Amberg Geotechnics, a new software application unveiled at the Intergeo exhibition in Nuremberg on 27–29 September 2011, provides a host of benefits for underground construction practitioners. This highly efficient and user-friendly surveying tool permits quick and cost-effective identification of high-risk areas in underground construction projects.

Tunnel surveyors and geotechnical engineers must seek to minimise underground construction risks and hazards, but are also under immense pressure to keep to tight budgets and schedules. Amberg Geotechnics is the ideal software tool for quickly and accurately identifying the full range of dangers that can affect tunnel construction projects. At this year’s Intergeo exhibition, the software’s Swiss manufacturer Amberg Technologies demonstrated for the first time how surveyors and geotechnical engineers can benefit from this innovative new technology. “Efficient, cost-effective monitoring and assessment of deformation and settling during tunnel construction and maintenance generates time savings of up to 50 percent compared with manual surveying techniques. Safety is the overriding priority, so our main aim is to free up time for users to keep risks to a minimum and take vital safety measures,” said Amberg Technologies Product Manager Oliver Schneider.

Flexible data management and technological independence

The demands placed on geotechnical surveyors often change in the course of an underground construction project, meaning that flexibility is imperative. Amberg’s new software generates flows of survey data that save time, from import to reporting. There is no more need for manual postprocessing, and data import no longer depends on the type of sensor technology used. “Efficient and flexible imports of all survey results, comprehensive data analysis and reports generated at a keystroke make Amberg Geotechnics an extremely user-friendly product that saves both time and money,” added Stephan Wettstein, Sales & Distribution Manager at Amberg Technologies. The new product is the latest addition to Amberg’s tunnel product portfolio, and supports seamless data exchange between software modules.

User-friendly reporting tool

Amberg Geotechnics permits the early detection of potential hazards. However, documentation always plays a key role – especially when it comes to collecting evidence in the event of damage. Quickly generated, reliable reports simplify day-to-day operations, and short-notice changes in project data or survey instrumentation are easy to input and compute. The software also allows for transparent and structured management of the status of a range of construction stages. The automatic point allocation system does not require the input of point IDs, and 3D views of the tunnel area can also be generated. There is a choice of report formats, meaning that project-specific expressions are also possible. “Amberg Geotechnics is an extremely practical solution that addresses the day-to-day needs of our customers,” said Marcus Flock, Research & Development Manager at Amberg Technologies.