A Initiative for Technological Innovation in Geo-engineering Survey
The main work of geo-engineering survey is field investigation, testing and information collection that lead to a comprehensive engineering geological ground model. The more accurate the model is, the cheaper and safer the construction is. Hence, survey techniques comprehensively reflect the level of geo-engineering industry. Since the technology of geo-engineering survey has been lagged far behind the demand of the industry, the China National Group of IAEG, has worked with the related enterprises, universities and research institutes to launch the initiative of Technology Innovation In Geo-Engineering Survey.
I. Technical Background
1. Estimation on the current technological level in geo-engineering survey
In overview, though new technology has been continuously applied, the global level of the industry is still far lagged behind the level of modern science and technology.
Mapping: though the aerial survey, remote sense and GIS have provided efficient means for geo-engineering mapping, the working model is still carried out on manual labor with tools of compass, hammer and magnifier.
Prospecting: geophysical prospecting has been a helpful way for geo-engineering prospection; various measuring and testing techniques have improved the efficiency of boring data collection. However, geo-engineering prospection is mainly relying on exploration of drilling, adit and trenching for data acquirement. The equipment is not only old, but also heavy, which has not been changed for the past decades.
Testing: though the laboratory equipping is continuously improved, the process of field sampling, transportation, sample making and testing is still inconvenient, laborious and time- consuming.
Monitoring: the collaborative space-air-ground monitoring technics has been developed in recent years, and the technology of sensor and information transmission through internet has been widely applied. But the relative displacement monitoring cannot reflect the global deformation of the object. On the other hand, the precision of absolute positioning and deformation monitoring by satellite system does not meet the requirements for monitoring precision, and the multi-factor monitoring is not well coordinated either.
Organizing: the current R&D on technical improvement of geo-engineering survey is fragmentally applied. As the main body in the industry, the enterprises lack organizing; universities and research institutes, as the active forces, are currently individual combats in some fundamental study. It is extremely necessary that they lead the technical development of the industry.
Technical standards: as the legal safeguard of the industry, technical standards seem to lack leading nature but protect mature. The promotion of team standards in China recently, as a newborn thing, is playing a positive role in technical progress.
2. The Time Resources for Technical Revolution of Industry
The blowout-like new techniques: new techniques have provided rich time-resources for the integrated innovation of the industry, including satellite positioning, integrated electronics, sensors, fuel battery, new materials, internet of things, cloud calculation, big data, artificial intelligence, robot, drone, mobile phone, advanced programming languages, etc.
The innovation in policy supporting: the enthusiasm and environment for innovation has been reactivated by electronic commerce, the events of CMOS chip and operating system. Series of policies supporting technical innovation of enterprises and talents have been put forward and implemented.
Engineering education: the engineering education has been promoting, which ensures the growth of technical talents generation by generation and the sustainable innovation of science and technology.
II. Tasks of the Technology Revolution
The Technology Revolution aims at More Convenient and More Intelligent Geo-engineering Survey, reducing labor intensity, as well as the consuming of time and money, but raising working efficiency.
It needs a concept update, an overall planning and collaboration without barriers between different departments or regions. Practical enterprises should act as the main forces, while universities and institutes need to input enough vigor.
2. Frame of the action
Technology Innovation is a major undertaking, an overall reforming and raising of the techniques of the industry, through absorbing modern techniques and integrated innovation. The techniques to be improved mainly includes:
Space-air-ground mapping: intelligent interpreting of satellite data, drone aerial survey, 3D laser scanning, mobile stereo pair, digital mapping and 3D geo-modelling, etc.
In-situ testing and integrated data acquisition: portable laboratory equipping, micro-sensors, multiple data collectors, mobile noters, etc.
Drilling, geophysical prospecting and adit exploration: drilling data collector, multiple bore test, wireless data collection, robot excavator, etc.
Cloud computering and intelligent analyzing: data processing, machine identifying of geo-structure, parameter calculating and rock-mass classification, AI analyzing of engineering geological problems, modelling and numerical simulation, big data sharing, AI decision making, and report editing, etc.
Internet based monitoring: precise positioning and displacement monitoring, multiple sensor, low-temperature devices, pre-warning platform, etc.
Modern technical standards: revising the existing standards, establishing new standards, internationalizing global standards, etc.
Education: professional training, course and teaching material system, and administration and policy system are the basic supports for the growth of technical innovators.
III. Promoting Measures
1. China National Group of IAEG (Engineering Geology Commission, Geological Society of China) and the co-proposers are to promote the related technical administration departments, companies, universities and institutes, planning and promoting the activity.
2. The R&D platform should be established, and technical appraisal, exhibition of the products and technical standard establishing will be promoted by the proposers.
3. All the related innovative activities need to be funded by the executants, and the proposers will promote financial support from different sources.