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THE FORT BONIFACIO WAR TUNNEL
A brief history of the tunnel
The Fort Bonifacio War Tunnel is located at the entrance of the Philippines latest business districts in Metro Manila. It was constructed in 1941 in what was formerly know as Fort McKinley and intended to serve as one of the United States military defense system in the Philippines during World War 2. At the time, US General Douglas MacArthur ordered the construction of the tunnel to serve as a US Army Air Warning Service Tunnel command center.
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The tunnel had to be dug through volcanic tuff and located several meters deep in order to survive heavy bombs. Prior to its completion however, the Japanese army had entered Manila and took over the tunnel. Under the Japanese command, the tunnel was enlarged, extended, and improved to fit their requirements. 1945, the Japanese forces were eventually defeated by the joint US and Filipino forces in the country, and Fort McKinley was reclaimed and turned over to the Philippine Government in 1949.
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Project Background and Digiscript's Solution
In 2013, a symbolic memorandum of understanding were signed by BCDA, AFP, National Museum of the Philippines and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a recognition of its profound history and significance to finally restore, rehabilitate and war museum design the tunnel as the FORT BONIFACIO WAR TUNNEL for the 21st century.
Digiscript was awarded the project to conduct the as-built survey of the tunnel network and generate the baseline data for the design engineering and analysis to be used by the interdisciplinary team of structural engineers, conservation architect, and geologists. Digiscript produced several deliverables such as plans, sections, topography, elevations, and volume computions of each of the chambers. This data serves as a digital historic record of the tunnel as well as used to produce engaging animations and virtual fly throughs.
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The total length surveyed was 850m and reaches a depth of 17.6 meters below ground
