Virtual Reality in Tunnel Engineering

The book explores applications of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in various aspects of tunnel projects. It highlights the potential benefits and challenges of using VR in tunnel engineering, providing valuable insights for professionals, researchers, and students in the field. By harnessing the power of VR, tunnel projects can be revolutionized, leading to improved visualization, simulation, and training capabilities.

The book is divided into 3 parts. Part A focuses on the integration of VR technology in the design and construction phases of tunnel engineering. It explores topics such as VR technology in tunnel excavation, utilizing VR for structure design, VR applications in construction and Building Information Modeling (BIM), installation of facilities, optimization methods for tunnel cross-sections. Readers will gain a deep understanding of how VR can enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and coordination of design and construction processes. The second part discusses the energy and environmental aspects of tunnel engineering. It covers topics such as tunnel lighting on driving performance and energy saving, traffic energy consumption models, and optimizing ventilation systems in a VR environment. Readers will discover how VR can contribute to energy-efficient tunnel designs and improved environmental sustainability. Safety and management are crucial aspects of tunnel projects, and the last section explores how VR can enhance these areas. It discusses the creation of VR models based on tunnel inspection vehicles, VR studies of safe evacuation, and human-space interaction and comfort in VR environments. By leveraging VR technology, professionals can improve safety protocols, optimize maintenance procedures, and enhance user experience within tunnel projects.

Yuxin Zhang is a Research Assistant Professor at Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and leads the smart evacuation and underground space engineering group. She obtained a bachelor and doctoral degree majoring in tunnelling and underground space engineering at Tongji University. She has conducted various multi-scale field experiments and VR experiments to study human behavior and applied data analysis and modelling to optimize evacuation plans in tunnels and subway stations. She has published over 40 academic papers in journals and conferences including Nature Cities and presented at several distinguished conferences. She also serves as editorial members, guest editors and reviewers for several top academic journals. In addition, she has been actively advancing the translation of research into real-world applications, with a strong portfolio of patents, and received the Geneva Invention Gold Medal of the Jury (2025) and CES Best of Innovation (2026).

Yi Rui is a Professor at Tongji University. He received a PhD from University of Cambridge, MSc and BEng from Tongji University. Before joining Tongji, Prof. Rui was a lecturer at Aberdeen University, UK. His research background is broad, encompassing several hot research topics in geotechnical engineering: (i) Energy geo-structures; (ii) Offshore geotechnical engineering; (iii) Intelligent structural health monitoring. Prof. Rui has published over 80 journal papers. He is an Editorial member of Underground Space and a Guest Editor of Fractal and Fractional. He has also been honored with the Science and Technology Progress Award from the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering and the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award.

Xinyan Huang is an Associate Professor at Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his PhD from Imperial College London and is a Chartered Building Services and Fire Engineer. Prof. Huang has co-authored over 200 journal papers in building safety and smart resilience. He is an Associate Editor of Fire Technology, and J. Safety Sci. Resil., an editorial member of Fire Safety J and J. Building Engineering. He serves as a board member of Int. Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) and Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation. He is a winner of the NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund, IAFSS Early Career Award from IAFSS, and SFPE Engineering Communication Award.