By Ashley Karen
The New Zealand Tunnelling Society is seeking abstracts for next year’s Australasian Tunnelling Conference (ATC).
The 18th Australasian Tunnelling Conference will be held in Auckland on November 5-8, 2023.
With an overarching emphasis on “Trends and Transitions in Tunnelling”, the major themes of the conference contain:
- Resilience: well-being, infrastructure, economics.
- Relationships: industry, stakeholders and future generations.
- Guardianship: sustainability and legacy. Re-purposing and enhancing current infrastructure, decarbonization
- Future(s): what kind of infrastructure is needed?
- The conference committee is particularly seeking abstracts on the following topics, but all abstracts relevant to tunnelling are welcomed:
- Transition engineering, sustainability and economic growth
- Metros and mass transit
- Digital engineering, instrumentation and monitoring
- Hydropower and utility tunnels
- Mechanized tunnelling
- Conventional tunnelling/SEM/caverns
- Tunnel operations, asset management, repurposing and rehabilitation
- Tunnel systems, ventilation and fire life safety
- Human factors: users, resourcing, training, competency education and diversity
- Safety and occupational safety
- Underground architecture and space development
- Grouting, ground modifications and hydrogeology
- Sprayed concrete and tunnel linings
- Automation and technological advances
- Shafts
- Tunnels and tunnelling for mines
- Geotechnical characterization, seismicity and difficult ground
- Risk management, collaboration and contracting
The deadline for abstract submission is March 31; papers are scheduled by August 31, and the deadline for paper moderations and final papers is September 30.
The convenor and chair of the ATC23 organizing committee, Bill Newns, is looking forward to welcoming national and international colleagues to the conference.
He stated: “We are confident we can appeal to more international attendees and contributors to the conference and build on the reputation the Australasian Tunnelling Conference has for quality, value and relevance to all tunnelling professionals.”
He also added: “It will be an intense few days of making new connections, catching up with old mates, sharing knowledge and experience, all within a program we hope will inspire and contribute to our vitally important area of infrastructure.”
The ATC is now a biennial event and has played a crucial role in the development of the tunnelling industry regionally for more than 50 years.
Newns claimed: “We aim to maintain and build the reputation for technical excellence as well as offer many interesting social and networking opportunities that only an ‘in-person’ conference provides,”
“All set against the backdrop of our stunning city of Auckland.”
For more information, you can visit the event website.
