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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Transportation and Transit Systems
Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2025.1486533
This article is part of the Research Topic Disaster risk and resilience assessment of multi-utility transportation infrastructure and urban projects View all 4 articles

Unveiling the Seismic Sesnstivity of the Himalayan Tunnels: A Comprehensive Assessemnt through Analytical and Numerical Exploration of P-Wave Dynamics

Provisionally accepted
Abdullah Ansari Abdullah Ansari 1Pranjal Mandhaniya Pranjal Mandhaniya 2*Bilal Ahmad Malik Bilal Ahmad Malik 3
  • 1 Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
  • 2 Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
  • 3 Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigated the seismic sensitivity of tunnels in the Jammu Region (JR) of the northwestern Himalayas, a region characterized by significant seismic activity and complex geological conditions. The research combined both analytical and numerical approaches to assess the influence of site conditions, tunnel lining, and reinforcement properties on tunnel resilience. A key objective is to develop a more reliable seismic assessment method by adopting a P-wave-based approach, which is particularly suitable for mountainous tunnels prone to landslides. The study identified three seismic hazard zones, with peak ground accelerations (PGA) ranging from less than 0.3 g to greater than 0.5 g, providing vulnerability aspects. The major outcomes of this study include guidelines for the design and retrofitting of sustainable and resilient underground structures in the Himalayas, with broader implications for global projects in seismically active and geologically complex regions. The methodologies and insights can be applied to infrastructure projects worldwide, enhancing the safety of communities living in vulnerable areas. This work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in promoting resilient infrastructure and sustainable development, contributing to both structural resilience and the geological safety of the Himalayan region.

    Keywords: Seismic sensitivity, Tunnelling, Himalyas, Sustainable, resilience

    Received: 26 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Ansari, Mandhaniya and Malik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Pranjal Mandhaniya, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.