A simulation template for modeling tunnel shaft construction

This paper presents the design and development of a template for analyzing shaft construction projects. It is suitable for integration with the existing tunneling template of the Simphony modeling environment to provide users a complete, functional and more flexible simulation tool for tunnel construction. The developed system will be a powerful tool for decision-making and evaluating the feasibility of tunnel construction methods, in identifying and allocating site spaces, and in the visualization of tunneling construction sites as a mean of describing the site layout to other involved parties. Further, it assists users in modeling several scenarios without changing the developer¿s code or the base of the tool, and it does not require integration with any other modeling templates. This template design is then applied to a case study involving the construction of a circular tunnel shaft, part of the North Edmonton Sanitary Tunneling (NEST) system in Edmonton, Canada.