Focus Area / Working Group: Underground Construction

The future of underground construction in Europe

Subsurface buildings have a significant impact on quality of life, working conditions, the employment and the environment. They have a great impact on the infrastructure of a country and are effective across the country’s frontiers.

European Union policies therefore have decided on an upgrading of the Trans European road network (TREN), in order to improve interstate transport. Because of this approximately 2100 km of tunnels will be constructed in Europe by the year 2030.

International Environment in Tunneling

Today German tunnelling already has to face an international competition. This is not only valid for projects in foreign countries, but also increasingly for projects in Germany itself.

Besides the European companies countries such as Korea and Japan have learned from European experience and are investing significant research funds in innovative technology.

In order to preserve Europe’s competitiveness, the German industry as well as the European industry will have to increase their research endeavours.

In this process it is vital to bundle the vigours on a European basis in order to veer decisively towards innovative products.

Tasks of the Working Group

The working group’s tasks are the identification of future-time demand of research in the sector of underground construction. Topics for example are:

Improvement of safety in tunnelling
Improvement of security in tunnels
Improvement of profitability in tunnelling
Development of new tunnelling concepts
Development of novel transport systems for persons and goods
Development of non-polluting transport systems
Use of IT in order to automatise processes
Use of new construction materials
Use of environmentally friendly techniques
Improvement of durability and maintenance measures

For further information please contact the chairman of the Underground Construction working group, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfred Haack.

Last update:Wednesday, May 25/2011