The increasing trend of resource conservation and climate protection is clearly impacting on all construction activities. In particular, with reference to underground sector, the required building materials such as cement and the large amount of mineral “construction waste” such as soil and rock have so far resulted in a poor climate balance. This is doubly unfortunate since humanity desperately needs to create more, rather than fewer, underground structures. Functioning underground structures are already an essential cornerstone of a flourishing national economy today and especially in the future. They ensure the water and energy supply, they relieve traffic in the inner cities thanks to subway systems and underground roads, they ensure safe transport connections over long distances and over large areas, and they enable underground waste disposal systems such as rainwater or sewage systems.
The STUVA Tunnel Conference, one of the most significative events in the industry, has therefore deliberately placed a focus of this year’s conference on the diverse opportunities for increasing resource efficiency and the development of new process technologies in the spirit of a circular economy. Because significantly environmentally friendly construction and operation of underground infrastructure can already be implemented today and, in view of climate change. In fact, professionals are noticing an emerging “climate fatigue” among large parts of the population and a growing mood against the construction of new subway tunnels” but, it is a matter of evidence, most resource-efficient and sustainable and well-planned tunnel structures are essential for a successful transport transition with efficient local public transport. In this way main players and professionals want and are currently working hard to develop transparent instruments for assessing sustainability that are specifically tailored to the subsurface, which will be available to decision-makers all over the world help implement projects based on scientific and technical methods.
The final target is legitimate underground infrastructures and prove intergenerational way to meet the most urgent needs of our peoples and our planet. In fact, priority is the expansion of public transport bringing better connections and integration, one of key tools to achieve the climate protection goals by 2030 through a significant expansion of public transport capacity (new tram and subway projects as well as the renovation, repair and barrier-free expansion of the existing infrastructure). And, to make it clear, in an increasing highly dense area, the tunnel infrastructure is of course part of the solution.
Considering current scenario repair and renovation activities carried out for all existing underground structures will be fundamental. The growth of relevant projects involving revitalization of old areas is significant and it is a potential sustainable way for the future.
In this way Volteco, since many decades involved in old structures waterproofing and rehabilitation, is developing several prestigious projects in cooperation with Specialized Designers and Contractors.
In particular, Volteco collaborated with Archea Associati, an internationally renowned architectural design firm, working on the waterproofing of a majestic World War II aircraft bunker in Florence. Discover more.
