ITA Working Group Urban Problems - Underground Solutions: R U S F U P

Report on Underground Solutions
For Urban Problems
ITA Working Group

Urban Problems - Underground Solutions
N° ISBN: 978-2-9700776-5-7 ITA REPORT n°011 / APR 2012
2041-AITES-REPORT-20c.indd 1 11/05/12 10:50

ITA Report n°011 - Report on Underground Solutions For Urban Problems - N°ISBN: 978-2-9700776-5-7 / APR 2012
Layout : Longrine – Avignon – France – www.longrine.fr
The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association/Association Internationale des Tunnels et de l’Espace Souterrain (ITA/AITES) publishes this report to, in accordance with its
statutes, facilitate the exchange of information, in order: to encourage planning of the subsurface for the benefit of the public, environment and sustainable development to promote advances
in planning, design, construction, maintenance and safety of tunnels and underground space, by bringing together information thereon and by studying questions related thereto. This report
has been prepared by professionals with expertise within the actual subjects. The opinions and statements are based on sources believed to be reliable and in good faith. However, ITA/AITES
accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the material published in this report. This material is: information of a general nature only which is not intended to address the specific
circumstances of any particular individual or entity; not necessarily comprehensive, complete, accurate or up to date; This material is not professional or legal advice (if you need specific advice,
you should always consult a suitably qualified professional).

Report on Underground Solutions
For Urban Problems
ITA Working Group

Urban Problems - Underground Solutions

>> Table of contents
FOREword................................................................................................................................5
summary..................................................................................................................................6
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................7
1.1 Typical Urban Problems...............................................................................................8
1.1.1 Quality of the Urban environment...................................................................9
1.1.2 traffic congestion and travel time.................................................................9
1.1.3 space consumption..............................................................................................10
1.1.4 pollution and noise.............................................................................................11
1.1.5 protection against natural disasters.........................................................11
1.2 Summary............................................................................................................................11
2. Typical underground solutions.........................................................................12
2.1 Transportation and Infrastructure......................................................................12.
2.1.1 Rail Tunnels..................................................................................................................12
2.1.2 Road Tunnels.........................................................................................................13
2.1.3 Pedestrian and Bicycle Tunnels.....................................................................15
2.2 Drinking Water Storage and Distribution............................................................15
2.3 Storm Water Relief and CSO Systems.....................................................................16
2.4 Energy Storage and Distribution in Underground Networks......................17
2.4.1 Production, Storage and Distribution of Energy....................................17
2.4.2 Pipeline Systems....................................................................................................18
2.4.3 Utilidors..................................................................................................................19
2.4.4 Deep Geological Repository............................................................................20
2.5 Community Development and Improvement..........................................................21
2.5.1 Underground Cultural and Amusement Facilities...................................21
2.5.2 Underground Parking........................................................................................22
2.6 Living and Working........................................................................................................22
2.6.1 Underground Housing.......................................................................................22
2.6.2 Office and Public Facilities................................................................................23
2.6.3 Underground Manufacturing and Special Facilities...............................23
3. Decision making process.........................................................................................25
3.1 Social Aspects................................................................................................................25
3.1.1 land use...................................................................................................................25
3.1.2 noise impact............................................................................................................25
3.2 Safety and Security......................................................................................................26
3.2.1 smoke and fire.......................................................................................................26
3.2.2 earthquakes..........................................................................................................27
3.2.3 terrorist attacks................................................................................................27
3.3 Aesthetics........................................................................................................................28
3.4 Ecological and Environmental Aspects...............................................................28
3.4.1 air quality...............................................................................................................29
3.4.2 water........................................................................................................................29
3.4.3 disruption during construction....................................................................30
3.5 Decision Making Process and Legal Aspects.......................................................31
3.6 Economics........................................................................................................................32
3.6.1 Life Cycle Costs Analysis..................................................................................32
3.7 Technical Aspects.........................................................................................................34
3.8 “Mega Projects”.............................................................................................................34
4. Solution Summary......................................................................................................37
5. References.....................................................................................................................38
6. APPENDIX...........................................................................................................................39
4 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

