Establishing a Standard Framework for Responding to Hazard Events in Utility Tunnels

A utility tunnel is a complex underground facility that serves as a critical infrastructure integrating and operating systems such as electricity, telecommunications, and drainage within a city. However, various hazard events such as fire, flooding, condensation, damage, and intrusion can occur within utility tunnels, posing risks not only to the degradation of facility functions but also to potential human casualties and economic losses. Therefore, it is crucial to establish prompt and effective response measures for these hazard events. Unlike previous studies that focused on individual hazard types, this study proposes an integrated and standardized multihazard response framework for utility tunnels. Through case analysis, fire, flooding, condensation, damage, and intrusion were defined as representative hazard events, and the response stages for each were classified into attention, caution, warning, and critical levels. Appropriate response scenarios were developed for each stage, providing prompt and efficient response measures tailored to different situations. The proposed framework offers a unique contribution by presenting a unified structure that supports stage-based management and can be directly applied to smart monitoring and control systems in underground infrastructure. This study is expected to contribute to improving the disaster prevention and response systems of utility tunnels and enhancing overall facility safety.