The World Tunnel Congress 2019, promoted by the Italian Tunnels Society (SIG) and the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES), concluded a few days ago. It turned Naples into the global capital of underground infrastructure for a week, under the theme of “Tunnels and Underground Cities: Engineering and Innovation meet Archaeology, Architecture, and Art.”
The Italian edition of this international tunneling event was a great success, taking place from May 3rd to May 9th at the Mostra D’Oltremare, with 2500 attendees from over 60 countries. Notably, there was significant participation from individuals under 35, constituting 20% of the total attendees.
“I’d like to thank the city of Naples for hosting us during these intense days,” commented Andrea Pigorini, President of the Italian Tunnels Society (SIG) and Head of Infrastructure Engineering at Italferr (FS Italiane Group). “We are very pleased with the excellent outcome of the congress, which exceeded our expectations. From the discussions during these days, the message was clear that we need to place infrastructure and services in underground spaces while respecting the environment and the cultures of the past. These works, in addition to being solid and functional, must also be beautiful. This can be achieved through the intersection of engineering and the disciplines of the triple A – Archaeology, Architecture, Art – which inspired the theme for this edition of the World Tunnel Congress. As for Italy, we must build infrastructure that connects our country to the TEN-T corridors of the European network, which today represent Europe’s subway, including crossing works such as the Brenner Base Tunnel, which is currently the longest railway tunnel under construction in the world.”
The scientific event featured over 180 speakers and more than 500 e-poster presentations, fostering knowledge and dialogue among international experts.
For the organization of WTC 2019, a specific call for papers was launched, and the Scientific Committee (composed of Daniele Peila, Giulia Viggiani, and Tarcisio Celestino) received more than 1,000 abstracts and 750 papers from 50 countries around the world.
Among the novelties of the Italian edition were the e-posters, digital articles distributed and accessible through the event’s app, designed to showcase the work of authors who couldn’t present their work in person, facilitating direct interaction between participants and authors. This sharing method led to the organization of over a hundred meetings.
The event featured scientific content, meetings aimed at promoting international research and business, and an extensive exhibition area both inside the exhibition halls and outdoors at the Mostra d’Oltremare. The exhibition showcased cutting-edge machinery from the industry and 200 booths representing companies from France to China, Australia to Switzerland, including major clients, construction firms, and leading equipment manufacturers from Italy and around the world.
During the event, the Emerald Book was also presented. This publication, curated by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES), introduces a new form of contract for tunneling and underground works. Underground constructions are largely dependent on the geological, hydrogeological, and geotechnical properties of the ground, which significantly influence the methods required for proper construction. Moreover, the difficulty in predicting ground behavior entails inherent uncertainty in such constructions, leading to unique contractual risks concerning feasibility, timelines, and construction costs. The publication of the Emerald Book is the result of several years of work, aiming to address the key issues that the new standard contract form should tackle to promote fair risk allocation and effective management of typically unforeseeable conditions in underground construction projects.
Simultaneously, the Italian Tunnelling Society presented and disseminated The Italian Art of Tunnelling 2019, a publication showcasing the main construction projects either in progress in Italy or carried out abroad by Italian contractors, along with the most innovative technologies developed by the Italian industry.
During the congress in Naples, the new president of ITA-AITES was elected, Jinxiu (Jenny) Yan, representing China, became the first female president of the association and plays an active role in managing China’s railway network. Giuseppe Lunardi, CEO of Rocksoil Spa, was appointed as vice president of ITA-AITES.
The next locations for the WTC event are Kuala Lumpur in 2020, Copenhagen in 2021, and Cancun, Mexico in 2022.
Source: [WTC Press Release](https://metrocspa.it/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/WTC2019_Napoli_capitale_tunnelling.pdf)
