Establishment and Development

The Laboratory was approved in 2021, with its initial development phase running from January 2021 through March 2023.

Research Focus and Distinctive Strengths

In support of Shenzhen’s green and low-carbon development strategy and the city’s growing need for high-quality underground infrastructure, the Laboratory focuses on green, efficient, and intelligent construction technologies for underground metro stations. Its interdisciplinary research spans innovative structural systems, advanced construction materials, beneficial use of excavated spoil and slurry, intelligent sensing, and specialized construction equipment.

Based in the College of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Shenzhen University, the Laboratory has developed an integrated experimental and technology platform for dynamic-load fatigue testing, static structural testing, slurry recovery and reuse, and intelligent sensing and monitoring. Its technologies have been deployed in rail transit projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, and other cities across China.

A defining strength of the Laboratory is its integrated innovation pipeline, which connects fundamental theory, equipment development, full-scale engineering validation, and industrial deployment. This work supports low-carbon construction, safe operation, and intelligent maintenance of underground metro stations while contributing to Shenzhen’s safety, energy-efficiency, and environmental technology sectors.

1. Core Research Areas

Research Area 1: Innovative Structural Systems and Load-Bearing Mechanisms for Prefabricated Underground Stations

This research area focuses on prefabricated dual-purpose diaphragm walls that integrate temporary earth-retaining and permanent load-bearing functions within a single structural system. The work examines joint behavior, failure mechanisms, integrated waterproofing, and mortise-and-tenon assembly systems to develop reliable, constructible structural solutions for underground metro stations.

Research Area 2: Intelligent Construction Technologies for Underground Metro Stations

This research area integrates unmanned aerial vehicle sensing, fiber-optic sensing, machine vision, Unity 3D, lightweight building information modeling, augmented and virtual reality, and digital twin technologies. The goal is to create an integrated platform for intelligent construction, real-time monitoring, and early warning throughout the delivery and management of prefabricated underground metro stations.

Research Area 3: Green Construction and Integrated Resource Recovery from Slurry and Excavated Spoil

This research area investigates on-site treatment and reuse of slurry and excavated spoil generated during underground station construction, including efficient conversion processes and applications for recovered materials. The work supports China’s zero-waste city initiative and advances practical approaches to green, low-carbon construction.

2. Signature Technologies and Theoretical Advances

Design Theory and Integrated Green, Efficient, and Intelligent Construction Technologies for Prefabricated Dual-Purpose Underground Stations

The Laboratory has developed design frameworks and integrated construction technologies for prefabricated dual-purpose underground stations. This work addresses the transition of diaphragm walls from temporary retaining elements to permanent load-bearing components, with particular emphasis on load-transfer mechanisms, prefabricated joint design, precision positioning and assembly, and structural waterproofing.

Low-Carbon Recovery and Reuse of Shield-Tunneling Spoil and Multisource Intelligent Sensing

The Laboratory has developed an integrated, environmentally responsible treatment system for shield-tunneling spoil; specialized equipment for recovering and reusing slurry and excavated materials; and collaborative intelligent sensing technologies for rail transit risk management. These solutions combine fiber-optic sensing, machine vision, unmanned aerial vehicle inspection, and other advanced monitoring methods.

3. Research Keywords

Key research themes include underground metro stations, prefabricated dual-purpose diaphragm walls, green construction, intelligent sensing, and beneficial use of excavated spoil.

Academic Foundations

1. Core Disciplines

The Laboratory is grounded in civil engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, and underground space engineering.

2. Interdisciplinary Fields

Its interdisciplinary work also draws on materials science and engineering, environmental engineering, computer science, software engineering, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, and intelligent equipment systems.

Host Platform

The Laboratory is supported by the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Green, Efficient, and Intelligent Construction of Underground Metro Stations.

Core Research Facilities

Major facilities include an underground-structure loading simulation platform valued at approximately RMB 10 million, static loading systems for structural specimens, an earth-pressure-balance rectangular pipe-jacking simulator, a shield-machine cutter-wear simulation system, and a high-speed refrigerated soil centrifuge.

Research and Industry Partnerships

University and Joint Research Platforms

The Laboratory works closely with the College of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Shenzhen University, the Shenzhen University–Railway Research–Hong Kong Innovation Joint Laboratory, the Institute for Future Underground Cities, and other university-based and jointly established research platforms.

Engineering and Industry Partners

Key engineering partners include Shenzhen Metro, China Railway Southern, China Railway Engineering Service, and other rail transit construction and equipment companies. Laboratory-developed technologies have been applied on projects such as Shenzhen Metro Line 14, the Huangmugang Transport Hub, and Haishang Tianyuan East Station.

Regional Deployment

The Laboratory’s technologies for the beneficial use and environmentally responsible treatment of excavated spoil have been deployed in metro and underground utility-tunnel projects, including projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou Metro Line 13, and Qingdao Metro Line 4.

Research Project and Accomplishments

1. Selected Research Projects

2. Selected Accomplishments

Research Publications

During its initial development phase, the Laboratory team published 92 peer-reviewed papers in leading Chinese and international journals. Representative outlets include Engineering, Engineering Structures, Journal of Cleaner Production, Construction and Building Materials, Computers and Geotechnics, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, Powder Technology, China Journal of Highway and Transport, and Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering.

