It may sound like a fancy new cellphone or an audio device, but iSure is literally groundbreaking. iSure is Sandvik’s latest tunnel design software. Together with the new line of intelligent DTi tunnelling jumbos, it brings revolutionary precision to underground construction. “Basically, we’re talking about a software tool for developing drilling patterns in tunnel building,” says Pekka Nieminen, global manager for tunnelling at Sandvik Mining and Construction. “It helps optimize them in order to save money for the builders.”

To make sure the tunnel progresses ideally, the software gives specific guidance for different stages of excavation. One part helps design the tunnel, while others monitor, analyze and report diagnostics during and after the drilling. Parameters such as strength of the explosives and the charge-specific fracture zone are fed in manually.

“The contractors want to optimize the drilling pattern,” Nieminen says. “If they manage to do that, they can reduce the number of holes drilled, which leads to savings in explosives, detonators and wear and tear on the drilling equipment.”

Getting an accurate result from each blast is crucial in today’s market, and iSure is designed to fill a void in this area.

“Let’s say you drill holes 5 metres deep,” says Juha Kukkonen, applications engineer at Sandvik Mining and Construction. “The actual advance after blasting depends on many factors, but the most important ones are drilling accuracy, accurate hole placement, correct blasting method and type and placement of the cut. When all these are under control, the advance after blasting is close to the length of the drilled hole – or 5 metres in this case.”

The best accuracy comes from a combination of a correctly designed drilling pattern and automated drilling of that pattern with a DTi series jumbo. Even inexperienced jumbo operators can achieve top performance, according to early results in Finland.

“The accuracy is improved by the combination of the new series of rigs and the iSure software,” Kukkonen says. “The jumbos themselves are also more precise due to new compensation models used. When these are combined with a good drilling pattern, the whole excavation process becomes more accurate. This in turn adds to the quality of the walls and roof.”

The software is still new to the market, as it was only launched last October. One of the major tunnelling projects using iSure is in Helsinki, Finland, led by contractor Lemminkainen, and the reaction has been entirely good.

“We have received very positive feedback from the ones who have seen it,” Nieminen says. “They say the software offers a new way of thinking when you’re building a tunnel. Designing the drilling pattern is much easier than before, and it makes the excavation faster and more reliable.”

Sandvik Mining and Construction has been showing off the combination of the software and the new jumbos at global trade fairs.
“We’ve seen a big demand for it in developed markets,” Kukkonen says. “The presentations we’ve held for new and potential clients have also been great. Of course you will still need to have knowledge of tunnelling, but iSure makes an invaluable optimization tool for help and guidance. There is really nothing like it out there.”

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