The World Tunneling Congress 2017 (WTC 2017) goes to Bergen, Norway 9 – 15 June 2017. The conference, which will include geosynthetic-relevant sessions and welcomes proposals, has extended its call for abstracts to July 1.
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WTC 2017 Session Topics
- Innovations in rock support and water proofing technology
- Case histories – lessons learnt
- Underwater tunnels (strait crossings for road and railway, utility tunnels)
- Urban tunnelling (planning, design and construction)
- Site investigation, ground characterization
- Strategic use of underground space for resilient city growth
- Utilization of underground for hydropower projects (unlined tunnels and shafts, underwater piercing, air cushion chambers)
- Mechanized excavation (hard rock, soft rock and soil)
- Innovations in drill and blast excavation
- Large caverns (planning, design and construction)
- Tunnelling for mining purposes
- Underground waste storage and disposal
- Operation and maintenance
- Safety management of complex underground excavations
- Stability assessment, risk analysis and risk management
- Seismic design of tunnels and underground excavations
Surface Challenges – underground solutions
Rapid population growth, increased urbanisation and climate change in the decades ahead will require major infrastructure investments and wide use of underground solutions.
Urbanisation encourage underground solutions
For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population live in cities. The lack of new urban space means that infrastructure must be planned underground. Accordingly, the use of the underground needs to be carefully and coherently engineered with sustainability in mind.
New infrastructure must take into account, that future tunnels and underground facilities must be employed to protect critical infrastructure from the forces of nature and human interference. Strategic assets for oil and gas, information technology and communications, and civil defence are increasingly being housed in extremely secure locations, such as large rock caverns. This ensures their operability even when disaster strikes.
More renewables necessary
Climate mitigation may be important, but climate solutions are even more so. Norway is even today a major supplier in the renewable energy network thanks to the high number of Hydro Electric Power plants. The demand for more green energy is sought-after all over the world and Norway have this expertise.
“Surface challenges – Underground solutions” is more than a slogan; for ITA-AITES and its members it is a challenge and commitment to contribute to sustainable development. The challenges are numerous and the availability of space for necessary infrastructure ends up being the key to good solutions. The underground is at present only marginally utilized. The potential for extended and improved utilization is enormous.
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