Towards a whole process engineering approach for enhancing physical and psychological health in underground environments: A systematic review

Abstract

The unique conditions of underground environments have sparked substantial interest in health-centric studies over the past decades. In parallel, whole process engineering (WPE), influenced by rapid digitalisation, is gaining ground to improve urban sector development. While WPE considerations are emphasised in aboveground projects, underground developments have historically received insufficient attention. This research consolidates existing literature on human health across the development phases of underground projects. It quantitatively analysed the research trend and regional distributions of underground health-related papers and reported three significant themes of studies prevalent in the literature. These themes include health-centric underground environment quality, underground space and task design, and the measurements and monitoring of health and environmental indicators. The findings also highlight the importance of utilising digital and biometric technologies like building information modelling (BIM) and electroencephalography (EEG) in fostering lifecycle health management for underground developments. Based on the findings, a WPE knowledge framework for health-centric underground space development is developed, followed by a health-centric WPE workflow. The study provides stakeholders with a systematic approach to proactively address physical and psychological health concerns across different phases in underground developments.