Risk Identification in the Chilean Tunneling Industry

This article aims to identify the main risk factors that are threats to meet the objectives of tunnel construction projects by using the Chilean construction industry as a case study and proposes a methodology to evaluate risk factors in this type of project. Surveys were used to generate probability and severity indexes to rank 36 risk factors. Data were collected from 14 companies that are members of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association. The results indicate that the main risk factors that hinder achieving the tunneling construction project objectives are (1) inaccurate cost estimation or lack of detail in budget preparation, (2) unexpected geological conditions, (3) inaccurate deadline estimation or insufficient breakdown of the project schedule, (4) frequent malfunction of construction equipment, (5) excessive delays in approval processes by government entities, and (6) unexpected soil conditions and water table. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review is provided to compare these results to international perspectives to confirm the existence of risks inherent to tunnel construction projects. This article concludes with revisiting the risk factors, which are common for the construction industry in general.