Selected publications include “High-Efficiency Utilization of Waste Shield Slurry: A Geopolymeric Flocculation–Filtration–Solidification Method” (Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 387, Art. 131569); “Theoretical Analysis on Horizontal Rectification of a Tunnel Adjacent to a Deep Foundation Pit by Grouting” (Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Vol. 133, Art. 104977, 2023); and “Geopolymeric Flocculation–Solidification of Tail Slurry from Shield-Tunnelling Spoil after Sand Separation” (Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 374, Art. 130954).

Patents and Software Registrations

During the initial project period, the Laboratory filed 81 invention patent applications, secured 28 utility model patents, and registered 10 software copyrights.

Major Awards and Honors

The project “Evolution Mechanisms of Structural and Geotechnical Performance of Underground Space Adjacent to Operating Metro Tunnels and Integrated Development Technologies” received the First Prize of the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award in 2021.

The project “Research and Practice on Integrated Technologies for Underground Space Development across Operating Metro Tunnels” received the Special Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering in 2021.

The project “Low-Carbon Resource Utilization of Excavated Materials from Shenzhen Metro’s Large-Scale Shield-Tunnelling Projects” received the “Beyond Engineering” Award at the 2021 International Tunnelling Association Awards.

The project “Research and Practice on Civil Engineering Talent Development Based on the Integration of Water and Soil” received the Special Prize of the Guangdong Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award in 2021.

The “Smart Service Platform for Construction and Maintenance of Subway Stations” received a Jury Commendation Silver Award at the 2022 International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Technology Transfer and Industry Applications

1. Resource Recovery Systems for Excavated Materials

The Laboratory’s resource recovery system for excavated materials has been used in shield-tunneling spoil treatment projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, and other cities. Developed and marketed in partnership with China Railway Southern, China Railway Engineering Service, and other companies, the system has resulted in cumulative sales of 12 equipment units.

2. Integrated Environmentally Responsible Shield-Spoil Treatment System

The integrated shield-spoil treatment system has been deployed on Shenzhen Metro Line 14, Guangzhou Metro Line 13, and Qingdao Metro Line 4. On Shenzhen Metro Line 14 alone, the system reduced land use by approximately 0.83 square kilometers, avoided the use of approximately 2 million cubic meters of construction materials and 500,000 cubic meters of water, and generated an estimated RMB 200 million in economic benefits.

3. The “Dayu” Rectangular Pipe-Jacking Machine

The “Dayu” tunneling machine—the world’s largest rectangular pipe-jacking machine by cross-sectional area—was deployed at Shasan Station during Phase II of Shenzhen Metro Line 12. It enabled construction of China’s first underground metro station excavated with an ultra-large rectangular pipe-jacking system.

4. Multisource Intelligent Sensing Technologies

Multisource sensing technologies have been deployed at Shasan Station, the Huangmugang Transport Hub, Haishang Tianyuan East Station, and other major projects. These applications integrate aerial and ground-based monitoring of rail transit risks with intelligent deformation sensing and early warning during deep-excavation construction.

Strategic Development Plan

1. Near-Term Priorities: Next Three Years

The Laboratory will continue to refine design theory, joint connection methods, integrated waterproofing systems, and precision assembly technologies for prefabricated dual-purpose underground station structures. The goal is to deliver standardized, replicable solutions that can be readily transferred to a broader range of projects.

The Laboratory will also advance low-carbon technologies for shield-tunneling spoil recovery, slurry recycling, and the use of recycled construction materials, while promoting large-scale adoption across Shenzhen Metro and other urban rail projects in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.

In parallel, the Laboratory will build integrated platforms for multisource heterogeneous data acquisition, digital twins, intelligent monitoring, and early warning. These platforms will enhance construction safety and support intelligent operations and maintenance for deep excavations, underground stations, and in-service tunnels.

The Laboratory will continue to recruit and develop high-caliber research teams and strengthen its open innovation model. This effort will support coordinated outputs across peer-reviewed publications, patents, software registrations, standards and technical guidelines, and full-scale demonstration projects.

2. Medium- and Long-Term Goals: Five to Ten Years

The Laboratory aims to become a nationally recognized and internationally influential open research and development platform for the green, efficient, and intelligent construction of underground metro stations. It also seeks to help shape the future of sustainable urban underground space.

It will establish a life-cycle technology framework for intelligent, low-carbon construction spanning planning and design, project delivery, monitoring and early warning, operations and maintenance, and resource recovery.

Working with rail transit authorities, equipment manufacturers, research institutions, and other partners, the Laboratory will accelerate commercialization of large-scale intelligent equipment, green construction materials, and digital platforms. These efforts will support the safety, energy-efficiency, and environmental protection sectors of Shenzhen’s “20+8” industrial cluster strategy.

To meet the demands of increasingly complex underground development in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and across China, the Laboratory will deliver enabling technologies, technical standards and specifications, demonstration projects, and a highly skilled professional workforce.