Development of a BIM-3DEC approach for blasting vibration analysis of rock tunnel

Blasting vibration in rock tunnels may threaten surrounding rock stability, support structures, and nearby surface facilities, whereas the direct application of BIM in tunnel engineering is still restricted by the linear characteristics of tunnel structures, the strong dependence on geological conditions, and the lack of dedicated modules for dynamic analysis. Meanwhile, numerical simulation is effective for mechanical analysis, but the data exchange between BIM platforms and geotechnical numerical software remains inefficient, especially for blasting-related dynamic problems. In this study, an automated analysis method integrating BIM and discrete element simulation is developed for rock tunnel blasting vibration analysis. The proposed method includes a Revit-Dynamo-based parametric BIM workflow for rock tunnels, a Dynamo-based equivalent blast load module, a BIM-to-3DEC data conversion scheme for automated dynamic analysis, and a 3DEC-to-BIM result integration procedure for visualization. The method is preliminarily applied to the Xiangshan Tunnel of the Huai-Su-Beng intercity railway. Field monitoring data and numerical results are compared to verify the feasibility of the developed approach. The results show that the proposed interaction mode is feasible for tunnel blasting vibration analysis and is promising to extend the application of BIM to the field of tunnel dynamic analysis, thereby improving the informatization and reliability of blasting construction management.