TC204 Underground Construction

For the 20222026 period, TC204 will contribute to the development, consolidation, and dissemination of guidance documents and recommendations in the field of geotechnical aspects of underground construction through the following actions:

• Review and Compilation of Existing Guidance
  • Compile and maintain an inventory of existing international codes, standards, and guidelines relevant to the geotechnical aspects of tunnelling and underground construction.
  • Identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for harmonisation across different national and international frameworks.
• Development of Technical Guidance
  • Contribute to ongoing work related to the seismic behaviour of tunnels, including the development of recommendations and identification of research needs.
  • Support the advancement of methodologies for assessing and predicting groundstructure interaction under seismic loading conditions.
• Collaboration with ISSMGE Technical Committees and External Bodies
  • Cooperate with ISSMGE TC104 Physical Modelling to extend guidance on the comparison of field observations and physical model results with numerical simulations.
  • Establish and maintain active collaboration with related Technical Committees, including ISSMGE TC203, TC206, TC207, TC222, TC305, and TC309, to ensure coordination and avoid duplication of efforts.

For the 20222026 period, TC204 will support ISSMGE conferences and related events through the following actions:

• Support to International and Regional Conferences
  • Contribute to the development of technical programmes for international and regional conferences organised under the auspices of ISSMGE.
  • Provide expertise in the review, selection, and structuring of conference sessions relevant to underground construction and geotechnical engineering.
• Encouragement of Member Contributions
  • Actively encourage the submission of papers from TC204 members to major ISSMGE conferences, including the European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 2024, held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 2530 August 2024.
• Organisation of Sessions and Workshops
  • Promote and organise a dedicated session or workshop at the International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria, on 1419 June 2026.
    Update: A joint workshop with TC222 and TC309, entitled From Case Histories to Data-Driven Guidelines Leveraging Project Data, has been successfully organised and is scheduled for 17 June 2026. The workshop will include a keynote lecture, Intelligent underground space: physics-supervised machine learning, delivered by Brian Sheil.

For the 20222026 period, TC204 will strengthen engagement with industry and promote collaboration between research and practice through the following actions:

• AcademiaIndustry Collaboration
  • Establish a dedicated task force on academiaindustry partnership to identify opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
  • Promote collaborative innovation through co-funded PhD projects, joint research initiatives, and partnerships between academia and industry.
  • Encourage the development of living labs within major underground construction projects to facilitate real-time observation, data collection, and validation of research outcomes.
• Engagement with International Organisations
  • Strengthen links with International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association and explore opportunities for future cooperation, including joint initiatives and events.
• Bridging Research and Practice
  • Facilitate the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry by promoting the practical application of research outcomes in design, construction, and asset management.
  • Encourage active participation of industry stakeholders in TC204 activities, including symposia, workshops, and technical discussions.
• Data Sharing and Utilisation
  • Promote the publication and wider accessibility of project data, recognising that significant volumes of data generated during underground construction projects remain underutilised.
  • Encourage the use of such data to derive insights that support safer, more efficient, and more resilient design and construction practices.