By Lynda Myer
Covering 420 from 45 countries, this year’s World Tunnelling Congress (WTC2023) will present the second highest number of papers at a WTC, whereas all the accepted papers are due to be made available permanently through an open access portal.
From 12 to 18 May, the Greek Tunnelling Society in Athens will host this event that’s focus is on the theme Expanding underground. Considering that it is a hybrid event so delegates can attend in person or online.
The determined date for starting the conference program will be May 15 with Professor Marc Panet delivering the Muir Wood Lecture on his Convergence-Confinement Method in tunnel design and Professor Kyriazis Pitilakis from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki giving a keynote address on seismic design and risk assessment of tunnels and underground structures, while it is after the ITACET training course on Risk Management in Tunnelling and Underground Sustainable Solutions on May 12-13 and the ITA General Assembly and working group and committee meetings on May 14.
Alongside with a full program of technical sessions, the next intentions of WTC2023 will be offering delegates site visits including Athens Metro Line 4, the 2.36km-long National Railway Line, and the Hellinikon Project – an urban development scheme that includes an underground coastal road.
Including the southern extension of the Ymittos ring road in Athens with a 3km-long road tunnel and the northern extension comprising a 1.6km twin-bore road tunnel and a 1.3km rail tunnel; the 2.42km Kymis road tunnel in Athens; the Salamine undersea tunnel comprising a 1.1km-long immersed tunnel, two conventional tunnels 4.5km long and two 0.5km cut and cover tunnels; the Thessaloniki Metro; the northern road axis of Creta Island; the Thessaloniki East Ring Road involving three tunnels; as well as a 0.7km undersea tunnel for Lefkada Island, Greece has several tunneling projects in progress and more planned.
For more information on WTC2023 please click here.
