Tunneling Analyst: A 3D GIS extension for rock mass classification and fault zone analysis in tunneling

In this study, an extension called Tunneling Analyst (TA) has been developed in ArcScene 3D GIS software, part of the ArcGIS software package. It dramatically extends the functionalities of ArcScene because it allows: (1) estimation of the 3D distribution of rock mass rating (RMR) values using borehole and geophysical exploration data, (2) the modeling of 3D discontinuity planes such as faults from field-based structural measurements, and (3) analysis of 3D intersections and 3D buffer zones between proposed tunnel alignments and some discontinuities. Because TA can handle and visualize both 2D and 3D geological data in a single GIS environment, the tedious tasks required for data conversion between various software packages can be reduced significantly. The application to the Daecheong tunneling project in Korea shows that TA could present a rational solution to evaluating the rock mass classes along a proposed tunnel alignment and can also provide specific 3D spatial query tools to support the tunnel design work. This paper describes the concept and details of the development and implementation of TA.