Tunnels & Tunnelling International: Hamburg U5 Line, Skarvberg tunnel, Bekaert's approach

While preparing my presentation for the Southeastern Europe Tunnelling Conference (SETC-2025), I came across an interesting article I’d like to share 📝 In my conference talks, I usually begin by discussing geological uncertainty and common types of accidents in tunnelling — collapses, rush-ins, water ingress, and so on. I then mention a rough estimate based on tunnels I’ve visited or worked on remotely: in about 80% of them, at least one collapse or other unfavourable event has occurred. Unfortunately, I never kept precise statistics during my nearly 12 years in tunnelling 🙃 This time, I didn’t want to rely purely on intuition, so I did a quick literature check 🧐. I found a paper titled: “Lessons from Accidents during Tunnel Construction” (2021) — and the best part: it’s open-access. I’ll share the link in the first comment below. Interestingly, when adding up the main categories analysed — collapse, daylight collapse, and rockfall — the total percentage is also around 80%. So, it seems my “guess” wasn’t just a gut feeling after all — but an educated one. Enjoy reading it!

It has been 10 years since the opening of the Constitution of 1812 Bridge in Cádiz, an iconic project executed by Dragados SA that transformed the city’s mobility and its connection with the rest of Andalusia. Did you know that its 3,092 meters in length make it the longest bridge in Spain and one of Europe’s most distinctive? Its cable-stayed span, with 540 meters between pylons, ranks as the third longest in Europe. And with a clearance of 69 meters, it is the second highest bridge over the sea in the world, surpassing even San Francisco’s Golden Gate. Beyond its technical milestones, its impact on mobility has been decisive: improving access to the city, diverting heavy traffic away from the urban center, and strengthening connections with Puerto Real, the Autovía del Sur (A-4), and the rest of Andalusia. This monumental infrastructure not only solved Cádiz’s complex access challenges, but also symbolizes ACS Group’s ability to take on the greatest technical challenges and turn them into international benchmarks. Ten years on, the Constitution of 1812 Bridge remains a source of pride for Spanish engineering and a symbol of what it means to connect territories, drive development, and build the future. Discover more about this project in the following video! #OneGroupOneTeam HOCHTIEF | Turner Construction Company | CIMIC Group Limited | Dragados SA | FlatironDragados | ACS Infrastructure | Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras, S.A. |Abertiss |CLECE, S.A..

📢📢📢 Moderator Announcement 📢📢📢 Knut Tore Aurdal from GCE Blue Maritime Cluster will join us as moderator for the “How can we push energy transition in cruising forward?” Panel Discussion on our Zero Emissions Cruising 2025 Conference in Bergen, Norway. Knut Tore has more than 15 years of experience from the maritime industry within ship design and ship building. He is a civil engeineer in Naval architecture and his main field of expertice is Engineering management, with a special focus on the offshore-, fishery- and the cruise segment. From 2016 to 2022 he was the Lead Project Engineer in Vard for the Ponant- and Viking Exploration cruise series. Today, he is leading the department of Research and Innovation in GCE Blue Maritime Cluster with its associated activities. 🌍 Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from key industry players on how we can accelerate the energy transition in cruising. From hybrid propulsion, electrification, and alternative fuels to the challenges of retrofitting existing fleets and designing next-generation vessels, this panel will explore practical strategies for reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency. Join us this November in Bergen and be part of the conversation driving the future of low-emission cruising. 🔗 Learn more about the conference at: https://lnkd.in/ddBfvbc7 #ZeroEmissionsCruising #Decarbonization #Cruising #GreenMaritime #GreenCruising #SustainableCruising #Maritime #NetZero #GreenCruising #EnergyTransition #Bergen #Norway #Europe

🚀 Geotechnical Industry Set for Growth 🚀 Ground Engineering is gearing up for its 2025 GE100 survey, an annual barometer of the UK’s geotechnical sector. The survey will rank top firms and surface key trends across contractors, consultants, manufacturers, and suppliers. Some takeaways and observations: 🚀 The GE100 gives a clear window into how leading players are navigating market pressures and opportunities. 🚀 Through benchmarking, firms can spot where they excel or lag in innovation, resilience, and business performance. 🚀 With infrastructure, energy, and climate adaptation projects in demand, the sector may benefit from stronger pipelines ahead. Continuing challenges: skills shortages, cost inflation, sustainability demands. If you're in the Ground Engineering / Geotechnics space, keep an eye on the 2025 rankings when published in October to understand where the industry is heading.

