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Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Geotechnical and Underground Infrastructures

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 1621

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: data-driven geotechnics; tunnelling; digital twin in geotechnical and underground engineering
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Co-Guest Editor
School of Civil engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: tunnel and underground space, shield tunneling, soil-structure interaction
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7052 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: underground construction; risk assessment; ground improvement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: municipal solid waste; construction solid waste; excavated soil; slope stability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The modern engineering industry has erected many geotechnical infrastructures (e.g., slopes, tunnels, sewers, subway stations, and deep foundations), facing many uncertainties in geological formation and construction workmanship and simultaneously producing a large amount of multi-source and heterogeneous data during the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of these underground assets. In the era of Industry 4.0, engineers and researchers in the civil community have become more interdisciplinary and are required to harness the potential of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and information modeling techniques to provide novel solutions to new challenges in the design, construction, and maintenance of underground engineering.

To advance the development and application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in geotechnical and underground engineering, and to enhance its digital, information, and intelligence capabilities, Sustainability presents a Special Issue that focuses on the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of geotechnical and underground infrastructures.

Prof. Dr. Qiujing Pan
Guest Editors

Dr. Dalong Jin
Dr. Yutao Pan
Dr. Hui Xu
Co-Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • data-centric geotechnics
  • geotechnical risk assessments and management
  • computer vision in geotechnical engineering
  • building information modeling and digital twin
  • integration of data-driven and physics-based methods

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 8296 KiB  
Article
Research on Multi-Objective Optimization of Shield Tunneling Parameters Based on Power Consumption and Efficiency
by Wei Wang, Huanhuan Feng, Yanzong Li, Xudong Zheng, Jinhui Qi and Huaize Sun
Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 6152; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146152 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
The shield tunneling method is commonly used in the development and construction of underground spaces, and the adjustment of its parameters is a crucial part of shield construction. However, there are relatively few studies on optimizing tunneling parameters from a sustainable perspective, with [...] Read more.
The shield tunneling method is commonly used in the development and construction of underground spaces, and the adjustment of its parameters is a crucial part of shield construction. However, there are relatively few studies on optimizing tunneling parameters from a sustainable perspective, with a focus on energy saving and emission reduction. This study addresses this gap by combining engineering geological conditions with shield machine propulsion parameters in a specific section of metro construction in China. By aiming to reduce power consumption and improve efficiency, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on the concept of Pareto optimal solutions was employed to optimize the tunneling parameters. The results demonstrated that the optimized parameters reduced power consumption and improved efficiency. This validates the feasibility of the optimization scheme and its potential for broader applications in sustainable underground construction. Full article
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14 pages, 1288 KiB  
Article
Geotechnical Site Characterizations Using a Bayesian-Optimized Multi-Output Gaussian Process
by Ming-Qing Peng, Zhi-Chao Qiu, Si-Liang Shen, Yu-Cheng Li, Jia-Jie Zhou and Hui Xu
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5759; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135759 - 5 Jul 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
Geotechnical site characterizations aim to determine site-specific subsurface profiles and provide a comprehensive understanding of associated soil properties, which are important for geotechnical engineering design. Traditional methods often neglect the inherent cross-correlations among different soil properties, leading to high bias in site characterization [...] Read more.
Geotechnical site characterizations aim to determine site-specific subsurface profiles and provide a comprehensive understanding of associated soil properties, which are important for geotechnical engineering design. Traditional methods often neglect the inherent cross-correlations among different soil properties, leading to high bias in site characterization interpretations. This paper introduces a novel data-driven site characterization (DDSC) method that employs the Bayesian-optimized multi-output Gaussian process (BO-MOGP) to capture both the spatial correlations across different site locations and the cross-correlations among various soil properties. By considering the dual-correlation feature, the proposed BO-MOGP method enhances the accuracy of predictions of soil properties by leveraging information as much as possible across multiple soil properties. The superiority of the proposed method is demonstrated through a simulated example and the case study of a Taipei construction site. These examples illustrate that the proposed BO-MOGP method outperforms traditional methods that fail to consider both types of correlations, as evidenced by the reduced prediction uncertainty and the accurate identification of cross-correlations. Furthermore, the ability of the proposed BO-MOGP method to generate conditional random fields supports its effectiveness in geotechnical site characterizations. Full article
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