Resilience Assessment of Safety System in EPB Construction Based on Analytic Network Process and Extension Cloud Model

Abstract

In urban underground construction, Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) tunneling faces complex geological uncertainties and dynamic operational risks. Traditional safety management approaches often struggle under such conditions. This paper proposes an integrated safety resilience assessment framework for EPB tunneling that combines an entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, the Analytic Network Process (ANP), and an extension cloud model to capture interdependencies and uncertainties. A hierarchical indicator system with four primary dimensions (stability, redundancy, efficiency, and fitness) is constructed. The entropy-TOPSIS algorithm provides objective initial weights and scenario ranking, while ANP models the feedback relationships among criteria. The extension cloud model quantifies fuzziness in expert judgments and converts qualitative assessments into probabilistic resilience ratings. The methodology is applied to a case study of the EPB shield tunnel section of Jinan Metro Line 6 (China). The section’s resilience is classified as a medium level, which agrees with expert evaluation. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach yields accurate and robust safety resilience evaluations, supporting data-driven decision-making. This framework offers a quantitative tool for resilience-based safety management of shield tunneling projects, providing guidance for shifting from traditional risk control toward a resilience-enhancement strategy.