With the rapid development of computer technology, besides model test and theoretical calculation, numerical method has become an important tool to solve a series of problems in tunnelling and underground construction. Normally, the actual physical counterpart can be established and reflected by the numerical software, subsequently providing the optimal parameter for the design and construction of underground engineering. At present, the most commonly used numerical method in tunneling and underground construction is the Finite Element Method (FEM) such ABAQUS, MIDAS, and ANSYS.

However, considering its continuity assumption, FEM has some shortcomings on solving several engineering problems including detachment, discontinuous deformation, large-scale, and so on. To solve these shortcomings, scholars have developed others numerical methods, such as the Discrete Element Model (DEM), the Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA), the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM), and the Peridynamics (PD). The aforementioned simulation methods have significant advantages in solving current problems.

We develop this Special Issue around the theme of computational methods for tunneling and underground construction to highlight the critical importance of these topics for ongoing progress in geotechnical engineering. The aim of this Special Issue is to introduce the latest development of computational methods and their applications in tunneling and underground space engineering. In particular, it showcases the advantages, characteristics, and shortcomings of these computational methods in solving problems of tunneling and underground space engineering. All included original papers and reviews will be contributed by the domain experts in the corresponding field, which could provide guidelines for the potential users of these new computational methods and prospects of further development of computational methods for tunneling and underground space engineering.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• The numerical assessment of the stability of tunnels and other underground structures
• Computational simulation and monitoring in tunneling
• Numerical modeling and design of retaining structures
• Optimizing of numerical methods for geotechnical engineering
• Constitutive modeling and parameter selection of soft soils
• Back analysis and inverse problems
• Three dimensional simulation of pipeline and trenchless method
• Modelling the effect of tunnelling and excavation on nearby structural systems in soft ground
• Modelling the dynamic behaviour of tunnels and excavation in seismic prone ground conditions