>> Foreword
In 2007, our planet became predominantly urban as for the first time, more than half
of the world’s population was living in cities. In the second half of the last century the
number of people living in urban areas increased from 750 million to 2.86 billion. By
2030, this proportion is estimated to rise to 61%, or nearly 5 billion people. While cities
of the global North face challenges of physical expansion and urban sprawl, those in
the South are experiencing rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation, competing demands
for land and other increasingly scarce natural resources, and air, water and surface
pollution. Unsustainable urban development is a common challenge, especially in
metropolises and megacities, whether in developed or the developing world.
In this context, the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP)
is working towards producing knowledge for better cities. A global association of
professional planners, ISOCARP was founded in 1965 and today its network brings
together individual and institutional members from more than 80 countries worldwide.
The Society has a formal consultative status with UNESCO and is recognized as an
NGO/professional partner by UN-HABITAT and the Council of Europe.
Underground space is an area of special interest to ISOCARP, as we recognise that

many cities, both in the developed and developing world, have no choice but to go
higher and dig deeper in order to become sustainable. Underground spaces can be
used for a variety of purposes, including not only the mundane and necessary such
as infrastructure, services and transport, but also for recreation, entertainment and
commercial uses. The key, however, is a broad understanding of how underground
space can be planned and utilised most effectively, and ensuring that any negative
impacts of underground development are properly mitigated. Whereas there are well-
established planning instruments and procedures for the surface and going high, till
now underground space is not planned in a holistic manner, but mostly tackled from the
point of view of a technical solution from one specific discipline. At the same time, it is
important to recognise that underground space is an essential part of our cities and has
to be integrated part of holistic spatial planning.
There are many examples of successful use of underground spaces (e.g. underground
shopping linked with the metro system in Singapore), but at the same time, many
experiments have also failed due to lack of foresight and proper planning (e.g.
pedestrian subways in Delhi). Urban planners need greater knowledge and insight
into how underground spaces can be used to make cities more productive as well as
sustainable.
For all these reasons and more, ISOCARP welcomes this extremely timely and
interesting report from ITA-WG20 on “Urban Problems, Underground Solutions.” It is
a very valuable resource for urban planners and all those working on urban problems
and potential solutions, and will give them ample food for thought. ISOCARP is keen to
develop these ideas further, in collaboration with ITA/ITACUS, and this report is certainly
an important step in the right direction.
Shipra Narang Suri, Ph.D. Vice-President, ISOCARP

Manfred Schrenk, Vice-President and Treasurer, ISOCARP
REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 5

>> Summary
World wide, we see developing nations Leaders see investment in infrastructure date. Other solutions – replacement of the
building new infrastructure as well as as a key to success … Cities such as Los existing at-grade structure or cut and cover
developed cities rehabilitating and expanding Angeles – long seen as the leader in personal construction, while feasible, would be as
their infrastructure to meet the demands of automobile travel – are now investing in costly in terms of capital cost and loss of
increased population, energy efficiency, and urban rail and supporting intercity rail. The business during construction.
environmental awareness of the public. Ten mayor, Anthony Villaraigosa has made
years ago ITA issued its special edition of promoting and expanding public transit In Atlanta, Mayor Shirley Franklin has said,
the Tribune entitled “Why Go Underground, options a top priority in his transportation “no city can be successful unless it is safe,
Contribution of the use of Underground agenda. has clean water, clean air and a good
space to Sustainable Development.” Working As part of this effort, he has encouraged LA educational system(1). Clean water was one
Group N° 20 of the ITA, focused on Urban residents to use the metro and bus systems of her priorities, and she addressed the City’s
Problems and Underground Solutions, has throughout the City and has worked diligently aging sewer system by initiating a $4 billion
continued examining the use of underground to secure funding, including the passage of upgrade for the infrastructure, that includes
space in the urban environment as it evolves a ½ cent sales tax for local financing. The the unpopular move of raising user fees.
with expanding cities and urban densification. plan envisions expanding the regional urban Today the city is well on its way to clean
This report present examples of the uses rail transit network, including a “subway water and improved stormwater control“.
of underground space in cities, trends in to the sea” among many other rail and
Metro and roadway planning, and gives an transportation projects. Use of the underground is not restricted
overview of aspects to be considered during to mega projects. This paper presents
the decision making process, in order to In London, Mayor Boris Johnson said of the innovative uses of space for storage, local
optimally include underground solutions. Crossrail project that will connect isolated transport, water conveyance and treatment,
Railway stations constructed in the 1800s: and commercial space. Underground
Common planning goals in dense urban “This amazing project will create and support solutions to urban problems were in the
environments include improvements thousands of jobs, relieve congestion and recent past only considered if all other (above
in infrastructure: transit, distribution of provide a high speed link between the east ground) solutions had been exhausted. If the
resources, goods and service, while and west of London… When the first of underground options are considered at an
becoming environmentally sustainable. Crossrail’s chariots glide smoothly along earlier project stage, more optimal solutions
Placement of infrastructure and other its lines in 2017, it will change the face of will become possible.
facilities underground presents an transport in London and the south east
opportunity for long-term improvements in forever.” Therefore Working Group N°20 of the
the environment, and more efficient use of ITA hopes that this overview of existing
resources. Investment in these infrastructure More and more, city planners and decision underground solutions for urban problems
projects creates opportunities for innovation makers are realizing that going underground and the way they can help in the decision
in construction methods – important in is the only solution. Most recently, the making process can boost the consideration
reducing the impacts of infrastructure on the highway tunnel in Seattle, the Alaskan of the underground option for future projects.
environment as well as the creation of jobs Way Viaduct Replacement project, was
and commerce for the urban workforce and awarded for construction. The tunnel will be (1) Epoch Times, February 2009, Mary Sliver
businesses. one of the largest in diameter (17.6 m) to
Figure 1, Metro entrance, Paris, France Figure 2, Underground swimming pool, Helsinki, Finland

