Typical Tunnel Research Articles

Accounting Method and Indicators of Multilevel CO2 Emissions Based on Cost During Construction of Shield Tunnels

With the rapid expansion of shield tunnel projects in China, precise accounting of CO2 emissions throughout the entire process is essential for advancing green and low-carbon construction practices. This paper introduces an innovative CO2 accounting methodology utilizing a cost-based carbon emission coding system. It adopts a multilevel approach to carbon emission accounting, aligned with this coding system, which facilitates a detailed examination of carbon emission ratios and characteristics across various construction techniques. The analysis includes six typical shield tunnel projects varying in diameter, focusing on sub-projects to scrutinize CO2 emissions and establish specific indicators. The findings indicate that CO2 emissions per 10,000 yuan of investment, approximately 30.25% (or 3025 kgCO2e/10,000 yuan), are more consistent than those per unit of length. Moreover, the study highlights differing CO2 emission trends among sub-projects compared to whole tunnel projects, assessing emission indicators and distribution patterns in four sub-projects: shield excavation, segmental lining, internal structure, and tunnel reinforcement. From these findings, the paper suggests more precise and tailored strategies for CO2 reduction. This research provides a theoretical basis for future construction planning and carbon management strategies.

Experimental investigation on maximum ceiling temperature and longitudinal attenuation in a closed tunnel with an inclined shaft

For tunnel fires with open and closed tunnel ends, the smoke flow pattern and air supply conditions vary considerably, resulting in different maximum excess ceiling temperature (ΔTmax) and its longitudinal distribution (ΔTx). However, few studies have focused on the tunnel closed at both ends with an inclined shaft (typical tunnel structure during construction). Hence, tunnel model 1 (tunnel closed at both ends with an inclined shaft) and tunnel model 2 (tunnel open at both ends) are built for comparison and analysis. The results show that tunnel model 1 has higher ceiling temperatures and slower attenuation than tunnel model 2. Therefore, the ΔTx in tunnel model 1 needs to be re-analyzed in detail. Different inclined shaft slopes, fire heat release rates, longitudinal and vertical fire positions are considered. In tunnel model 1, for h (lifting height of burner surface) = 0, the ΔTmax value tends to be constant for the same heat release rate, irrespective of the longitudinal fire position. For h = 5 cm, the ΔTmax value takes on a rising trend with the fire moving downstream. Moreover, the inclined shaft slope within this study has little influence on ΔTx. As the fire moves downstream, the downstream ΔTx/ΔTmax value decreases more rapidly. From h = 0 to h = 5 cm, the value of ΔTx/ΔTmax drops slightly faster, but the gap is small and can be ignored. Finally, the experimental correlations are proposed to estimate the longitudinal ceiling temperature distribution in a closed tunnel with an inclined shaft.

Wind tunnel wall interference correction for transonic airfoils with data-reduced ensemble Kalman filter

The uncertain factors in wind tunnel experiments, especially the interference effects, will cause the flow around the test model to differ from that under the free flow condition. The wind tunnel wall interference effects are challenging to be eliminated, especially in transonic flow regions where classical linear correction methods are ineffective. To address this issue, an efficient wind tunnel wall interference correction framework based on data assimilation is proposed for steady and shock buffet flows around the airfoils in the transonic region in this work. The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is used to find the combination of inflow conditions, which minimizes the differences between the pressure coefficients measured in the wind tunnel experiment and those estimated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The polynomial chaos expansion method is used to propagate uncertainty in the forecast step of the EnKF in order to improve efficiency. Typical wind tunnel wall interference correction problems are studied, including two steady cases: the transonic flow around the Royal Aircraft Establishment 2822 (RAE2822) and the National Aerospace Laboratory 7301 (NLR7301) airfoils, and one unsteady case: the transonic shock buffet on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration supercritical (phase 2)-0714 (NASA SC(2)-0714) airfoil. It is demonstrated that with the corrected Mach number and angle of attack, the estimated CFD results are in better agreement with the measured experimental data than traditional linear methods and the computational efficiency is improved compared to the original EnKF.

Reviving Sodium Tunnel Oxide Cathodes Based on Structural Modulation and Sodium Compensation Strategy Toward Practical Sodium-Ion Cylindrical Battery.

