State of the art and future prospect of maintenance and operation of road tunnel

Abstract

In Japan, road tunnels have increased in both total length and number, and there are some tunnels still in service that were completed more than 50 years ago. In order to maintain such tunnels efficiently with decreasing public funds, deformation of tunnels should be detected at an early stage, and appropriate measures taken at the right time. This paper describes the present status, problems, and future prospects for road tunnel maintenance in Japan.