Wireless tunnel monitoring
Acquire tunnel instrument readings.
Access them remotely.
Ackcio Beam connects compatible geotechnical and structural instruments to your monitoring workflow, using Self-Healing Mesh to carry readings through challenging tunnel layouts.
- Match nodes to instrument outputs
- Relay readings through available radio paths
- Connect data to your existing workflow
Published deployments
Different tunnels.
Specific monitoring requirements.
Drainage, mining and metro projects show how Ackcio Beam fits a defined instrument and communication plan. Each case describes its own scope.
Denmark Drainage tunnel
Settlement above Copenhagen’s rainwater tunnel
SMT Nordic used Ackcio Beam to acquire extensometer readings along the alignment and monitor convergence sections in an existing sewer tunnel near a shaft.
Instrument focus: extensometer and convergence-section readings, using analogue and vibrating wire nodes with additional nodes acting as repeaters.
Read the Copenhagen case studyView installation details
Peru Mining conveyor tunnel
Rock displacement along an ore conveyor tunnel
Geoteknik connected BEAM-VW-S8 nodes to seven multipoint rod extensometers. Three repeater nodes relayed readings to a surface gateway, linked by Ethernet to the mine’s network and Snape.
Required acquisition interval for this deployment: six hours.
Read the Peru case studyView installation details
Taiwan Metro depot and train tunnel
Tilt and displacement at Xinzhuang Depot
For Taipei Metro’s Xinzhuang Depot works, 15 analogue four-sensor nodes acquired MEMS tiltmeter and LVDT readings. Repeater nodes carried the data to one gateway above ground.
Instrument focus: angular tilt and linear displacement, monitored over an 18-month programme.
Read the Xinzhuang Depot case study
Singapore Services tunnel beside MRT works
An existing services tunnel during MRT tunnelling
During nearby Thomson–East Coast Line works, Soil Investigation trialled four analogue one-sensor nodes with four biaxial tiltmeters inside an existing common services tunnel. A repeater relayed data to the surface gateway.
Instrument focus: tilt in the existing services tunnel during nearby MRT tunnelling.
Read the Singapore MRT case studyView installation details
“Ackcio provides robust wireless data acquisition solutions in areas where several instruments are concentrated in a relatively wide area.”
Geoteknisk Specialist, SMT Nordic
“We were very impressed with not only the range but even more so the reliability in such difficult conditions.”
Instrumentation Engineer, Soil Investigation
Related undersea tunnel evidence
Hong Kong Undersea road tunnel
Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok Link
The published case describes vibrating wire piezometer and strain-gauge acquisition within the undersea tunnel and at the surface. One gateway served that project’s monitoring configuration.
Read the undersea tunnel case studyHow the solution fits
Compatible instruments.
A connected acquisition workflow.
Keep the measurement method and data requirements at the centre of the specification.
Specify the measurement
Use the instrument that measures the parameter you need. Ackcio supplies sensors and acquires supported third-party instruments.
Explore Ackcio products
02 · Nodes
Match the output
Select the node for the exact signal, channel count, excitation and reading interval.
Vibrating Wire Nodes Analogue Nodes Digital Node
03 · Gateway
Bring readings together
Beam nodes communicate through Mesh to a gateway. Plan the gateway’s power, location and onward connection.
Ackcio Gateway Ackcio Mesh
04 · Software
Use your workflow
Review data and deployment health in Snape. Configure supported API or FTP delivery to your chosen platform.
Snape softwareCheck the signal, then select the node
Vibrating wire: match the instrument’s frequency range and required thermistor channels. A load cell can contain several vibrating wires.
Analogue: check voltage, current-loop or bridge output, excitation and wiring requirements.
Digital: check the exact protocol and supported instrument model with Ackcio.
Keep each part’s role clear
The instrument measures. The node acquires. Beam Mesh carries radio messages through the available network. The gateway connects the deployment to its data workflow.
