Digital Twin-Driven Framework for TBM Performance Prediction, Visualization, and Monitoring through Machine Learning

Kamran Latif, Abubakar Sharafat, Jongwon Seo

The rapid development in underground infrastructure is encouraging faster and more modern ways, such as TBM tunneling, to meet the needs of the world. However, tunneling activities generate complex and heterogeneous data, which makes it difficult to visualize the performance of a project. Advancements in information technology, such as digital twins and machine learning, provide platforms for digital demonstration, visualization, and system performance monitoring of such data. Therefore, this study proposes a digital twin-driven framework for TBM performance prediction through machine learning, visualization, and monitoring. This novel approach integrates machine learning and real-time performance data to predict, visualize, and monitor the status of the tunnel construction progress. A digital twin virtual model of TBM was constructed based on TBM design parameters, the input parameter, boring energy, RPM, torque, thrust force, speed, gripper pressure, total revolution, and Q-value provided to SVR and ANN models to predict the TBM AR and PR, and TBM daily progress was visualized continuously. The predictive performance indices R2 (0.97) and RMSE (0.011) were estimated for AR prediction, showing the accuracy of the proposed model. To demonstrate the proposed framework, this study shows the its effectiveness. By implementing this framework, stakeholders can minimize the risk associated with the cost and schedule of a tunneling project by simultaneously visualizing and monitoring the performance of TBMs through digital twin and machine learning algorithms.