STRUCINSPECT: Above Standard Below Ground — Award for Tunnel Inspection on Los Angeles Metro

At this year's ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony, Atlas Technical Consultants was recognized for their inspection work on the Los Angeles Metro. ACEC represents nearly 6,000 firms in the US, employing more than 600,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, highly trained specialists, and licensed professionals. In just a tenth of the time normally required, they were able to inspect important sections of the 163 km long underground rail network. That is all due to the latest technology from the Austrian joint venture STRUCINSPECT.

Vienna, Austria on June 14, 2023

Underground rail tunnels are essential for future-focused and sustainable mobility. At the same time, they are highly complex structures requiring a lengthy and intricate inspection process. Especially when — as is the case with the Los Angeles Metro — earthquakes are an everyday event. By using artificial intelligence and structured data management, Atlas Technical Consultants can inspect the Los Angeles tunnel and rail network twice as fast as before. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) recognized this success at the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) in Washington D.C. on June 13, 2023. STRUCINSPECT technologies are at the center of the showcase project. “Thanks to STRUCINSPECT’s artificial intelligence and Infrastructure Lifecycle Hub, we have been able to streamline our inspection processes, achieving shorter inspection times while increasing data quality,” says Bahjat Dagher, PE - Regional Southern California HUB Leader, Atlas Technical Consultants. “STRUCINSPECT’s artificial intelligence and ability to customize and integrate their approach and technology into our existing process and procedures produces results that exceeded all of our expectations,” adds Patrick Lowry, PE – Division Manager, Atlas Technical Consultants.

STRUCINSPECT in the LA Metro: Modern data collection and processing
Tunnel inspections rely on being able to identify, assess and process damage and defects at an early stage as quickly as possible, because long tunnel closures need to be avoided at all costs for the sake of the passengers. “What used to be a complex project in civil engineering is now time-efficient and even safer thanks to the very latest technologies,” says STRUCINSPECT Managing Director Albrecht Karlusch. “In Los Angeles, together with Atlas Technical Consultants, we succeeded in implementing a real showcase project in the area of tunnel inspection, in which we were able to deliver an impressive level of site-specific solutions, structured data management and precision.” In the Californian metropolis, three factors led to success: radial cameras, artificial intelligence and orthomosaic mapping. Using a push car equipped with radial cameras, it was possible to inspect up to three miles of tunnel per night below the city, allowing work to be carried out six times faster. Artificial intelligence also made it possible not only to record damage and defects, but also to assess their development over time. As a result, the engineers working on the project have a better basis for decision-making on maintenance measures. STRUCINSPECT also provided the technology for orthomosaic mapping, which enabled a distortion-free and true-to-scale depiction of defects. Compared to conventional inspection methods, this system records and assesses the condition of each section of the structure even more precisely. The data is processed in the STRUCINSPECT Infrastructure Lifecycle Hub, which provides a central interface for documenting and collating data.

The winning project clearly shows that highly complex processes such as tunnel maintenance can be made safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for both the project team and customers by applying digital technology solutions.