The impact of climate change consequences on the design, construction and maintenance of defense tunnels

Objective: Climate change, as one of the greatest challenges of this century, has widespread impacts on engineering infrastructure. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of climate change consequences on the design, construction, and maintenance of defense tunnels.Methodology: This research adopts a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was employed to extract key concepts related to the impacts of climate change on defensive tunnels from documents published between 2010 and 2024. The statistical population of the study includes experts, university professors, and engineers associated with the defense sector within the armed forces, with purposive sampling utilized in the quantitative phase. For data analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using the Smart PLS software.Findings: The findings reveal that 13 climatic factors significantly influence the design, construction, and maintenance of defensive tunnels. The coefficients of determination for the impact of climate change components on the design, construction, and maintenance of defensive tunnels are 0.792, 0.756, and 0.759, respectively. This indicates that 79%, 75%, and 75% of the variations in the design, construction, and maintenance of defensive tunnels are explained by climate change components.Conclusion:The study concludes that climate change poses significant risks to the stability of defensive tunnels. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to incorporate climate-resilient design principles, such as using more durable materials, enhancing drainage systems, and conducting thorough environmental assessments. Future tunnel design and maintenance strategies must consider these climate factors to ensure the long-term integrity of defensive infrastructure