Decision analysis applied to tunnel exploration planning. I: Principles and case study

Exploration planning is a process of decision making under uncertainty. This paper, Part I of two dealing with the exploration problem, briefly reviews the decision analytical procedure for tunnel exploration, and provides practical techniques to do so. Specifically, this paper presents an approach by which the effect of additional exploration can be assessed before actually committing to exploration, through a process of so-called virtual exploration. This is practically done with an easy-to-use software package developed in Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel, called the Decision Aids for Tunnel Exploration. Part II will describe the uncertainties that enter into the tunnel exploration decision procedure, and will provide practical techniques to asses the effects of these uncertainties on the exploration decision making.