By rosebell
The three-day symposium will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in South Wharf, bringing together tunnel owners, operators, engineers, consultants, researchers, contractors, manufacturers, emergency-service specialists and technology providers from around the world.
ISAVFT has developed over more than five decades into one of the tunnelling industry’s specialist forums dedicated to the increasingly important subjects of tunnel aerodynamics, ventilation, fire and smoke behaviour and underground environmental control.
The 2026 symposium comes at an important time for the industry. Longer tunnels, increasingly complex underground transport networks, alternative-fuel vehicles, higher operating speeds and the introduction of digital monitoring and intelligent infrastructure are creating new challenges for tunnel designers and operators.
The provisional programme reflects these changes, covering subjects including tunnel and system design, fire and smoke control, ventilation equipment, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), sustainability, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, new energy carriers and operational experience from major infrastructure projects.
Among the technical subjects already included in the programme is research into the sustainability implications of portal emissions from Australian road tunnels, alongside international studies covering fire behaviour, smoke management, ventilation performance, modelling and operational safety.
A major part of ISAVFT’s reputation comes from its emphasis on technically focused, peer-reviewed contributions. Rather than concentrating solely on new projects, the symposium provides an opportunity to examine operating experience, equipment performance, maintenance problems, system failures and lessons obtained from real tunnel incidents.
The international Technical Advisory Committee brings together specialists from organisations and consultancies including Arup, WSP and Mott MacDonald, alongside independent researchers and tunnel fire and ventilation experts.
Tim Parker, CEO of Australia’s High Speed Rail Authority, has been announced as an opening keynote speaker. Parker will discuss lessons and opportunities associated with the development of Australia’s proposed high-speed rail network and the future of major rapid-transit infrastructure.
He will be joined by Professor Arnold Dix, President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES) and chairman of ISAVFT 2026. Dix’s keynote, Nuclear Waste Underground – What Comes Next, will examine the engineering, regulatory and societal challenges associated with underground geological disposal and future nuclear-waste infrastructure.
Another highlight will be the Sir Alan Muir Wood Prestige Lecture, which honours one of the most influential figures in modern tunnelling. Sir Alan Muir Wood was the founding president of the International Tunnelling Association and played an important role in the development of major underground projects including the Channel Tunnel.
Alongside the conference sessions, ISAVFT 2026 will include an exhibition providing companies working in ventilation, monitoring, fire protection, tunnel systems, modelling, instrumentation and associated technologies with an opportunity to meet the specialist international audience attending the event.
The exhibition will be positioned in the foyers immediately outside the main plenary rooms at MCEC. Exhibitor spaces are approximately 2 m x 2 m, and companies interested in exhibiting or sponsoring the symposium can contact the organisers regarding the remaining opportunities.
Delegates arriving early will also be able to attend an Early Drinks Registration from 16:00 on Sunday 29 November, providing an opportunity to collect conference material and meet other attendees before the technical programme begins the following morning.
Delegate registration is currently open. An Early Bird Delegate rate of £1,311 is available until 30 October 2026 and includes the conference dinner and social events. Reduced rates are available for accepted authors, students and members of the symposium’s Technical Advisory Committee.
ISAVFT 2026 is supported by the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS), the technical society of Engineers Australia and a member of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.
With major road, metro, rail, utility and energy tunnels increasingly dependent on sophisticated ventilation, monitoring and fire-life-safety systems, the Melbourne symposium will provide an opportunity for specialists from across the international underground construction industry to exchange technical knowledge and examine how tunnel safety systems are likely to develop over the coming decades.
ISAVFT 2026
Dates: 30 November–2 December 2026
Venue: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Registration and event information: ISAVFT 2026 – Official Event & Registration Page
ISAVFT 2026 conference website: ISAVFT 2026
Technical programme: ISAVFT 2026 Provisional Programme
Keynote speakers: ISAVFT 2026 Keynote Speakers
Accommodation and venue information: ISAVFT Accommodation & Venue
Sponsorship and exhibition: ISAVFT 2026 Sponsorship & Exhibition Brochure
Australian Tunnelling Society: Australian Tunnelling Society
Companies interested in sponsorship or exhibition opportunities can also contact ISAVFT Conference Director Ally Jackson at ally.jackson@isavft.co.uk or +44 (0)7905 381114. 36/26.
