi Karim, Pulbangash, and Sadar Bazar.
In addition, the DMRC will also equip all its Tunnel Boring Machine with BEAM (Bore Tunnelling Electrical Ahead Monitoring) system. This will enable the TBM machines to work as a real-time probe for predicting the geological strata up to 20m ahead of the machine’s cutter head face. This will also predict any unexpected encounter with filled wells, cavities, and aquifers that may lead to settlement over the ground if hit by the TBM without proper treatment.