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟭𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 The Brenner Base Tunnel, one of Europe’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, welcomed an official visit yesterday from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The leaders toured key sections of the site, underlining the strategic importance of this cross-border connection for Europe’s future mobility. A key moment of the visit was the breakthrough of the tunnel diaphragm, marking a symbolic and technical milestone in the excavation works. This achievement highlights the progress being made towards the completion of the longest underground railway link. During the event, the spotlight was on the advanced tunneling and construction technologies that are making this record-setting project possible. KERN Tunneltechnik is proud to be part of this project, providing high-level machines that supports safety, efficiency, and performance in one of the most challenging engineering environments in Europe. #KERN #PERI #H53BRENNER #TG1 GALLERIA DI BASE DEL BRENNERO - BRENNER BASISTUNNEL BBT SE

Next week I'll be delivering an online course for EUCI on Railway Construction Management. This 1.5 day course discusses the challenges of railway construction projects with an emphasis on providing a holistic understanding of rail and transit infrastructure, coupled with construction management fundamentals. I've geared the content to be applicable to a wide range of attendees, ranging from newcomers to rail projects to experienced professionals seeking to enhance their skills in project and construction management within the rail industry. The online course is happening on October 1st and 2nd, and you can sign up using this link: https://lnkd.in/eZRT8KPt Hope to see you online! #RailEngineering #RailCM #TeamTectonic #EUCI #ConstructionManagement #ProjectManagement Tectonic Engineering Consultants, Geologists & Land Surveyors, D.P.C.

S&ME employee-owners Mike Rowland, P.E. and Shawn Smith, P.E. will present at the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) on October 14 at 3:30 PM. They’ll share insights from their presentation, “Design and Construction of a Horizontal Auger Bore Crossing of I-90,” highlighting lessons learned from projects across Ohio Department of Transportation rights of way. Their discussion will cover:  - The horizontal auger bore process and typical applications  - Geotechnical exploration and feasibility  - Key geotechnical factors that drive design #OurPeopleOurFuture 

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗸𝗱𝗮𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱: 𝗥𝗲𝘇𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗯𝗮𝘇𝗶, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝘀é 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗹 & 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻 In the Ground Behaviour session, the focus lies on understanding and modelling how soil responds to loads, water flow, and other external influences, knowledge that is fundamental to every successful geotechnical design. The below experts will share practical insights from cutting-edge projects that connect research with real-world applications. Reza Shahbazi (Haskoning) & José Miguel Marques Da Rocha (DEME Group) Reza is a geotechnical specialist at Haskoning with extensive experience in maritime and coastal infrastructure, including the Princess Elisabeth Island project. José Miguel is geotechnical manager at DEME Group, specialized in land reclamation, ground improvement, and offshore foundation design. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 This presentation highlights the geotechnical design and testing of the world’s first offshore energy island, combining large-scale hydraulic experiments and advanced numerical modelling to ensure safe, efficient, and sustainable foundations. Diana Portillo Arreguín (Deltares) Diana is an advisor and researcher at Deltares focusing on flood defence geotechnics. Her work combines experiments, modelling, and data analysis to improve understanding of piping and dike stability. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗘𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗻 Diana demonstrates how real-time data integration through a Digital Twin enhances monitoring, analysis, and interpretation in backward erosion piping experiments, improving insight into soil behaviour and failure mechanisms. These presentations will be given in English. For more information and to register: https://lnkd.in/ePsyzDRt #geotechniekdag #geotechniek #civilengineering #geotechnicalengineering

Government requests reallocation of $93.5 million to sustain construction for eight months as costs rise due to geological challenges Read: https://lnkd.in/duDa6GaQ

We are pleased to invite you to this week’s Geo-Institute seminar, taking place on Friday, September 26 at 12:00 PM in ECJ 3.122. This seminar will feature Jeff Fippin, GE (Principal, ENGEO) and Teresa Klotzback, PE (Senior Engineer, ENGEO) presenting: “Seismic Engineering for Practicing Geotechnical Engineers: The Practical Stuff We All Need to Know.” With the release of ASCE/SEI 7-22 and updates to the International Building Code (IBC), nearly every occupied structure in the United States is now required to be designed for seismic loading. Jeff and Teresa will provide a comprehensive overview of how these new standards affect geotechnical practice, with emphasis on: Site classification and site characterization Seismic hazard analysis and ground response modeling Use of site-specific analyses to develop seismic design parameters Practical data collection and design considerations for consulting engineers This session is an excellent opportunity to learn from industry leaders about the evolving seismic design requirements that shape geotechnical engineering practice! #GeotechnicalEngineering #CivilEngineering #UTAustin #GeoInstitute #EngineeringSeminar #ENGEO