Tunnels serve as a critical piece of infrastructure in many cities. In addition to facilitating mass transit, they also play a vital role in waste and material transportation. Constructing and operating these highly useful tunnels below the ground poses several substantial challenges, from finding ways to ensure the safety of those who utilize them to reducing public disturbances. When it comes to overcoming such obstacles, industrial networking devices and systems prove essential. To better understand how underground tunnels require industrial networking, consult this comprehensive guide.

Implementing Underground Lighting

One way industrial networking proves essential for the operation of underground tunnels is by helping provide ample lighting. In dark underground tunnels, lighting proves vital to ensure that people and vehicles can enter, pass through, and exit the system safely and efficiently.

Fortunately, industrial networking equipment such as networking cabinets can help facilitate the lighting needed. Such cabinets will provide various commands and control to all external devices in each section of the tunnel.

Installing Essential Surveillance Systems

Another essential aspect of underground tunnels is surveillance. To prevent delays, congestion, or accidents from occurring, continuous monitoring or traffic density proves highly necessary. In order to accomplish this task, CCTV cameras must be placed along the entrances, interior, and exits of underground tunnels. Once installed, all systems must be monitored on a constant basis. In doing so, passengers and personnel can be alerted to any potential issues or safety threats as soon as possible.

When it comes to facilitating the remote monitoring or management of security cameras in underground tunnels, reliable industrial networking equipment such as Ethernet switches, Ethernet fiber media converters, and other industrial wireless devices proves essential. Such devices will provide the CCTV cameras with the connectivity and power they need to operate efficiently in rugged environments and continuously transport all necessary information back to the designated remote command center.

Facilitating Real-Time Air Monitoring

A common challenge that arises when constructing and operating underground tunnels is ensuring an ample supply of fresh air is provided throughout the space. In underground environments, dust, vapors, gases, fumes, and other harmful airborne elements can accumulate in dangerous quantities. To mitigate the safety risks that those who pass through the underground tunnels face, it’s essential to constantly monitor the quality of the air inside the tunnel. In doing so, you can immediately identify any unhealthy levels of air toxins and begin taking steps to reduce them or warn people before health risks occur.

In order to ensure that such crucial information regarding air quality gets transmitted back to control centers in real time, a redundant ring network infrastructure is recommended. Such a structure will eliminate a single point of failure, thus providing optimal reliability.

Utilizing Variable Message Signage

To facilitate visual communication within underground tunnels, variable message signs (VMS) are often implemented. VSM can be used to display any pertinent information that people inside the tunnel may need to know. For example, during the construction of the tunnel, variable message signs may provide information to workers regarding safety risks related to electric shock or falling debris. Following construction, variable message signs may include other information such as train schedules or instructions on where exits are located, depending on the tunnel’s use.

In any case, these signs serve an important role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of underground tunnels. To control and send information to variable message signs so they can reveal accurate information in real-time as conditions or needs may change, wireless and industrial switches are needed. Such industrial networking devices will provide the essential signage with the connectivity that they require while operating reliably despite the potentially harsh environmental conditions present.

Operating Necessary Ventilation Systems

In addition to providing commands and control to lighting and signage features in an underground tunnel, networking cabinets are also necessary for the operation of ventilation systems in such applications. As previously stated, dust, gases, vapors, and other harmful fumes can accumulate in underground environments over time to create unsafe conditions. To ensure that there is an ample amount of fresh air in the underground tunnel system, mechanical ventilation systems are needed. Networking cabinets will provide such ventilation systems with various commands from a remote location. In addition, they will also allow operators to monitor all ventilation systems across a widely distributed tunnel infrastructure by providing reliable, real-time data routing to ensure they work properly at all times.

Running Crucial Protection Systems

Another way in which underground tunnels require industrial networking equipment is for running crucial protection systems. Protection systems such as fire detection, redundant power, and emergency communication units are also essential in each section of an underground tunnel to protect the safety of its occupants. When it comes to ensuring that accurate and reliable information is passed along from these systems to their intended destination, industrial networking equipment plays a key role. Ultimately, industrial networking equipment will provide the resiliency and redundancy necessary to transport all important information from protection systems to control centers. Plus, such equipment will be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as extremely high or low temperatures or excess humidity levels, which are often present within underground tunnels.

In the instance that the tight confines of the tunnel generate electrical noise that threatens to corrupt or intercept essential data from protection systems, opting for fiber optics will likely prove useful. Fiber-optic systems will provide noise immunity for effective long-distance communication between the tunnel and control centers.

Antaira's Industrial Networking Solutions

Antaira Technologies is a leading provider of cutting-edge industrial communications technology needed to facilitate the safe and efficient operation of underground tunnels. Through the years, we have continuously manufactured reliable and innovative networking solutions for a wide range of different application environments. Among our wide range of industrial products are our industrial Ethernet switches and industrial wireless solutions, such as access points and bridges that can provide top-quality performance despite adverse weather conditions and harsh operating environments. To learn more about our industrial networking solutions and how they could benefit your unique application, contact us today.