As a typical tunnel oxide, Na0.44MnO2 features excellent electrochemical performance and outstanding structural stability, making it a promising cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it suffers from undesirable challenges such as surface residual alkali, multiple voltage plateaus, and low initial charge specific capacity. Herein, an internal and external synergistic modulation strategy is adopted by replacing part of the Mn with Ti to optimize the bulk phase and construct a Ti-containing epitaxial stabilization layer, resulting in reduced surface residual alkali, excellent Na+ transport kinetics and improved water/air stability. Specifically, the Na0.44Mn0.85Ti0.15O2 using water-soluble carboxymethyl cellulose as a binder can realize a capacity retention rate of 94.30% after 1,000 cycles at 2C, and excellent stability is further verified in kilogram large-up applications. In addition, taking advantage of the rich Na content in Prussian blue analog (PBA), PBA-Na0.44Mn1-xTixO2 composites are designed to compensate for the insufficient Na in the tunnel oxide and are matched with hard carbon to achieve the preparation of coin full cell and 18650 cylindrical battery with satisfactory electrochemical performance. This work enables the application of tunnel oxides cathode for SIBs in 18650 cylindrical batteries for the first time and promotes the commercialization of SIBs.

Greenhouse gas emission reduction potential in road tunnels – Can we reach the European Union goals with existing materials and technologies?

To achieve the European Uniońs climate goals, the Norwegian transport sector has committed to decrease the Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. For infrastructure projects, the GHG emissions from construction must be reduced by 40 %, while the emissions from maintenance must be cut by 50%. This paper investigates how realistic the GHG emission reduction goals are, if available low carbon materials and technologies are fully adopted. To examine this, we have chosen a typical Norwegian road tunnel from which two carbon emission scenarios are presented. While tunnels represent a specific subset of road infrastructure, this study showcases that implementing sustainable practices in drill and blast tunnel construction can align with the European Union’s ambitious 2030 targets. Besides this, the findings can assist stakeholders to get advice on the environmental impacts of tunnel designs.

A self-satisfying cooling system based on cold energy storage for the locomotive in a high geothermal tunnel

Effective thermal management of locomotive systems is crucial for ensuring the safe operation of trains through high geothermal tunnels. By taking advantage of the frequent alternation of high-temperature tunnels and cold climate environment, a self-satisfying cooling system based on cold energy storage is proposed, in which a phase change heat exchanger between air and phase change material (succinic acid with 20 wt% expanded graphite) is developed to store cold energy outside tunnels and improve air-cooling efficiency inside tunnels. Numerical models are established to examine the thermal environment in a typical tunnel and the effectiveness of the proposed cooling system. The results indicate that because of the heat exhausted from the train and the thermal dissipation from the surrounding hot rock, the air temperature in the tunnel can rise above 50 °C. The proposed cooling system can release the cold energy from phase change material to keep the air outlet temperature below 40 °C, increasing the energy efficiency and reliability of locomotive operation. By examining the effects of locomotive operating conditions and orthogonal analysis of multi-factors, the heat exchanger structure and other operating conditions are recommended for the self-satisfying cooling system. Finally, the cooling system’s effectiveness is confirmed for the full-line operation of the locomotive along the Ya’an-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway in both summer and winter climatic conditions. This study is significant because it provides a novel design scheme for locomotive’s thermal management in high geothermal tunnels and other similar engineering conditions with natural cold sources.

Spatially-Resolved Freestream Velocity Measurements At The NASA Langley 31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel Using FLEET

Freestream velocity measurements in the NASA Langley 31-inch Mach 10 wind tunnel are reported in this paper using Femtosecond Laser Electronic Excitation Tagging (FLEET). The freestream measurements acquired during the January 2023 test campaign were the first direct measurement of freestream velocity in this hypersonic wind tunnel facility. Spatial distributions of time-averaged and instantaneous velocity measurements were obtained at all three typical wind tunnel freestream unit Reynolds number conditions of Re∞ /L = 1800000 [1/m] , 3600000 [1/m], and 6400000 [1/m], though the current paper focuses on centerline measurements for the three Re∞ /L and spatial distributions for one Re∞ /L. Measured values for time-averaged velocity and mean of the instantaneous velocity at the wind tunnel centerline agree within 5 m/s or 0.4% of the calculated velocity from the facility data acquisition system. Measurements acquired at locations away from the wind tunnel centerline reveal the spatial extent of the core flow of the hypersonic facility.

