Improving Communication During Underground Construction Projects
This report has been developed in response to the request for proposals on developing solutions for improving communication during LTA’s underground construction projects.
Background
In today’s modern world, communication plays a pivotal role in inducing efficient workflow. It is of utmost importance that the relayed information can be understood clearly and quickly by all parties involved. Especially during engineering projects, effective communication is critical in ensuring that every stakeholder is kept on the same page at all times to minimise the time and money costs while ensuring the highest quality of work. Underground construction works present a special set of challenges due to underground location and long distances requiring coverage. Good communication systems are fundamental to all aspects of a tunnelling project, including relaying of important messages and emergency response. Communication systems in tunneling are used to distribute information and instructions, manage emergency response personnel and plans and initiate evacuation.
During the construction phase of an underground tunnel, communication systems are important to increase efficiency during work and help to facilitate work-related emergencies quickly and in a more timely manner. Currently, the practise of underground construction projects entails the use of intercoms which is placed at an intervals of 100m. This will delay the timeline of the project as it requires the workers working underground to walk to the intercom and communicate with the personnels above ground level. Work productivity will decrease. Moreover, in the event of any work-related emergencies, delay in emergency response plans may cost lives. With the improvement of communications, it may mitigate project inefficiencies, and improve safety management. Therefore, there is a need to improve the communication system in underground construction tunnels.
Installing WiFi repeaters along the tunnels at 10 or 20 metre intervals will reduce time taken for the construction teams to contact each other. A WiFi repeater or extender is used to extend the coverage area of the WiFi network. With the repeater, the increased coverage of the network will be more efficient and productive as the workers will not need to walk to intercoms to communicate.
Problem Statement
Currently, LTA’s underground construction projects use intercoms placed at 100-metre intervals for communication which causes difficulties for the construction teams between the ground level and the tunnels.
Installing WiFi repeaters along the tunnels at 10 or 20 metre intervals will reduce time taken for the construction teams to contact each other.
Purpose Statement
This report proposes to the board members of the Land Transport Authority to implement the use of WiFi repeaters at equal intervals (and software) for more effective communication during the underground MRT construction projects.
Comments
Post a Comment