Integrated command and control solution for UK tunnel

UK company 733 Sicura Systems is supplying a fully fault-tolerant, integrated command and control solution to the US$416 million New Tyne Crossing project on the A19 near Newcastle in England. Video surveillance at the River Tyne tunnel complex is managed by software developed by the company which includes DigiSCADA to provide resilient monitoring and control of all connected devices and systems, and DigiLive workstations which provide the interface between SCADA and DigiWall, a fully-redundant video wall operating between mirrored servers. When fully operational at the site, DigiWall will display footage from fixed and PTZ cameras as well as data from client devices including access control, fire/smoke detection and ventilation.

The project is claimed to feature one of the most comprehensive interactions of camera surveillance and SCADA sub-systems to date. It exploits the full capabilities of DigiWall, an IP-based display solution for control rooms at mission-critical infrastructure locations. DigiWall users are able to view a comprehensive range of data sources including video footage, site schematics, public information displays and building management status.

IP streams from analogue cameras, which are located mainly within the tunnels under the Tyne and at toll plazas, are being generated using blade encoders. Transmission of the 25 fps footage is via a fully fault-tolerant fibre network designed and installed by Vital Technology.

“If problems occur in a road tunnel they tend not to be isolated incidents but rather a sequence of events,” said Vincenzo Roberti , managing director at Sicura Systems. “It was a requirement at tender stage that CCTV for this project should be integrated with SCADA . The sheer range of data on which the Sicura software can report is important for our clients.

“The tunnel operator will be using Sicura’s DigiWall display solution and DigiLive management software to process disparate information types, even benefiting from video analytics functionality via Vehicle Automatic Detection System (VAID),” Roberti said.

To date the New Tyne Crossing Project has included construction of a second vehicle tunnel featuring four 90-metre immersed tube sections under the River Tyne, redesign of the southern interchange at the entrance to the original tunnel and development of a toll plaza on the new northern approach to the vehicle tunnel. The original vehicle tunnel (which dates from 1967) is currently closed for major refurbishment. The Tyne Tunnels site (which includes dedicated tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists) is located 11 km to the east of Newcastle upon Tyne and forms part of the A19 road.