As construction projects, particularly large-scale tunnel projects, grow more complex. The intricate nature of tunnel projects demands a systematic approach capable of comprehensively analyzing and optimizing multiple objectives, such as minimizing cost, navigating challenging environments, and managing complex surrounding conditions (Liu et al. in Swarm Evol Comput 85:101466, 2024 [1]). Factors such as cost, time, quality, safety, and environmental impact often involve trade-offs. Moreover, the dynamic project conditions and diverse stakeholder perspectives highlight the need for a flexible decision-making framework to address potentially conflicting objectives (Guo in 2017 international conference on innovations in economic management and social science (IEMSS 2017), Atlantis Press, Atlantis Press, 2017 [2]). Given the significance of multi-objective optimization (MOO) in construction project management, researchers have proposed various approaches. These models aimed to optimize project schedules, minimize costs, and balance resource allocation. Empirical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of MOO models in providing trade-off solutions for complex construction projects (Fu et al. in Exp Syst Appl 238:122118, 2024 [3]).