Abstract: Current deformation warning standards for highway tunnel construction suffer from limitations in information feedback accuracy and control effectiveness. To overcome these challenges, a comprehensive warning system designed to more accurately reflect the dynamic deformation patterns of the surrounding rock is established. First, an in-depth comparative analysis of existing warning standards for highway, metro, and railway tunnels is conducted, identifying their respective advantages, disadvantages, and applicability. Based on this analysis, the statistical characteristics derived from extensive onsite monitoring data are examined, optimizing the traditional "three-interval" control standard for cumulative deformation to a "five-interval" standard. This refinement enhances the classification of tunnel deformation processes and effectively improves the accuracy of information feedback. In addition, to address the problem of solidification of deformation rate control standards, a "five-interval" control standard for deformation rates is developed through analogy analysis, and an empirical calculation method for rate limit values related to reserved deformation is established, thereby enabling dynamic optimization of deformation rate control standards. Finally, a comprehensive early warning system is developed by integrating cumulative deformation and deformation rate indicators through matrix algorithms. Verification through engineering cases demonstrates that the system advances the first warning time to the 21st day post-excavation, which is 5 days earlier than the actual apparent response of the surrounding rock and 15 days earlier than traditional warning standards, substantially enhancing the timeliness and accuracy of the warning.

Key words: highway tunnel, monitoring and measurement, cumulative deformation, deformation rate, early warning system