Fundamentals foundation for young professionals 06 Feb 2020

Young professionals and engineers new to the world of underground construction are invited to Colorado in October to improve their skills and boost their knowledge of the industry. Registration is now open for the Colorado School of Mines Tunneling Fundamentals, Applications and Innovations short course, which will take place October 19-22. The 2019 course sold out, with more than 150 participants and 32 speakers from across the globe.

Colorado School of Mines campus

This comprehensive four-day course will include information on planning, design and the construction of tunnels for all purposes, across all types of ground conditions. Technical leaders from all areas of the tunneling industry will teach key principles and reveal the latest innovations. Numerous upcoming tunneling projects in the USA and worldwide will be highlighted and five owner representatives will provide insights into this growing and evolving industry. Furthermore, faculty and students from the Colorado School of Mines will share the latest R&D innovations that will soon impact the industry, including results from a major rapid tunneling technology initiative that is underway.

The course is aimed at all industry professionals including owners, designers, contractors, consultants and suppliers involved in the design, planning and construction of tunnels in all geological conditions.

Situated on the Colorado School of Mines campus, the course will make use of the state-of-the-art labs and facilities at the school. This will give attendees a unique opportunity to interact with the most sophisticated and innovative technologies in the tunneling industry. The course will include hands-on lab sessions each afternoon. The unique labs include EPB soil conditioning, EPB TBM simulator, rock cutting, abrasivity and wear, shotcrete and annulus grouting. There will also be networking opportunities – both industry to industry as well as with the many students studying to enter the industry. By learning from and speaking with key firms, contractors, and engineers about the biggest projects of our time, the goal of the short course is for participants to come away with a clear picture of where this fast-paced and dynamic industry is heading.

The programme presents a full agenda and registration is now open.

The Colorado School of Mines Center for Underground is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary group of faculty and students from the civil engineering, geology and geological engineering, mechanical engineering, mining engineering, geophysics and computer science, with a collective interest in education and research in underground engineering.