Constructing layered/tunnel interlocking oxide cathodes for sodium-ion batteries based on breaking Mn3+/Mn4+ equilibrium in Na0.44MnO2 via trace Mo doping

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with Mn-based oxide cathodes have attracted much interest because of their cost effectiveness, minimal toxicity, and remarkable electrochemical activity. The typical tunnel Na0.44MnO2 cathode for SIBs exhibits stable cycling performance, but its low sodium content hinders the practical application. And the other NaxMnO2 cathodes with layered structures provide higher capacity but less satisfactory cycling. Therefore, it is of great significance to construct Mn-based oxide cathodes to integrate high specific capacity layered structure and high stability tunnel structure. Herein, the strategy of breaking the Mn3+/Mn4+ equilibrium in Na0.44MnO2 via doping trace amounts of Mo was proposed to promote the transformation from the original tunnel to the layered structure and to in-situ construct a layered/tunnel biphasic interlocking structure. The optimized interlocking layered/tunnel Na0.44Mn0.97Mo0.03O2 (NMO-3M) cathode integrates the advantages of layered and tunnel structures, and achieves highly reversible phase transition and excellent electrochemical performance, which delivers a high specific capacity of 178.9 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and capacity retention of 77.8 % after 100 cycles at 1 C. The well-maintained P2 phase was revealed by the in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), demonstrating the highly reversible charge compensation and structural evolution. In addition, NMO-3M cathode shows a good storage performance in air over 270 days. This research designed a layered/tunnel interlocking structure induced by trace Mo doping to construct a stable and high capacity oxide cathode, providing a guideline for the preparation of excellent oxide cathodes for SIBs in the future.

Badanie efektu dławienia w pożarze tunelu

As per the emergency ventilation strategy, air velocity of 3 m/s in case of the longitudinal ventilation is sufficient for smoke control in all fire conditions. Numerical experiments were carried out with FDS software to estimate the numerical value of the critical velocity. Numerical models were realized in 0-6% slope tunnels with a 1% step for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 MW fires for four types of fuel: gasoline, diesel fuel, oil and firewood. The paper notes that the dynamic pressure induced by a strong fire is much higher than the static pressure of tunnel jet fans. As a result, following the algebraic summation of positively-directed ventilation flows and the negatively-directed flows induced by fire, an intense back layering occurs, which casts doubt on the suitability of the specified emergency ventilation strategy when designing the fire ventilation. The critical ventilation speed of 3 m/s cannot cope with the traction caused by fire, expressed by the ascending movement of the high-temperature and low-density combustion products. The paper discusses the numerical modelling results with an adiabatic underground heat exchange model and presents typical tunnel fire modelling plans, which correspond to an inclined tunnel for ascending and descending ventilation flows as well as a horizontal tunnel. The article gives the regularities obtained by the numerical models of changes in the variables of average air temperature and density, average carbon monoxide, average carbon dioxide and soot concentrations. According to the emergency ventilation strategy, critical velocity is an important value and a major determinant of back layering prevention in sloping tunnels. Although many papers have been devoted to this problem, the obtained results differ much. The present paper shows that strong fires induce much greater dynamic pressures than the static pressures of the tunnel jet fans are. Consequently, the flows caused by these forces, as they move in different directions, following their algebraic summation, cause a strong back-layering in case of positive ventilation flows, i.e., when the ventilation flow is descending and the fire seat is found at a lower point compared to the air supply portal. The new results can be used to develop fire ventilation plans as well as life-saving and emergency control solutions in the operating tunnels for personnel and rescuers.

