Risk Warning and Decision Support Model for Shield Tunneling Construction in Urban Rail Transit

Authors

  • Wenfeng Cao School of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Fujian Vocational College of Agriculture, Fuzhou Fujian, 353000, China
  • Lijun Shi High-speed Railway Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd, Changsha Hunan, 410000, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/jicts2245-800X.1424

Keywords:

Risk warning, decision support, construction, proximal policy optimization (PPO), regularized random forest (RRF), safety standards, ICT protocols

Abstract

Risks occur due to variable geological conditions and urban constraints. Inadequate risk identification and management in shield tunneling can result in safety hazards, schedule overruns, and increased project costs, necessitating an effective risk assessment and decision-making framework. This research aims to develop a comprehensive risk warning and decision support model to facilitate early risk detection and informed mitigation strategies during shield tunneling construction in urban rail transit projects. The dataset includes geotechnical conditions, tunneling parameters, environmental factors, operational records, and safety monitoring data. Data sources include multi-sensors, and project logs, enabling comprehensive risk analysis and modeling. These multi-sensor inputs include cutterhead torque sensors, thrust force sensors, slurry pressure sensors, vibration and displacement sensors, as well as ground settlement monitoring instruments. The project logs consist of TBM operational logs, geotechnical investigation records, and safety monitoring logs documenting environmental and structural conditions during tunneling. To ensure data quality, pre-processing methods including Interquartile Range (IQR) for outlier detection and mean imputation for missing values are applied. Predictive risk modeling was conducted using Regularized Random Forest (RRF). Risk thresholds were established in accordance with model outputs and relevant safety standards to enable proactive early warning alerts. The decision support module leverages Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) to recommend adaptive mitigation actions, such as tunneling parameter adjustments and structural reinforcements. Additionally, it facilitates forecasting of potential outcomes, providing dynamic, real-time feedback to the construction management team for rapid operational response. The proposed model demonstrated robust performance in early risk identification and offered actionable recommendations that enhance safety management and operational efficiency within urban shield tunneling projects. The integrated risk warning and decision support framework provides a technically sound and practical tool to improve risk mitigation efficacy, optimize construction decision-making processes, and promote the safe and efficient advancement of urban rail transit shield tunneling construction.

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Author Biographies

Wenfeng Cao, School of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Fujian Vocational College of Agriculture, Fuzhou Fujian, 353000, China

Wenfeng Cao, male, born on November 20, 1982, in Mengcheng County, Anhui Province, is a Senior Engineer and a faculty member at Fujian Agricultural Vocational and Technical College. He graduated from Central South University of Forestry and Technology with a major in Civil Engineering and holds the professional qualification of a Class 1 Constructor. His research focuses on the construction and management of highway engineering.

Lijun Shi, High-speed Railway Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd, Changsha Hunan, 410000, China

Lijun Shi, male, born on October 25, 1981, in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province, is a Professor-level Senior Engineer and Deputy Chief Engineer of High-speed Railway Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd. He obtained his PhD from Central South University and holds the professional qualification as a Class 1 Constructor. His research focuses on the R&D of intelligent detection equipment for rail transit and the application of AI algorithms in track defect identification.

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Published

2026-06-05

How to Cite

Cao, W. ., & Shi, L. . (2026). Risk Warning and Decision Support Model for Shield Tunneling Construction in Urban Rail Transit. Journal of ICT Standardization, 14(02), 223–254. https://doi.org/10.13052/jicts2245-800X.1424

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Articles