BIM Applications in Tunnel Construction: Safety, Planning, and Optimization

Building Information Modeling (BIM) plays a crucial role in tunnel constructions where safety and planning are paramount due to the unique challenges and risks inherent in such projects. In fact, tunnels involve working in confined spaces with limited ventilation and accessibility, increasing the potential for accidents and hazards. BIM offers comprehensive visualization, seamless coordination, clash detection, simulation capabilities, accurate quantification, and more. The case study of this thesis is the Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin (TELT), a train tunnel currently under construction that will go from Lyon (France) to Turin (Italy), precisely on construction sites C06 and C07. BIM methodology will be used to create visual outputs in order to manage time (4D) and safety (8D) and optimize the construction (9D) with the help of technology (10D). The work unfolds in two distinct parts; the first analyses a standard cycle for excavation using the traditional technique that involves drilling and blasting. Scenes about the different phases of the cycle are realized, each of them provided with information about the necessary resources as of workers, machines, setting of the construction site and durations. Then, the scenes are made more interactive through the integration of virtual reality technologies; an example is being presented, which open the doors to the application of VR for many uses such as the formation of workers, once again to improve safety on working site. Subsequently, the second part of the research shifts to a broader scale, focusing on depicting tunnel construction activities aligned with the development of the 3D model. These animations illustrate the sequential progression of construction tasks, facilitating comprehensive project visualization and macro-level coordination. Both the construction with the traditional technique and the TBM are presented. Analysing the single activities of a repetitive cycle or follow the advancement of a construction according to time and task constraints are both strategies that allow to reduce risks and avoid interferences. Overall, prioritizing safety and process optimization in tunnel construction not only protects workers and the environment but also contributes to the successful completion of projects within budget and schedule constraints and BIM methodology helps significantly to achieve that.