WTC 2018 short course programme and focus 01 Feb 2018

By 2050, about 70% of all people on the planet will live in cities, that is the prediction of the United Nations. Managing urban areas has therefore become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st Century.

The WTC2017 ITACET short course was held in Bergen, Norway

Providing housing, public transportation, electricity, water and sanitation for densely settled urban populations will become ever more complex and require urban planners to increasingly exploit underground space. Sustainability has become a key issue in urban development and the use of the underground can not only limit environmental impacts on the surface, but also foster economic growth and meet increasing societal needs.

The Society of Engineers of the United Arab Emirates together with the ITACET Foundation of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association are pleased to announce a short two-day course on The Main Opportunities and Technical Issues in Tunnelling. The course will take place on 21-22 April 2018 as a pre-congress event within the scope of the WTC World Tunnel Congress in Dubai.

The first day of the intense two-day course will provide an introduction to the basics of tunnelling, presenting the advantages and challenges of underground space use, especially in urban areas. The program of lectures and presentations will provide illustrated examples from around the world and will take a look at sustainable underground solutions for urban planning. The key stakeholders in the design, construction and operation of such underground solutions will be presented, with a focus on the decision-making process and the project management aspects, such as legal and compensation issues.

A growing number of women are being attracted to careers in underground engineering

The second day will focus first on more complex technical aspects related to tunnelling, including ground investigations, main design parameters, different construction methods and their fields of application, and will then move on to look at underground structures for specific purposes such as energy storage, underground nuclear waste repositories and hydropower scheme machine-hall caverns.

Numerous case studies will be provided throughout the course and discussion periods will enable interaction between attendees and the lecturers.

Course lecturers are leading experts in the industry

The two-day short courses organised by the ITACET Foundation, the ITA Committee on Education and Training and the host Member Nation at the start of each annual World Tunnel Congress present an opportunity for young professional engineers to be introduced to the special world of underground space design and construction and the chance to interact and learn from the experiences and knowledge of leading international professionals who are experts in their particular fields of the industry.

Registration for the full two-day course is USD $550.

Young engineering professionals are encouraged and invited to join the group and advance their understanding of all aspects of the underground construction industry.

Download and register to take advantage of the early bird registration discount. Visit the ITACET Foundation to know more about the ITA and the activities its Committee on Education and Training.