Ackcio’s Mesh tiltmeter measures angular change. TM-L uses LoRa communication and needs its corresponding network design.
Communication through changing layouts
Self-Healing Mesh
When a radio path becomes obstructed, Beam Mesh can select an alternative path through other nodes where one is available. Node placement and relay planning remain part of the tunnel survey.
Direct radio link blocked: the red path in the example meets an obstruction. Green paths illustrate alternative routes.
Mesh does not repair instrument cables, faulty sensors or power loss. Its communication behaviour is separate from TM-L LoRa.
Explore Ackcio Mesh
Explore sensors, acquisition hardware and software
Ackcio-manufactured sensors include the Mesh tiltmeter, GeoArray and vibrating wire instruments. Compatible third-party instruments connect through the node matched to their output.
Mesh Tiltmeter GeoArray VW Piezometer VW Surface Strain Gauge VW Load Cell VW CrackmeterMonitoring areas
Six areas.
A defined measurement plan.
Choose the measurements that support your tunnel monitoring specification, from neighbouring buildings to the continuity of the data record.
01 / 06 · Monitoring area
Surface and buildings
Are structures above the alignment moving?
- Building tilt
- Track angular change with suitably mounted tiltmeters.
- Crack opening and closing
- Use crackmeters across defined cracks or joints.
- Surface settlement
- Use suitable displacement instruments or a separate survey system with an established reference.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
Tilt readings describe rotation. Establish settlement through the chosen displacement method. Vibration or peak particle velocity monitoring requires suitable bandwidth, sampling and synchronisation. Validate a dedicated acquisition setup for those requirements.
02 / 06 · Monitoring area
Lining convergence
How is the lining geometry changing?
- Convergence and deformation
- Use a specified arch displacement array or a suitable linear displacement arrangement to track lining geometry.
- Segment rotation
- Measure angular change at defined lining locations.
- Joints and cracks
- Read opening and closing with suitable displacement sensors.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
GeoArray supports arch installations for convergence applications. Define array mounting, reference points and the required displacement outputs with the project engineer. A tiltmeter by itself measures angular change and does not directly measure convergence. Extensometers need an installation suited to the intended linear measurement.
03 / 06 · Monitoring area
Groundwater
How are groundwater pressure and levels changing?
- Pore pressure
- Acquire vibrating wire piezometer readings around the bore or shafts.
- Well and standpipe levels
- Select a level or pressure instrument with a supported output and suitable reference.
- Seepage and flow
- Use an appropriately installed flow transducer where flow monitoring is required.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
Pressure, water level and flow are separate quantities. Check venting or barometric compensation, units and calibration. Flow-meter outputs may be pulse, analogue or digital. Confirm the exact node model and input before specifying acquisition.
04 / 06 · Monitoring area
Support and loads
How are support loads and strains changing?
- Strain in steel ribs and props
- Read suitably installed strain gauges and review changes against the baseline.
- Anchor and strut loads
- Select load cells for the member, bearing arrangement and required range.
- Contact pressure
- Use pressure cells with outputs supported by the selected acquisition node.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
Converting strain to load or stress requires engineering assumptions and calibration. Confirm the channel mapping for multi-wire load cells. The TBM reaction frame in the illustration is a concept: thrust, dynamic signals and machine instrumentation require a separately validated specification, including sample rate, synchronisation and integration.
05 / 06 · Monitoring area
Ground at depth
Where is subsurface movement developing?
- Displacement at selected depths
- Rod extensometers track relative movement between defined anchors and a reference head.
- Lateral movement profiles
- Use a vertical GeoArray or compatible in-place inclinometer to follow lateral deformation.
- Settlement and heave
- Use an appropriate horizontal array or displacement arrangement with a defined reference.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
Choose the instrument orientation and anchor depths to answer the geological question. A vertical inclinometer profile measures lateral deformation. Settlement needs an appropriate measurement geometry and reference. Match an extensometer’s specific output to the node rather than assigning all extensometers to one node family.