Critical Face Pressure of a Tunnel Driven by a Shield Machine Considering Seismic Forces and Tunnel Shape Influence

Evaluating critical face pressure with high accuracy is an important topic for shield tunneling. The existing research focuses more on the influence of complex geological conditions or environmental factors, and there are few reports on the influence of tunnel shape on critical face pressure. In reality, the tunnel shape has a significant impact on the deformation zone in front of the tunnel face, which may lead to non-negligible differences in shield pressure. To fill this gap, an efficient analytical approach is proposed to estimate the critical face pressure considering different tunnel shapes in the framework of limit analysis. As earthquakes are potential threats to the tunnel face stability in seismically active regions, the seismic effect is also taken into account with the help of the pseudo-static method. Several cases with the same area but different tunnel shapes are investigated using the limit analysis method. A comparison with static analysis is given to highlight the influence of seismic forces on the tunnel face stability. The results show that the critical face pressures increase by 15.3% when the tunnel face shape changes from rectangular to circular, and by 23.5% when the horizontal seismic coefficient varies from 0 to 0.1. A further validation with a 3D finite difference method is performed with respect to four typical tunnel shapes considered in this study. Lastly, several stability charts are provided for a quick estimation of the critical tunnel face pressure subjected to seismic forces. It is concluded that the proposed method can be applied to a tunnel stability assessment of various cross-sections and is highly efficient compared with numerical simulations.

Performance of double-arch tunnels under internal BLEVE

Double-arch tunnels, as one of the popular forms of tunnels, might be exposed to boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions (BLEVEs) associated with transported liquified petroleum gas (LPG), which could cause damage to the tunnel and even catastrophic collapse of the tunnel in extreme cases. However, very limited study has investigated the performance of double-arch tunnels when exposed to internal BLEVEs and in most analyses of tunnel responses to accidental explosions. The TNT-equivalence method was used to approximate the explosion load, which may lead to inaccurate tunnel response predictions. This study numerically investigates the response of typical double-arch tunnels to an internal BLEVE resulting from the instantaneous rupture of a 20 m3 LPG tank. Effects of various factors, including in-situ stresses, BLEVE locations, and lining configurations on tunnel responses are examined. The results show that the double-arch tunnels at their early-operation ages are more vulnerable to severe damage when exposed to the BLEVE due to the low action of in-situ stress of rock mass on the response of early-age tunnels. It is also found that directing the LPG tank to different driving lanes inside tunnels can affect the BLEVE-induced tunnel response more significantly than varying the configurations of tunnel lining. Moreover, installing section-steel arches in the mid-wall can effectively improve the blast resistance of the double-arch tunnels against the internal BLEVE. In addition, the prediction models based on multi-variate nonlinear regressions and machine learning methods are developed to predict the BLEVE-induced damage levels of the double-arch tunnels without and with section-steel arches.

Shield tunnel leakage detection using distributed optical fiber

Leakage in operating tunnels is a serious problem during operating stage. In order to realize non-destructive detection of leakage in an operating shield tunnel, an optical fiber temperature measurement method based on Raman scattering and infrared thermal imaging technology is developed. The working principle of leakage monitoring with Distributed Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor (DTS) combined with time domain reflectometry (OTDR) technology are introduced. The distributed measurement of temperature field is realized in a typical tunnel. Infrared thermal imager is used to perform thermal imaging on the leakage area, and the temperature difference between the leakage area and the non-leakage area is 3.6 °C, which can meet the requirements of distributed optical fiber side leakage temperature accuracy. This illustrates the feasibility of quantitative monitoring of leaks in distributed optical fiber temperature sensing systems. The reasonable arrangement of leakage monitoring fiber in distributed fiber temperature sensing system is discussed in practical engineering.

Seepage interaction mechanism of crossing tunnels and existing tunnels: Model test and numerical analysis

High-density urban tunnel engineering produces strong spatial seepage and stability interactions of newly built and existing operational tunnels, which is critical to the safety and resilience of transport infrastructure. Previous research mainly focused on the mechanical response of adjacent tunnel construction and the active deformation control of surrounding rock, while little consideration is given to the influence of spatial intersecting tunnels on the seepage field distribution, especially in water-rich regions. This paper investigates the seepage interaction of crossing tunnels and existing tunnels using dedicated seepage tests and corresponding numerical analysis under different hydrodynamic head heights and spatial crossing forms. The schemes are designed based on the Kexuecheng Tunnel in Chongqing City, China, which is a typical small spacing highway tunnel that crosses five existing railway tunnels in complex hydrogeological environment. According to the results, the seepage funnels generated by intersecting tunnels will overlap each other in space, causing significant changes in the seepage field within the impact area. When the newly built tunnel above-crossing the existing tunnels, the water pressure on lining structure of the small interval tunnel can be reduced by 20 ∼ 30 %. While the impact of the existing tunnel on the seepage field of the new tunnel is mainly reflected in its upper part. The construction of new tunnels is equivalent to adding seepage paths to the upper or bottom of an existing tunnel, reducing its water pressure by 10 ∼ 30 %. The spatial overlap effect will significantly reduce the water pressure at the intersection of tunnels, but also exacerbates the asymmetric distribution of water pressure in small spacing tunnel. According to the W-shaped spatial distribution of the seepage field in small spacing tunnels, the predicted seepage influence range may exceed 80 ∼ 100 m. When the newly built tunnel above-crossing or under-crossing the existing railway tunnels, the water inflow of the small interval tunnel and the overlying tunnel can be decreased by 10 ∼ 30 % compared to the situation without crossing. However, the overall groundwater discharge further increases by 53.9 %. The seepage interactions of newly built tunnels and existing tunnels could provide support for both alignment design and construction of newly built tunnel, and service performance improvement of existing tunnels.

