Tunnel Boring in Infrastructure Projects will Thrive from the Use of Construction Robots, Advanced Technological Innovations, and Artificial Intelligence.

Abstract

India will become the fastest-growing tunnel construction market in the next five years, thanks to rapid growth in metro, rail, road, and hydropower projects. Even though tunnel construction started in India in the nineteenth century, little is known about the factors that affect tunnel performance and their effect on project completion. This is demonstrated by the time and cost overruns of major tunnelling programs. These aspects, as well as the use of construction robots and advanced digital technology to increase TBM performance by developing and performing a more efficient tunnelling process, are examined in the study. In the current phase, the factors have been identified by comprehensive literature exploration, and a questionnaire will be sent to tunnelling experts to study the factors and their rated importance. Case studies of a similar nature will be used to validate the model, and conclusions will be drawn. Contractors should forecast the length of time and cost of tunnelling programs based on their efficiency, considering the arbitrary effect of variables. The factors that drive the use of construction robotics and advanced technologies to improve efficiency are also addressed.