1 >> Introduction
For centuries, mankind has used area above. The underground may All of these demands call for continuous
underground space. The International provide a setting that is difficult to build improvement of sustainable and resource
Tunneling and Underground Space in, environmentally undesirable, and more efficient urban planning and development,
Association (ITA) was created in 1974 with costly to construct in than surface facilities. and is and can be facilitated by the use of
a mission to encourage the use of the On the other hand, it may offers better underground structures.
subsurface for the benefit of the public, natural protection against environmental
environment and sustainable development, elements, including destructive weather, Advanced underground construction
and to promote advances in the planning, noise, and seismic events. At the same technologies can provide solutions
design, construction, maintenance and time, the space created for underground for reducing congestion and other
safety of tunnels and underground space. structures has the advantage of allowing environmental problems while contributing
Working groups within ITA provide special use of the surface for other functions. to energy efficiency. However one of the
studies and publications to address the greater aims of underground use in an
use and construction of underground Over time, the uses for underground urban environment may be to free surface
space. Working Group N°20 was formed structures have developed from primarily space for other human needs and to
to provide an overview of the typical shelter to space for infrastructure and a improve the living conditions of cities.
challenges of urban city planning and the wide range of functional facilities.
solutions which are offered by the use The uses may be categorized into several This paper is divided into three sections
of underground space. In this report we primary uses: Infrastructure for transit to present beneficial uses of the
provide an overview of typical urban issues and utilities, storage, and protection of underground.
and an appendix of examples where the the environment. Increasingly, the public,
use of the underground and modern especially in larger cities, demands a • The first section reviews typical
technology has been taken advantage of higher quality environment with respect to: urban problems for which use of
to provide overall benefits to the urban underground space may offer a better
environment. Given increasing population • Reliable and safe transport of people alternative than use of the surface.
growth world-wide, and continued aging and goods, Subject areas include architectural
of existing infrastructure, this publication • Water distribution and sewerage quality, safety and security, traffic
elaborates on previous ITA work such systems, congestion, noise, air quality, water
as “Why Go Underground”(ITA, Godard, • Sustainability of the environment and distribution, flood control, and synergy
2002), and provides new project examples containing sprawl, effects.
to illustrate both traditional and creative • More green spaces and recreational • The second section describes typical
uses of the underground to assist with areas, solutions the underground can offer
beneficial urban space planning and • Reduced use of fuel, and fuel such as subway systems, road
preserving surface land for future use. emissions, tunnels, underground manufacturing
• Noise control, space, water and sewerage transport
To understand why we use underground • Aesthetics, systems and storm water relief
space, one must analyze the use of • Efficient use of real-estate. systems.
underground space versus the surface • The final section illustrates the
Figure 3, Mt. Baker Ridge Tunnel, Seattle, Washington, USA Figure 4, Traffic Congestion, Los Angeles