Sustainability of underground infrastructure – Part 1: Digitalisation-based carbon assessment and baseline for TBM tunnelling

Alongside the transition towards sustainable and renewable infrastructure and energy production, tunnelling projects that adopt tunnel boring machines (TBM) continue to increase in size and complexity. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies have a significant impact on the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, with a shift in focus to cost and carbon management across the infrastructure lifecycle through the use of digitalisation techniques and sustainability rating systems. This paper aims to develop a systematic framework to enhance the sustainability of underground infrastructure in the early design and construction stages, aiming for “build clever and efficiently”. This framework integrates digitalisation, carbon assessment standards, numerical modelling, and optimisation techniques to assess carbon emissions and establish benchmarks for construction products and processes. The approach uses parametric models to define tunnelling-related entities such as geological formations, TBM, and segments, designed with dimensional constraints that allow for adaptive modelling and interactions. Enabled by building information modelling (BIM) through parametric models enriched with domain properties, module-based carbon accounting is adopted to evaluate the footprint of material- and asset-level key emitters with functional units. Leveraging established databases, baselines for segmental lining designs and carbon reduction strategies are established. Through project-driven case studies, the correlations among geotechnical conditions, tunnel dimensions, and TBM operating parameters are developed to quantify TBM carbon emissions. A prototype programme demonstrates the framework's application on typical metro and road tunnels at different levels of details (LoD). This paper serves as a guideline for conducting embodied carbon assessments specifically tailored to TBM tunnelling, acknowledging the substantial contribution of the TBM construction process, which is controlled by geotechnical conditions.

Analysis of drivers’ mental workload in V-shaped undersea tunnels based on heart rate variability

To explore the effects of illumination and tunnel longitudinal slope on driving safety in V-shaped undersea tunnels, we conducted a study to analyze changes in drivers’ mental workload caused by Illumination and longitudinal slope variations within the tunnel through field data. The typical V-shaped undersea tunnel crossing Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao, China, was selected. Thirty drivers were recruited to participate in the driving tests during off-peak hours and 120 sets of electrocardiographic (ECG) signals were collected from drivers under natural driving conditions. The standard deviation of the Normal-to-Normal intervals (SDNN) was used and an outlier test was performed using the box plot. The drivers’ SDNN was used to index drivers’ mental workload under different Illumination and longitudinal slope conditions in the V-shaped undersea tunnel. A model was established to quantify the relationships of illumination and longitudinal slope with the SDNN. The results showed a significant negative correlation between the illumination change rate and the SDNN, i.e., the greater the change rate of illumination was, the smaller the SDNN was (and the greater the mental workload was). While the mental workload of drivers varied on tunnel longitudinal slope compared with illumination. With increased steepness of longitudinal slopes, the driver’s SDNN value decreased, but the SDNN of drivers in the downhill section were smaller than SDNN in the uphill section, reflecting a greater mental workload. Finally, a proposed value interval for the combined design of illumination and slope in undersea tunnels is given in the context of drivers’ mental workload variations.

