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Green and Intelligent Construction Technologies and Equipment for Deeply Buried Tunnels Under Complex Geological Conditions

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1661

Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: geotechnical engineering; pipe jacking; slope; tunnel; fiber-reinforced concrete; underground space; hydraulic engineering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Underground space utilization is continuously expanding, which has accelerated the need for green and intelligent construction technologies capable of addressing the unique challenges of deeply buried tunnels with complex geological conditions. These tunnels often face extreme stress environments, high geothermal gradients, and variable geological formations, which complicate construction safety, cost control, and sustainability. In recent years, the convergence of intelligent sensing, automation, and green construction concepts has profoundly transformed tunnel engineering. Digital twin technologies, AI-assisted decision-making, and IoT-based monitoring systems now enable predictive control, adaptive optimization, and data-driven management across all stages of construction. Simultaneously, sustainable engineering principles—emphasizing energy efficiency, environmental protection, and low-carbon materials—are redefining the way underground infrastructure is designed and built.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest advances and applications of green and intelligent construction technologies and equipment for deeply buried tunnels with complex geological conditions. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that contribute to safer, smarter, and more sustainable tunneling through innovation in design, materials, equipment, and management.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

(1) Intelligent tunneling systems for deeply buried tunnels under complex geological conditions.

(2) Digital twin and real-time monitoring technologies in tunnel construction and operation.

(3) AI-based geological hazard prediction and intelligent decision-making.

(4) Intelligent drilling and blasting technology for precision excavation and safety control.

(5) Testing and characterization of rock physical–mechanical properties under complex stress conditions.

(6) Intelligent ventilation systems for deep and long tunnels.

(7) Intelligent lining and adaptive support technologies for tunnel stability.

(8) Surrounding rock recognition and classification based on sensor fusion and machine learning.

(9) BIM- and IoT-integrated platforms for intelligent construction management.

(10) Green construction materials and resource recycling for sustainable tunnel engineering.

(11) Energy-efficient, low-carbon construction methods and life cycle assessment in tunneling.

(12) Machine learning and numerical modeling for stability analysis and risk control.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and advancing the frontier of intelligent and sustainable tunnel construction together.

Dr. Zhiyun Deng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • green construction
  • intelligent tunneling
  • complex geological conditions
  • intelligent drilling and blasting
  • digital twin
  • rock mechanics
  • intelligent ventilation
  • intelligent lining
  • sustainable engineering
  • low-carbon construction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 17012 KB  
Article
Carbon Emission Calculation and Prediction of Asphalt Pavement Construction in Long Tunnel Based on Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment
by Dan Yuan, Jian Wu, Qi Shi and Dunwen Liu
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(11), 5503; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16115503 - 1 Jun 2026
Viewed by 358
Abstract
Long asphalt tunnels serve as critical infrastructure for urban public transport, yet their construction entails substantial energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study aims to quantify and predict carbon emissions from asphalt pavement construction in long tunnels. Adopting Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment (HLCA), [...] Read more.
Long asphalt tunnels serve as critical infrastructure for urban public transport, yet their construction entails substantial energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study aims to quantify and predict carbon emissions from asphalt pavement construction in long tunnels. Adopting Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment (HLCA), the asphalt paving process is divided into five stages: material production, transportation, on-site paving, milling, and ventilation. Four construction schemes are formulated via detailed calculation and analysis. A carbon emission factor database specific to long tunnel asphalt pavement construction in Guangxi is established, and a quantitative model is developed using the emission coefficient method to calculate carbon emissions of each scheme, among which Scheme 2 is determined as the optimal low-carbon construction scheme. The calculation model is validated via numerical software, and a carbon emission prediction dataset is constructed. Three prediction models, namely GA-BPNN, conventional SVR, and BPNN, are established. The results indicate that the GA-BPNN model achieves the highest predictive accuracy among the three models. This study further improves the calculation and prediction methods for carbon emissions in long tunnel asphalt pavement construction, providing theoretical support for carbon reduction and low-carbon construction management. Full article
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18 pages, 7468 KB  
Article
Wear Analysis for the Selection of Cutters for a Tunnel Boring Machine
by Carlos Laín Huerta, Anselmo César Soto Pérez, Esther Pérez Arellano and Jorge Suárez-Macías
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 1676; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16041676 - 7 Feb 2026
Viewed by 850
Abstract
During the excavation of the Guadarrama railway tunnels, part of the Spanish high-speed rail network (AVE), distinct wear patterns were observed among four types of disc cutters employed in tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The central question addressed in this study is whether the [...] Read more.
During the excavation of the Guadarrama railway tunnels, part of the Spanish high-speed rail network (AVE), distinct wear patterns were observed among four types of disc cutters employed in tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The central question addressed in this study is whether the differences in wear—specifically in the Abrasivity Value Steel (AVS) recorded for the four cutter types—are attributable to variations in their inherent wear resistance or to the variability of the tested lithologies and the testing procedures. If the latter hypothesis is confirmed, it would imply that substituting one cutter type for another would not result in significant changes in consumption rates, and that the observed variations would be primarily associated with lithological differences rather than cutter design. This paper presents a real case study concerning the selection of disc cutters for two TBMs used in the excavation of the Guadarrama tunnels. The rock mass encountered consisted predominantly of granite and gneiss. Full article
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