Enhancing Energy-Saving Capability in Metro Construction Within Ecologically Sensitive Areas: A Meta-Network Framework for Innovative Construction Management

Metro construction in ecologically sensitive areas faces a major construction management challenge, as high energy use and environmental impacts can compromise the construction legitimacy required under strict regulations. Existing studies mainly focus on isolated technical solutions or retrospective evaluations, providing limited guidance on their systematic integration into project-level management. This study develops a five-stage meta-network framework grounded in Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) to assess and enhance energy-saving capability by translating external legitimacy pressures into manageable internal resource relationships. The framework systematically evaluates energy-saving capability by analyzing coordination among agents, tasks, energy types, and knowledge. Using Wuxi Metro Line 5 as a case study, clear stage-specific variations are identified, with task–energy matching reaching its lowest level during earth excavation and the recurrence of task–energy resource relationships reaching its highest level during main structure construction. Results show that energy-saving capability can be strengthened through coordinated resource integration, while energy-structure transformation contributes to managing external dependencies and maintaining construction legitimacy. The framework supports proactive construction management by diagnosing coordination deficiencies and guiding resource optimization, while extending RDT to sustainable metro construction management.