Digital Tunnel: Built faster. Operated safer.
Ready before it’s built: Take advantage of digitalization for your tunnel projects
Digitalization lets you open your tunnels faster and operate them more safely. In collaboration with Siemens, you can enjoy all the benefits of the digital tunnel – in the design, engineering, and commissioning stages, and finally in operation.
Digital transformation needs cybersecurity
The increasing digitalisation of the world also brings great challenges. Critical infrastructures, which include tunnels, need to be protected against cyberattacks. Find out here how you can secure your tunnel facility with comprehensive cybersecurity protection.
Operate your tunnel before it’s built
Designing and constructing a tunnel require everyone involved to work together efficiently. Standardization and digitalization make workflows more efficient, resulting in faster completion. The digital twin makes a crucial contribution toward getting your tunnel opened faster. That saves time and money.
Optimize tunnel systems using digitalization
Every tunnel project is a challenge in terms of both design and engineering. Many different disciplines and departments have to be coordinated, and the design process must be cost-optimized. This is where digitalization offers many benefits. With digitalization, you can optimize the design, engineering, commissioning, operation, service, and modernization of your tunnel.
We are a skilled partner for all stakeholders – designers, system integrators, and operators – and digitalize every stage of a tunnel system’s lifecycle. You benefit from efficient workflows, opening your tunnel faster, and maximum availability thanks to an end-to-end security strategy, well trained employees, and new opportunities for predictive maintenance.
The digital twin makes the difference
With the digital twin, your tunnel is ready before it’s built.
The digital twin is the virtual representation of a real tunnel. It means the engineering and commissioning process can be made a whole lot faster. You can test and optimize all functions in the development environment. When the tests have been successfully completed, it’s easy to transfer the result to the real world. There is no need for time-consuming and costly tests on the real thing.
Virtual commissioning using the digital twin uses simulations to show whether the overall system works according to plan, or if improvements are still needed.
Operators and service employees can be trained using the digital tunnel before it goes into real-life operation. That means they’ll be ready for work as soon as the tunnel is open for traffic.
- The digital twin supports planners and operators in jointly designing the tunnel.
- Standardized tender specification texts minimize effort and facilitate comparisons of bids.
- Open interfaces permit simple linking of digital planning concepts to automation.
- Thanks to the use of the TIA Portal, all engineering tasks in the tunnel project can be standardized, thereby reducing interfaces and enabling faster project execution.
- Simulation and virtual commissioning save time and money during real commissioning.
- The digital twin permits continuous modernization and optimization of the tunnel without compromising ongoing operation.
- A comprehensive Defense-in-Depth concept fully protects the tunnel against both internal and external cyberattacks.
- Efficient tunnel monitoring with connection to the cloud ensures transparency and early notification of potential faults in order to guarantee smooth tunnel operation.
The digital tunnel improves efficiency
Digitalization optimizes the entire tunnel lifecycle. Gains in both efficiency and time achieved through virtualization pay off in the design, engineering, and commissioning stages. The benefits in terms of safety and availability come to the fore in actual operation.
Defense in Depth is a proven, multilayered security concept that gives your plant both all-round and in-depth protection. It offers integrated protection with systematic defense against unauthorized access and manipulation, and against cyber attacks. Defense in Depth guarantees tunnel security, network security, and system integrity in accordance with IEC 62443. Integrated security functions in the TIA Portal ensure Defense in Depth is easy to implement.
The ideal controller for every application.
- An extensive selection of CPUs and assemblies optimized for almost every application
- Compact design and modular construction, fail-safe assemblies with extensive, integrated technology functions
- System diagnostics enables error location with no programming effort
Advantages in the tunnel
- The scalable layout allows an integrated solution, from the automation of an avalanche protection tunnel to the controlling of complex ventilation systems with fault-tolerant automation components
- If the safety requirements increase, the controllers can be expanded by adding new fail-safe software blocks, thus providing optimal investment protection
The powerful controller family for the tunnel.
- Easy engineering in the TIA Portal
- Scalable redundancy and scalable performance
- Event-driven synchronization
Advantages in the tunnel
- System redundancy is assured from the portal all the way to the emergency bay
- Setup of the controllers in the separated portals allows greater fail-safety of the component
Distributed automation is made possible with the SIMATIC ET 200 family. The components of the system family are available in a variety of different sizes and designs.
- Modular I/O systems with low to high channel density
- Maximum system performance on the basis of PROFINET
- Safety and standard in one system
Advantages in the tunnel
- Due to the distributed layout, the signals can be recorded directly in the sub-distributors in the tunnel - long cable routes are thus omitted
- The distributed I/O system increases the availability of the overall system due to the redundant connection of the modules and bus system
Scalable, flexible and open SCADA standard software.
