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COVER STORY


T


he Northern Section of the Lower Inn Valley Tunnel is an example of how the early planning and implementation of strategic project-wide systems led to a safe, secure and efficient project.


The largest railway contract ever to be awarded in Austria is the €260m, 41km section of the Lower Inn Valley (Tyrol) tunnel which forms part of the TEN 1- Axis Berlin – Palermo. The contract was awarded by Brenner Eisenbahn GmbH(BEG), a subsidiary of ÖBB, to the consortium Alptransit Brenner, comprising Rhomberg Bahntechnic GmbH.


The project included a 34km section of twin-track tunnel with approximately 25 access points. With more than 3,000 workers on site at peak operations access control, plant and material coordination would be a significant problem had a conventional approach been adopted.


From the early planning stages it was intended to implement a system of zoned control, communication and alarms - the Rhomberg ZOKA system.


ZOKA is a centrally controlled system, which on a zone- by-zone basis allows the monitoring and control of


access - personnel, plant and material - via WiFi tagging and advanced communication to and from workers located in the tunnel. The system allows the control and monitoring of environmental systems, alarms and evacuation.


All the information from the various components of the ZOKA control and monitoring system are brought together in the control centre. System Zones are added progressively as work proceeds along the tunnel. The system is not limited to the construction site but can be extended to include compound and storage areas, offices and workshops.


As the system is based around WiFi badges or tags, there is no requirement for the employee to physically ‘sign’ in or out; the system automatically records his movement in and out of defined zones.


The current version of the system can be programmed with information regarding time- limited qualifications and will not allow access to those whose certification has lapsed. The highlighting of excess working time is also possible.


“The security and logistics system definitely pays off. By being able to omit idle periods


due to (logistical) disruption as well as having the possibility of implementing an optimal communication system resulted in a far higher cost saving than the actual cost of the system itself,” says Dipl. Ing Michael Saischek, Head of Infrastructure for Lower Inn Valley Tyrol, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).


Flexible communications


Site communications play a key role in the safe management of construction sites. They ensure proper connections with the outside world are maintained and information can be exchanged efficiently on site.


Rhomberg’s communications distribution cabinets, when positioned at regular intervals and fitted with the appropriate communications solutions, will provide a reliable network for safety and security.


The basic configuration has an emergency telephone attached to the cabinet’s side. This robust fixed-line IP device creates a direct connection to the control centre when the handset is lifted, clearly identifying the caller’s position.


All mobile transmission stations are integrated into the communications distribution cabinet and connected by fibre-


64 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 11


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