Bibliometric Analysis of Research Progress in Tunnel Safety Based on CiteSpace

Summary

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of tunnel safety research, using Web of Science data and the CiteSpace tool to identify publication trends, collaboration, and research hotspots. The analysis reveals a focus on fire and traffic safety, shifting toward intelligent management and multi-hazard resilience, with fragmented collaboration.

Abstract

Due to the ever-increasing complexity of tunnel spaces and the diversification of associated risks, a comprehensive understanding of tunnel safety research is essential. This study employs CiteSpace to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on tunnel safety in the Web of Science Core Collection. The results show that the number of publications has increased steadily, with a significant surge after 2017. Central South University is the leading contributor, and Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology stands out as an important journal. The research is highly interdisciplinary, encompassing underground engineering, fire safety engineering and related disciplines, although collaboration networks among authors and institutions remain fragmented, reflecting limited synergy. Keyword analysis shows that research hotspots focus on tunnel fire safety and traffic accident analysis, with a transition from fundamental theory and risk assessment toward intelligent and system-oriented management. The field is shifting from traditional static analysis to dynamic operational safety analysis, multi-hazard coupled risk assessment, and system resilience evaluation. However, challenges remain in integrating digital technologies and transdisciplinary collaboration. Unlike traditional narrative reviews that often rely on fragmented or static assessments, this study provides a reproducible bibliometric framework for dynamically mapping the evolution of tunnel safety research. It offers methodologically structured insights for identifying emerging trends and guiding future interdisciplinary investigations.

Introduction

As a critical component of modern transportation and infrastructure networks, tunnels have increased continuously in scale and complexity worldwide. However, the unique and confined environment within tunnels presents significant safety challenges, including structural cracking¹, fire risks², traffic hazards³, operational safety concerns⁴, and issues related to whole-lifecycle safety monitoring⁵. Historical data consistently show that incidents within tunnels, especially fires, frequently lead to severe casualties and property damage

Protocol

This study conducted a systematic bibliometric analysis to identify and visualize research trends in the field of tunnel safety from 1992 to 2026.

Literature search and data collection
Access the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. The search strategy was performed using the following topic-specific query: TS = [(“tunnel” and “tunnel safety”)]. After the query was entered, the “Search” button was clicked to execute the literature search. The results were filtered by selecting “Articles”, “Review Articles”, and “Early Access PublicationsR....

Results

Publication output and growth trends
The initial search retrieved 15861 articles and reviews related to tunnel safety published between 1992 and 2026 from the Web of Science Core Collection (as of 26 March 2026). After manually excluding publications unrelated to the research focus (e.g., studies on tunnel excavation safety, tunnel safety prediction, and tunnel lining crack safety assessment), 428 articles and reviews focusing on tunnel safety were retained for bibliometric analysis. This refined dat.......

Discussion

This bibliometric analysis provides a structured overview of research trends in tunnel safety. By integrating multi-dimensional metrics including keyword burst detection, timeline clustering, and co-occurrence centrality analysis, this study constructs a dynamic knowledge framework. This framework clarifies the field’s intellectual structure and thematic evolution. Unlike traditional narrative reviews that often rely on fragmented or static assessments, this quantitative and visualization-based protocol offers a re.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
CiteSpace	Chaomei Chen	https://citespace.podia.com/	Bibliometric visualization software used to generate collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence maps, cluster maps, timeline views, and burst-detection outputs.
Microsoft Excel	Microsoft Corporation	https://www.microsoft.com/excel	Spreadsheet software used for data cleaning, sorting, frequency calculations, and table preparation.
Web of Science Core Collection	Clarivate	https://webofscience.clarivate.cn/wos/woscc/basic-search	Bibliographic database used to retrieve the records included in the bibliometric analysis.