Automatic dynamic generation of drill sequences for tunneling

Abstract

Tunneling is an important part of building infrastructure in most countries. It is important that tunneling production is done efficiently to reduce the cost of infrastructure projects. In tunneling, multiple holes are drilled for explosives with a tunneling rig. The tunneling rig has multiple booms that drills holes simultaneously. Analysis of drill logs in this thesis provides an understanding of the current efficiency and how it can be improved. The method for drilling a sequence in this thesis discusses an even allocation between booms and dynamically updating this. The optimal path for the allocated holes is calculated by solving the traveling salesman problem using integer programming. The optimal path is constrained so that collisions between booms are avoided. The optimal path is recalculated whenever the allocation changes. The method is tested in a simulator and is estimated to save eight percent of the total drilling time for a sequence from current practice.