Colombia. The Zenitel brand provided the emergency communications system for the Túnel de la Línea, the longest tunnel in the American container and a fundamental road connection for the country.
This bridge of 8.6 kilometers long crosses the central mountain range, a matter of vital importance because it reduces the travel times of this Colombian geographical area that stands out for being so rugged.
To measure the importance of its construction, it is necessary to understand that it reduced by an hour and more (depending on the state of the roads) the time it took to overcome that section. In addition, it connects the department of Quindío and Tolima, and is an important step to get from the capital city to the Pacific coast, therefore, a megaproject that has improved mobility in Colombia.
The installation firms of Zenitel's solutions in the Túnel de la Línea were Colsein and 1Solution, which carried out the project in the course of 2019, prior to the opening of this work to the public.
Solution for communication needs
The installed solution is a communication infrastructure as robust as the complexity of the tunnel itself. The tunnel has a communication system at SOS points or "emergency" calls throughout its extension, with an installed capacity of more than 100 intercoms of the TCIS-2 turbine line, the so-called "steel horse" of Zenitel and redundant monitoring rooms for the administration and management of the same system.
This was an infrastructure project that emerged from scratch, because there were no previous technologies, so the brand had to consider all the needs of the client, where it is contemplated that there are parts of the section that change environment, this because in some parts it must be open and, in that sense, withstand the inclemency of the weather, while in others it is indoors.
It highlights that, in short, the equipment was prepared to withstand environments with high pollution and noise levels, high humidity, low and high temperatures, as well as possibilities of being vandalized.
Technical description
The solution implemented is a specialized intercom system that allows all users on the road to have assistance through each of the SOS poles (as this system is known in ITS projects) from 2 different control centers known as CCO's, either due to a mechanical problem of their vehicles, an accident of any kind on the road or to request general information.
The installed Zenitel equipment meets characteristics of operation, durability, interoperability and intelligibility, among others, characteristics that made them stand out from other market offerings.
To be specific, some of these characteristics are the degree of protection IP66, the mechanical resistance to impacts (anti-vandalism) IK10, TCP / IP communication, the management of open protocols for integration with other subsystems, an SPL (sound pressure level) of up to 105 dB and digital inputs in each intercom that allow the monitoring of different signals of each SOS pole.
Scope of the solution
Across the entire track, in the case of open sky, there is an SOS post every 3 km maximum distance and inside the tunnels every 150 m.
On the other hand, each intercom of the poles has a single backlit button that when pressed generates a call to the control centers that notifies the need for help. These calls are recorded to ensure transparency and quality in the attention of users of the road concession.
Also, this SOS system is able to manage several simultaneous calls, if in any event calls are generated from several poles in the same space of time.
As explained Zenitel "in the end, the main intention of the system is to timely meet any need that road users have, mainly all those related to the well-being and preservation of their lives".
Likewise, the brand referred to the achievements obtained in this project: "As pillars of communication we are happy to guarantee the safety of the lives of the users and operators of the tunnel, as well as the continuity of this. We emphasize that operational efficiency was achieved, improved decision-making in emergency situations and, in any case, keeping the tunnel extension interconnected with a voice communication system."
Integration with other subsystems
It is relevant, in light of understanding this project, to highlight that the SOS pole system is integrated into the SCADA management and control system of the entire project, from which the administration and control of equipment and calls can be carried out.
There is also integration towards the IP telephone plant, which is used for communication between dependencies or areas of the same concession. In such a way that the possibilities of attention to the end users and the collaboration between different operators, supervisors and similar of the project are expanded.
Project challenges
From Zenitel they explain that, in fact, this project had challenges that they had to overcome. "As is public knowledge in our country, this road project presented many political, budgetary, logistical and technical drawbacks, among others. From the beginning of its execution to the official delivery of the project.
Of course, our system as part of the whole project suffered this process, which involved delays, rework and in most cases, mainly for our partners who did the installation and commissioning, it implied costs that were not contemplated".
In the end, despite all the difficulties, the brand comments that it is a pride to think and say that they are an active part of this great infrastructure project in Colombia.
Benefits of Zenitel's solution
The reasons why this solution was chosen and has had a positive impact since it began its use are the audio quality it provides, the robustness of the equipment, the interoperability (ability to integrate with the other subsystems), the technical support that the brand has given and the worldwide experience that supports this preference.
Finally, the results obtained are the security of having advanced and reliable technology to support mobility in a critical road area for the country, which, among other terrestrial communication effects, implies a contribution to economic growth.
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