CRCC Demonstrates AI Leadership at World Conference
The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025), recognized globally as one of the premier platforms for showcasing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, commenced on July 26 in Shanghai with remarkable energy and global attention. Drawing leading minds, enterprises, and government agencies from across the AI ecosystem, this year’s WAIC focused on the transformative power of artificial intelligence across sectors including healthcare, finance, transportation, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
Among the highlights of the conference was a dedicated special session led by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), where the first batch of strategic and high-value AI application scenarios was unveiled for central state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Out of 219 submissions spanning a wide array of industries, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) stood out prominently.
CRCC’s groundbreaking initiative, titled “Intelligent Construction Management for Large Shield Tunnels,” was the only selected project representing the construction industry. Its inclusion among the top strategic scenarios not only reflects CRCC’s leadership in digital transformation but also signals the growing recognition of AI’s potential to revolutionize traditional infrastructure development.
Leading AI Innovation in Infrastructure
CRCC has placed increasing emphasis on innovation-driven development over the past decade, with a special focus on digital construction and intelligent engineering technologies. This forward-thinking approach culminated in the establishment of the Large Shield Tunnel Intelligent Construction Laboratory, a flagship facility operating under the National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Center.
The laboratory’s mission is to pioneer the next generation of intelligent construction methodologies specifically tailored to the complexity and scale of large shield tunnel projects. Its research and application strategies are grounded in full lifecycle management, encompassing everything from design optimization and construction automation to operation intelligence and predictive maintenance.
With ten national-level research projects currently approved and under execution, CRCC is at the forefront of realizing a paradigm shift in tunnel engineering. At the heart of this transformation is the principle of “minimal staffing and unmanned operation”, a forward-leaning concept that envisions future construction sites as data-driven ecosystems powered by AI, robotics, and real-time analytics.
AI at the Core: From Perception to Execution
Central to CRCC’s intelligent shield tunneling system is a high-performance AI computing center developed entirely with domestic technology. This facility not only ensures data security and computational sovereignty but also provides the hardware infrastructure and training environment required to support industrial-scale AI deployment in infrastructure projects.
The AI system is structured around a four-step closed-loop logic: perception, cognition, decision, and execution. This allows the system to interpret massive amounts of real-time data, make contextual decisions, and translate them into physical operations autonomously. The digital nerve center of this ecosystem is an integrated intelligent construction management platform, which coordinates numerous intelligent subsystems to enhance the efficiency and safety of tunnel projects.
Eight key technological modules have been developed and integrated into CRCC’s shield tunneling AI framework:
- Intelligent Equipment Selection Assistance – Recommends optimal machinery configurations based on geological and environmental data.
- Smart Construction Planning – Generates dynamic construction schedules using machine learning and constraint-based modeling.
- Shield Diagnostic Intelligence – Continuously monitors tunneling machine performance and alerts operators to potential anomalies.
- Autonomous Driving Assistance – Enables semi-autonomous navigation and operation of shield machines.
- Automated Segment Production – Streamlines the manufacturing of tunnel segments through robotic arms and AI-driven quality control.
- Intelligent Material Transport – Uses autonomous vehicles and drones to deliver heavy tunnel components across challenging terrains.
- Automated Monitoring – Tracks structural integrity, vibration, and environmental conditions in real-time.
- Smart Energy Management – Optimizes energy consumption across equipment fleets to minimize carbon footprint.
The combination of these modules creates a new AI-powered construction paradigm defined by multi-source data fusion, cross-process coordination, and hybrid model reasoning. The result is a safer, faster, and more sustainable approach to infrastructure building—especially critical in mega projects involving complex geological formations or underwater segments.
From Lab to Field: Real-World Applications
CRCC’s intelligent tunnel construction system has already seen successful deployment in over 20 major infrastructure projects across China, delivering measurable improvements in productivity, safety, and cost-efficiency.
1. Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway – Jintang Undersea Tunnel
One of the most notable implementations is on the Jintang undersea tunnel, part of the Ningbo-Zhoushan high-speed railway, where CRCC deployed its AI-powered intelligent material transport system. This system became the first of its kind to achieve fully unmanned horizontal and vertical transportation of large, irregular components—including precast tunnel segments and box culverts—beneath the sea. This automation has significantly accelerated construction timelines for what will become the longest undersea high-speed rail tunnel in the world upon completion.
2. Chengdu–Chongqing Middle Route – Shu’an Tunnel
Another exemplary project is the Shu’an tunnel in the Chengdu–Chongqing corridor. There, intelligent driving assistance enabled the 14-meter earth pressure balance (EPB) shield—the largest of its kind in China—to achieve a record monthly advance of 400 meters, a groundbreaking accomplishment given the challenging and variable geological conditions in the region.
3. Shenzhen–Jiangmen Railway – Shenguan Tunnel
At the Shenguan tunnel, part of the Shenzhen–Jiangmen railway’s Section 7, CRCC used its shield diagnostic intelligence system to navigate the massive “Kunpeng” tunnel boring machine through water-permeable and unstable underground layers beneath the Dongbao River. The project marked a technological milestone in long-distance underwater tunnel crossings using large-diameter EPB shields in highly complex terrain.
Paving the Future of Smart Construction
CRCC’s recognition at WAIC 2025 represents more than just an award—it symbolizes the emergence of intelligent infrastructure as a cornerstone of modern engineering. The company’s deep commitment to R&D, coupled with its ability to translate innovations into real-world megaprojects, sets a powerful precedent for other construction and infrastructure firms around the globe.
Looking ahead, CRCC plans to further expand the reach of its AI-based construction platforms, scaling their applications to urban subways, undersea road tunnels, and transnational infrastructure initiatives aligned with China’s Belt and Road strategy. The scalability and replicability of its technologies mean that intelligent construction will no longer be a vision for the future but an operational reality for global infrastructure development.
In a world increasingly driven by data and automation, CRCC is not only responding to change—it is engineering it.
