Optimized route selection for urban utility tunnels based on prioritization analysis

To ensure the safety of underground lifelines, utility tunnels have been constructed in new cities; however, recent development projects are mostly composed of small- and medium-sized developments rather than the large-scale developments seen in the past, which makes it difficult to construct utility tunnels. Even in urban areas, the law allows the construction of utility tunnels through a feasibility study; however, there are no cases of installation to date owing to the lack of methods and procedures. Therefore, in this study, we investigated a methodology for selecting the optimal route for a utility tunnel in an urban city area using feasibility and economic evaluations. In previous studies, the optimal route was selected based on feasibility evaluations; however, in the proposed methodology, the results of feasibility and economic analyses are comprehensively evaluated to increase the objectivity of the conditions for installing a utility tunnel, and a comprehensive priority is calculated for the entire section under analysis. Additionally, a step-by-step procedure was conducted by selecting the southeastern area of Seoul to determine the optimal route selection method. Procedures and application cases were used to rationally review the routes and sections targeted for utility tunnels when selecting optimal routes.