2 >> S
1 Introduction
afety requirements in all stages of construction
decision making progress for Urban issues such as traffic and air War II, the economic conditions in Japan
identifying and creating underground pollution are typically associated with progressed greatly, but the infrastructure
solutions. The appendix of the report developed nations. But the pressing to support growth lagged behind. Table 1
includes referenced projects in a phenomenon of “Mega Cities” in summarizes the major urbanization issues
collection of worldwide case history developing nations also poses extreme in Japan from World War II to the present.
examples to provide illustrations of infrastructure needs – which are
significant underground solutions to compounded by inadequate water and Around 1955, urban problems such as
urban problems. power distribution systems, sewerage traffic control, pollution, noise, and slum
and treatment systems, and flood control expansion became obvious. Between the
The report is directed toward planners, measures. 1950s and 70s, significant urban problems
developers, urban policy and other decision developed, including lack of green space,
makers, and is intended to assist them by Although there are many problems aging infrastructure, development of use
providing creative ideas for the solution of in urban areas, there are variations policies, traffic congestion conditions,
urban problems. The focus of this product is depending on the country’s level of water and sewer capacity, trash disposal,
somewhat less on technical details and more development. Japan’s experience is used and energy consumption.
on strategic aspects of urban planning, may as a typical example. After the World
they be of social, economical, ecological or
aesthetical background.
Table 1, Summary of Urban Development, Example of Japan (Nishi et. al., 2005, 2007, NLPI, 1997)
1.1 Typical Urban Problems Timeframe Urban Developments

After World War II (1945~1954) The Lack of a number of public facilities (Railway,
Throughout the 20th century, urbanization Highway, Housing, etc,)
has been occurring globally. The urban
environment, however, cannot fully absorb 1955 Traffic congestion
the influx of people without substantial Pollution and noise
infrastructure improvements.
Slum development land use
Rapid urbanization has produced many
urban problems such as the need for more 1975 Integrated traffic system (Share between rail and road)
housing, roadways, water and power Urban natural environment (Green and Open space)
distribution systems, sewerage systems,
reduction of air and noise pollution and other Urban space and landscape policy
population growth issues. 1990 Revival of light rail (Revival of public transportation)
In addition, it has been documented late
New urban transportation such as a plan of great deep
in the 20th century that the related problem
underground railway
of sprawl away from the urban core strains
the environment by creating more traffic 2000 - present The advanced age problem (Facilities for handicapped
congestion and travel time, loss of valuable and aged)
farm land, and inequitable allocation of Safety and Security
resources (Longman, 1998, Chen 2000).
Shortage of Resources
Figure 5, Aging Surface Infrastructure, New York Figure 6, Photos other Urban problems e.g., crowding, Figure 7, Urban Congestion, Japan
overhead wires

3
1 >> P
Introduction
lanning for emergencies
All of these continue to the present, and measures related to the quality of life: noise and air pollution,
population related expansion continues safety, health, convenience, and comfort • Esthetic qualities and image of our
- compounded with issues related to (UN, 1961). urban environment quality,
an aging population and demands • Safety, security, and protection
for additional social services such as Architecture gives the order and the against natural disasters,
accessibility for the disabled. beauty to urban space and has a role • Flooding,
Around 1985 to 1995, urban tree planting, which unites the community. • Sewage conveyance and treatment,
urban planning, amusement centers and Urban plans and codes are developed • Synergy effects of the above.
private sector vitality, safety and an interest to direct buildings to comply with agreed
in urban space and landscape policy were upon standards and guidelines. Standards 1.1.2 Traffic Congestion and Travel
envisioned. New urban transportation for quality of life may be subjective, Time
systems such as a plan for a deep however, and in a democracy are difficult Since they are well understood, little effort
underground railway emerged. Since to come to agreement on. Over the same needs to be devoted to documenting travel
1995, many phases of the transportation 40 year period, urban areas have seen a time issues and need for congestion relieve
systems have been developed. Future swing from approval of elevated freeways in automobile congested streets. Time
urban planning is based on the landscape, and transit systems to move traffic across savings during rush hours by using grade
the environment and other concerns such downtown areas to removal of these separated rail systems saves hundreds
as disaster prevention, safety and security. structures for beneficial use of the surface of hours per year per worker. The cost of
All of this must be seen in the context land. Similarly, flood control projects road congestion in OECD(2) countries is
of decreasing tax revenues, increasing undertaken in the early part of the 20th estimated to be equivalent to about 2 per
national debt, decreasing birth rate and century are being re-considered for use of cent of the GDP (Godard, 2008).
an aging population. the waterfront for recreational use.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Japan
sees continued population growth with The urban “problems” are well
additional pressures to find and conserve documented and those that may be solved
natural resources as energy becomes through use of the underground space
scarce and expensive (Newman, 2009). include:
At the same time the democratic
consensus building process and the • Crowding and lack of space (for work
need to weigh in the quality of the urban and recreation),
environment in any development, makes • Traffic congestion,
finding solutions for urban problems slower • Aging infrastructure and distribution of
and more difficult. resources,
• Environmental conditions such as Figure 9, Los Angeles River today
1.1.1 Quality of the Urban Environment
In addition to basic necessities, “Quality of
life” is one of the standards of the urban
environment addressed by the World
Health Organization (WHO). In 1961,
40 years ago, the WHO proposed four
Figure 8, Illustration of Planning Regulations for Figure 10, Los Angeles River plan for Green Spaces
Community Preferences
(2) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international economic organisation of 34 countries
founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.