Reliability analysis of tunnels considering the rock-support interaction using a metamodel-based reliability method

The convergence-confinement method (CCM) is an important approach to analysis the rock-support interaction and to design tunnel and its support. To make an effort on efficient reliability analysis of tunnels integrated with CCM, of which performance functions are mostly highly nonlinear and implicit, a hybrid intelligent algorithm combing uniform design (UD) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) is proposed. Based on the generated UD samples, GPR-parameter metamodels to predict the important parameters of CCM and GPR-probability metamodels to approximate the real performance functions are constructed consequently. Then sensitivity analysis, determination of the optimal preliminary support timing and failure probabilities calculations can be performed in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) based on the constructed GPR-parameter metamodels and GPR-probability metamodels. To verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method, a typical circle tunnel is analyzed and good results are achieved. Finally, a practical hydraulic tunnel is analyzed using the proposed method and some beneficial conclusions are drawn.

Large Deformations and Numerical Analysis of a Typical Soft Rock Tunnel in the Chuxiong Section of the Yunnan Central Water Diversion Project

Large Deformations and Numerical Analysis of a Typical Soft Rock Tunnel in the Chuxiong Section of the Yunnan Central Water Diversion Project

Load Calculation Method for Deep-Buried Layered Soft Rock Tunnel Based on Back-Analysis of Structural Deformation

After the excavation and unloading of deep-buried soft rock tunnels, support structures often experience deformation-related disasters such as concrete cracking, steel frame bending and twisting, and primary support instability under different forms of load. Accurately calculating the load borne by the primary support structure is the key to ensuring design rationality and construction safety. Especially in layered soft surrounding rock formations, the magnitude and distribution of the loads are different from those of conventional rock and soil masses, resulting in limited applicability of existing load calculation methods to similar formations. Therefore, based on the measured deformation of the tunnel structure, while considering the different geometric forms of the primary support structure during partial excavation, this paper proposes a deformation-structure (D-S) load calculation method. By comparing the calculation results of this method and a large number of sample data for typical deep-buried layered soft rock tunnels, the reliability of the D-S load calculation method is verified. In addition, the variation law of the loads during the tunnel construction period is enunciated, and the magnitude and distribution of the loads acting on the primary support are clarified. The D-S load calculation method provides a theoretical basis for load calculation in deep-buried layered soft rock tunnels.

Long-term safety evaluation of soft rock tunnel structure based on knowledge decision-making and data-driven models

Tunnel structure are often subjected to continuous deformation caused by the creep effect of soft rock, leading to posing significant long-term operational risks. This paper focuses on ensuring the safe operation of a typical soft rock tunnel in the complex and dangerous mountainous area of western China. On the basis of studying the structural mechanic characteristics of the tunnel under the influence of soft rock creep, the VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) model based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight Method (EWM) to determine subjective and objective weights, and game theory (GT) to obtain comprehensive weights was established. Additionally, the differential evolution-grey wolf optimization (DE-GWO) improved extreme learning machine (ELM) model was also constructed. By comparing the safety evaluation results of the two models on typical monitoring sections of soft rock tunnel structure, it is demonstrated that the proposed knowledge-based decision-making and data-driven models effectively and accurately evaluated the long-term safety of typical monitoring sections. Ulteriorly, to address the issue of structure safety evaluation caused by the inability to comprehensively monitor the entire tunnel (missing monitoring data), the DE-GWO improved ELM model was further adopted, and the structure safety status of the entire tunnel was precisely deduced.

Prediction of Utility Tunnel Performance in a Soft Foundation during an Operation Period Based on Deep Learning

The underground utility tunnel in a soft foundation is generally affected by the serious disturbance of the vehicle load during the operation period. Therefore, in this study, for the typical utility tunnel engineering in Suqian City of Jiangsu Province, China, field tests were conducted to monitor the performance of the utility tunnel structure in a soft foundation affected by the ground traffic loads during the operation period. Based on the test results, the datasets whose number is 15,376, composed of the five main disturbance factors (four vehicle operating load parameters and one operating time parameter), and the corresponding two main structure responses (displacement and stress) have been constructed. Based on the obtained datasets, using the proposed new deep learning model called WO-DBN, in which the seven hyperparameters of a deep belief network (DBN) are determined by the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), the safety responses of the utility tunnel structure have been predicted. The results show that for the prediction results, the average absolute error for the displacement is 0.1604, and for the stress, it is 12.3726, which are not significant and can meet the requirement of the real engineering. Therefore, the deep learning model can accurately predict the performance of the utility tunnel structure under a vehicle load and other disturbances, and the model has good applicability.