Evaluation of priority index for enhancing the seismic resilience of tunnels

Tunnels are essential infrastructure elements, offering significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. However, they are particularly vulnerable to seismic risks, especially in regions with high seismic activity. Given their importance in terms of safety, economy, and social factors, it is crucial for the relevant authorities to prepare for natural and human-made disasters by enhancing the seismic resilience of tunnels. In Algeria, where the number of tunnels is high, this necessity is particularly urgent.This article proposes a prioritization model aimed at improving the seismic resilience of tunnels, based on the expertise of specialists and structured into three main steps. The first step involves identifying key criteria, including the tunnel's condition, design phase, availability of alternative routes, social importance, geometric shape, and seismic zone. The second step applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to calculate the weights of the criteria and incorporates expert opinions through the Euclidean Distance-Based Aggregation Method (EDBAM). Finally, the third step establishes the Priority Index for Tunnel Seismic Resilience Improvement (PIT).The model was tested on five tunnels, and the classification obtained based on the priority index was found to be well aligned with the observed reality on the ground.