06 / 06 · Monitoring area
Data health
Does the record support the observed change?
- Device and network status
- Review available battery, node and communication indicators in the configured system.
- Reading continuity
- Check missing timestamps, gaps and changes in reading frequency.
- Unexpected values
- Review spikes or noise alongside temperature, site activities and independent observations.
Measurement and acquisition considerations
A data anomaly needs investigation. Device status does not by itself diagnose a failed instrument, cut cable or actual ground movement. Check physical connections, power and instrument condition. Available diagnostic fields and alarm behaviour depend on the selected hardware, firmware and software configuration.
Monitoring context
Build the record between site visits.
Restricted access and long cable routes can make acquisition difficult. Scheduled wireless readings complement inspections and the monitoring team’s response plan.
Surface disturbance
Changes above an excavation can affect neighbouring buildings and services.
Excavation response
Ground and support response can change as work advances.
Lining condition
Cracks and local deterioration call for appropriate measurements and inspection.
Adjacent assets
Operating railways and utilities can restrict access to instruments.
Illustrative scenarios, not photographs of identified events.
Periodic observations
Manual readings and inspections provide checks at specific times. Their frequency and access requirements remain part of the monitoring plan.
A configured measurement record
Specify acquisition intervals, validation and alarm handling for the required response time. Review trends with site observations and construction activity.
Monitoring provides evidence for engineering assessment. The responsible team defines thresholds and actions.
Project planning
Start with the asset.
Specify the acquisition.
Bring the tunnel layout, instrument schedule and required data workflow. Ackcio and your monitoring partner can help define a deployment around them.
Buildings above
Tilt, cracks and separately specified settlement measurements along the alignment.
TBM drives
Acquire compatible surrounding-ground and structural instruments. Validate any machine instrumentation separately.
Mined tunnels
Plan convergence and support measurements with suitable mounting and access arrangements.
Shafts and portals
Connect measurements across surface and underground transitions.
Groundwater
Specify pore-pressure, level and flow measurements for the hydrogeological question.
Long and undersea drives
Survey radio paths, relay positions and available alternatives as the layout changes.
Define the monitoring question
Agree parameters, units, reference points, required intervals and response responsibilities.
Plan and verify the deployment
Check instrument interfaces, node inputs, radio paths, mounting, power and gateway backhaul. Establish baselines.
Review the record, then extend
Validate readings and delivery with the monitoring team. Review coverage as the face, access and temporary works change.
Frequently asked questions
Before you specify a system
Can Ackcio acquire readings from instruments we already specify?
Yes, where the exact instrument output and acquisition requirements match a supported node. Share the model, output, wiring, channel count and reading schedule so the configuration can be checked.
Can the network communicate around bends and between levels?
Beam Mesh can relay readings through nodes and select alternative radio paths where available. A tunnel radio survey should determine node and relay positions, obstructions and gateway placement. A published project’s result is specific to its layout.
Does a tiltmeter measure tunnel convergence or settlement?
A tiltmeter measures angular change. Convergence or settlement requires an appropriate displacement method, geometry and reference. GeoArray supports arch, vertical and horizontal applications with the installation specified for the intended measurement.
Can the same setup capture vibration or TBM machine data?
Those requirements need separate validation. Confirm sensor output, bandwidth, sample rate, synchronisation, power and integration requirements before selecting the acquisition hardware.
What happens when the data path or an instrument fails?
Where an alternative radio path exists, Mesh can reroute communication. Physical cable damage, instrument failure and loss of power require investigation and corrective action. Confirm storage and retransmission behaviour for the specific node and configuration.
Can the readings feed our existing monitoring software?
Snape supports data review and network management. Supported API or FTP connections can deliver sensor data to third-party or in-house software. Agree formats, delivery intervals, network access and alarm responsibilities during design.
Are Beam Mesh and TM-L the same communication system?
Beam Mesh and TM-L LoRa use different communication arrangements. Choose and verify the instrument, gateway and network configuration for the specific deployment.