Projects, engineers and innovators around the world responded to the call for nominations for the 2019 ITA Awards series and 71 entries from 24 countries have been received for the competition. Entries represent:

• China 22 entries
• USA 13 entries
• India 5 entries
• Europe 15 entries
• Asia (without China and India) 7 entries
• Australia 3 entries
• 6 others from Russia, Egypt, Algeria, Mexico and Nepal

The entries represent the demographic growth of mega cities around the world and their urban planning rethink to develop underground space, not only to free space on the surface but also to create cities and infrastructure that is resilient to natural disasters and the threats of climate change. Recently, Han Admiraal and Antonia Cornaro, co-chairs of ITACUS, the Committee on Underground Space of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, expressed a survival warning that the only way is down, to alert public authorities on the benefits of using underground spaces.

Throughout the world, innovative projects and technologies are emerging to take up this challenge. These include underground farms, underground pedestrian highways, sustainable lighting solutions and more automation of underground excavation operations among so many other developments. Since 2015, the ITA has hosted the international competition to seek and reward the most ground-breaking innovations and outstanding projects in tunnelling and underground space use.

For 2019, the 71 entries received are competing for the Brunel Trophy awarded to the winner of eight categories covering all the activities of the industry and rewarding one young tunneller of under 30 years old and the Lifetime Achievement of a selected leading professional of the international community.

The 71 entries received for the eight categories are as follows:

China hosted the 2018 ITA Awards series last year

• Major Project of the Year of more than €500 million - 8 entries
• Project of the Year of between €50 million and €500 million - 18 entries
• Project of the Year including Renovation of up to €50 million - 8 entries
• Technical Project Innovation of the Year - 8 entries
• Technical Product or Equipment innovation of the Year - 8 entries
• Innovative Underground Space Concept of the Year - 4 entries
• Safety Initiative of the Year - 6 entries
• Young Tunneller of the Year - 10 candidates

In 2019, the conference day for the presentations by the shortlisted entries in each category and for the Brunel Trophy presentation gala dinner to the winners will take place in November in the USA and as part of the 8th Cutting Edge conference in Miami, Florida.

Last year the 2018 ITA Awards series was hosted in Chuzhou, China, and the winners were:

ITA welcomes all to the 2019 winners conference and gala dinner in Miami

• Major Project of the Year of more than €500 million
  The Immersed Tunnel of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
• Project of the Year between €50 million and €500 million
  The Queershan Tunnel on National Road 317, China
• Project of the Year including Renovation of up to €50 million
  Zarbalizadeh shallow tunnel construction under operating railways, Iran
• Technical Project Innovation of the Year
  First application of a large section horseshoe shaped EPB TBM
• Technical Product or Equipment Innovation of the Year:
  Multifunctional energy-storage and luminescent material for sustainable and energy-saving tunnel lighting
• Innovative Underground Space Concept of the Year
  The Norwegian Rock Blasting Museum
• Safety Initiative of the Year
  The ROBY 850 semi-automatic drilling robot
• Young Tunneller of the Year
  Giuseppe M. Gaspari, Italy

As part of its mission, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA), as a non-profit, non-governmental international organization, aims at promoting the use of underground space as a solution to sustainable development. Founded in 1974 and operating out of Lausanne, Switzerland, the international association has 78 member nations, 300 affiliate members, 18 prime sponsors and 60 supporters.

In 2018 the 6km long immersed tube element of the Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macao sea link and its two man-made islands won the top honour as ITA Awards Project of the Year. Which projects and products will take top honours as the best of the best in 2019? Applications are now open for the 5th edition of the international industry Awards.

Nominations are called from industry to profile particularly outstanding achievements and developments in underground infrastructure across the world. Through these Awards, ITA aims to identify and support a wide and diverse range of projects, from large-scale and large-budget infrastructure developments to more discrete but revolutionary technical innovations.

Nominations for the different categories must be related to projects for which the major civil engineering work was completed between 1 January 2017 and 1 April 2019. The Young Tunneller of the Year rewards an individual born after 1 January 1985 who has brought an outstanding contribution to tunnelling. 

Entries are invited for eight Award categories (Table 1) and nominations are to be submitted through the dedicated ITA Awards website by the closing date of 15 June 2019.

The 2019 Award presentations will take place this year on 18 November in Miami, USA during the Cutting Edge Conference from 18 to 20 November. The conference will discuss the latest advances in tunnelling technology and methodology, and will host a day long programme of presentations by the ITA Award series shortlisted finalists ahead of presentations of the Award’s Brunel trophy to the winners announced at the gala celebrations dinner in the evening.