- Efficient engineering and flexible system expansion due to integrated object orientation
- Scalable from 500 I/Os to more than 10 million I/Os and from a single-station system to 2048 networked systems
- Comprehensive connection options: OPC UA, OPC, SIMATIC S7 Plus, Ethernet/IP, Modbus, S-Bus, TLS Gateway, BACnet, SNMP Manager & Agent, IEC 61850 / 61400, SINAUT, DNP, IEC 60870-5-101, -104, SSI, SIMATIC Logo 8
- Platform-neutral for Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android
- Modern and innovative operating concepts with multi-touch gestures
- Monitoring and operation of your system even via the Web or mobile
- Hot-standby redundancy
- Disaster recovery system
- SIL 3 certification according to IEC 61508
- Data security due to SSL encryption
Advantages in the tunnel
- Hot-standby redundancy can be seamlessly integrated into the redundancy concept of tunnel systems
- The scalable layout allows the integration of many data points of the often widely distributed tunnel systems – particularly advantageous if there is a central control room
SCADA system for worldwide use in all industries.
- Efficient and user-friendly in engineering and operation
- Universally scalable from a single-station system to distributed and web-based solutions with access via Intranet/Internet
- High reliability due to redundancy and integrated process diagnostics
- Open standards for easy integration
Advantages in the tunnel
- The redundancy function corresponds to all of the specifications of a redundancy concept for tunnel systems – from the station in the tunnel to the central control room
- The automation components can be optimally integrated into the SCADA system
Flexible and versatile solutions for tunnel/metro.
- With our SIMATIC IPCs, applications and solutions can be realized that go far beyond the functions of a classic PC
- The IPC`s offer you a flexible, innovative, and long-term available platform, with which the challenges of your tunnel/metro system become a home game
Advantages in the tunnel
- Perfect SCADA software interaction
- Optimized for harsh environmental conditions
- Connecting the tunnel/metro system with the digital world
- Long-term availability through repair and spare parts service from Siemens
Operator panels for any requirement, integrated configuration, data management, and communication.
- Brilliant widescreen displays for optimal legibility and expanded display capabilities (up to 40% more visualization area)
- Efficient energy management thanks to up to 100% dimmable displays with LED backlighting and the use of PROFIenergy for coordinated shutdowns during break times
- Designed for harsh industrial environments
- Maximum energy efficiency due to integration into the TIA Portal
Advantages in the tunnel
- SIMATIC HMI devices in the tunnel enable local operation of fans or other parts of the system
- Easy start-up of individual components directly on site
- PROFINET, the open, multi-vendor and high-performance Industrial Ethernet standard for automation, is 100 percent Ethernet
- Maximum data transmission speed and accuracy – even for large quantity structures
Advantages in the tunnel
- The future-oriented network topology for periphery switches opens up new opportunities for tunnel bus architecture
The high performance 24 V power supply for tunnels.
- Extensive selection of power supplies, expandable with add-on modules up to an all-round protection solution
- Electronic selectivity modules for overload protection of peripherals with extensive diagnostics
- Power supply system and DC UPS with PROFINET integration and easy engineering in TIA Portal
Advantages in the tunnel
- Decentralized and modular design ensures high availability and supply reliability
- Diagnostic data increases system transparency for preventive fault detection and fast fault localization in the tunnel
In a class of its own in every category.
- Flexibility due to a comprehensive portfolio with different designs and ranges of functions
- Fail-safe networks due to quick redundancy and redundant power supply
- Configuration and diagnostics in STEP 7/ TIA Portal
Advantages in the tunnel
- The SIMATIC switch components can be integrated into the overall configuration and thus allow integrated configuration and diagnostics
- The product portfolio encompasses industrial grade components for the tunnel environment and industrial switches with office functions for central control rooms
The integrated drive family for tunnel ventilation.
- The complete and integrated family of drives that covers all performance levels. The converters are characterized by a maximum degree of flexibility, functionality, and engineering efficiency
- Broad power range, from 0.12 kW to 85 MW
- Optimally integrated into the automation with PROFIdrive, PROFIsafe, and PROFIenergy
- Powerful, drive-autonomous safety functions. Shared engineering with only two tools for all of the drives: SIZER for configuration and Startdrive for parameterization and commissioning
Advantages in the tunnel
- The universal integration of the SINAMICS converters into the overall SIMATIC system allows the optimal integration and diagnostics of the ventilation
The digital tunnel brought to life
tunnel length
to the digital tunnel
cooperate in Hagerbach tunnel
The Hagerbach test gallery in Switzerland is a training center and a research lab rolled into one. It was conceived and set up on behalf of and in collaboration with various companies, associations, and research institutes. Performing national and Europe-wide research projects guarantees it a broad knowledge base.
At the Hagerbach test gallery, we illustrate the entire lifecycle of the digital tunnel – from design to operation and services. Five use cases are presented:
- Design – BIM, tunnel CAD
- Simulation of fires, ventilation, road signs, escape doors
- Virtual commissioning and operator training
- Operation – cybersecurity plan
- Service – MindSphere connection/live data tunnel
The tunnel is open to visitors during normal opening hours subject to prior notice.
Digital Tunnel: The advantages and areas of application of tunnel automation
Security information
In order to protect plants, systems, machines and networks against cyber threats, it is necessary to implement – and continuously maintain – a holistic, state-of-the-art industrial security concept. Siemens’ products and solutions only form one element of such a concept. For more information about industrial security, please visit.
