Evaluation of productivities influenced by disturbances and different soil compositions in microtunnelling using process simulation

In microtunnelling, productivity is often greatly reduced due to stoppages caused by breakdowns (e.g. due to technical failures, accidents or difficult soil conditions) or organisational shortcomings. Hence, there is a need for a better understanding of the construction process and the factors that influence productivity in order to increase the efficiency of microtunnel boring machines. In this study, a flexible simulation module called MiSAS (Microtunnelling: Statistics, Analysis and Simulation) was developed for analysing these processes and identifying the influence of disturbances and different soil compositions on the productivity of microtunnelling operations. In view of these objectives, a model describing the microtunnelling process was created using the Systems Modelling Language (SysML). Subsequently, the simulation software AnyLogic was used to apply the MiSAS based on the SysML formalisation. The implementation of the proposed methodologies utilises discrete event simulation (DES) and system dynamic (SD) modelling. An actual project in the city of Recklinghausen, Germany was used to validate and evaluate the impact of disturbances and different soil compositions on productivity.