2 >> S
1 Introduction
afety requirements in all stages of construction
1.1.3 Space Consumption Table 2, Space Consumption for Types of Transport in Paris, France
Surface space becomes scarce in the
urban environment. It is interesting SPACE CONSUMPTION
to compare to the use of a metro for
Parking Circulation Total
passenger transport with typical surface
transportation options such as bus and Pedestrians 0 2 2
private cars. In this respect, the Paris Two wheeled vehicles
Transportation Board, (RATP) reports
for the city of Paris that: “… in order to work (9 hours) 13.5 7.5 21
transport 50,000 passengers per hour and leisure (3 hours) 4.5 7.5 12
direction, a metro needs a right-of-way
shopping (1.5 hours) 2.5 7.5 10
measuring 9 m in width whereas a bus
would require 35 m and cars 175 m.” Private car (1.25 persons / car)
Table 2 shows the results of a study work (9 hours) 72 18 90
carried out in the Paris region regarding
space consumption of the various leisure (3 hours) 24 18 42
transport means. This study used a new shopping (1.5 hours) 12 18 30
concept: the consumption of space and
Buses (50 persons / bus)
time of occupancy expressed using an
appropriate unit of measurement, without traffic separation 0 3 3
the m² x hour. The results obtained with separated lanes
demonstrate clearly the performance levels
of urban public transport of the Metro (60 bus/direction//hour) 0 6 6
type, with the summary conclusions being: (30 bus/direction/hour) 0 12 12
Metros
• the car takes up from 30 to 90
times more space depending on (>30,000 pers./direction/hour) 0 1 1
the reasons for use: work, leisure or (for a 5 km long journey on an infrastructure used at its optimum capacity)
shopping, Source: Paris Transportation Authority (RATP)
• public road transport (buses) takes up
3 to 12 times more space, depending
on the nature of the service provided
and the driving conditions (ordinary
roadway or bus lane).
Figure 11, Comparison of the space consumption of private cars and public transport busses (N.N., 2012)

3
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Introduction
lanning for emergencies
1.1.4 Pollution and Noise freeways are reduced due to high noise 1.1.5 Protection against Natural
Freeway noise and emissions from vehicles levels from automobiles and exhaust Disasters
are recognized as pressing problems in emissions. With respect to energy savings, With concentration of population, urban
urban areas. Reduction of the social RATP concluded that for Paris, “…one areas are particularly vulnerable to
costs and costs related to the “external kEP (kg equivalent petrol) will allow a failures in infrastructure due to aging of
effects” (nuisances) associated with private single person to travel more than 48 km the systems or those caused by other
means of transports (private cars and by metro or 38 km by bus, but no more natural forces. Growth of population
two-wheeled vehicles) can be reduced than 19 km by car.” This means not only not only means more are reliant on the
substantially with public transport. In Paris, savings in cost but also in pollution due to infrastructure, but that the man-made
it has been estimated that private transport exhausts and a reduction of noise levels facilities may impact the severity of the
is responsible for about 92 percent can obtained by increasing the use of impacts. For example, urbanization means
of the external costs associated with metro systems. more paved area leading to more severe
transportation of people in the Paris region. flooding, as well as loss of water resources
recharging groundwater.
The need for noise barriers and sound
walls may not always be met by the 1.2 Summary
transportation authorities and the visual
impacts are major. It is widely accepted All cities have some or many of the
that residential property values near problems described above. The common
issues in every city have to do with
housing and public transportation.
Table 3, Cost of Vehicle Noise and Pollution Nuisances Providing adequate living conditions and
urban transportation to reduce noise,
Costs (millions of Euros) Noise Pollution Greenhouse Accidents congestion and pollution is a common
Effect goal.
The role of underground space in solving
Private means of transport 380 751 256 1355
urban problems is to provide space below
Public transports 125 37 10 81 the surface such that the above ground
Source: Syndicat des Transports d’Île-de-France (STIF), (2003) can be used for other needs – including
green space.
Placing certain infrastructure below
grade not only provides this objective
but also protects the infrastructure from
many environmental impacts. To see
the benefits of the underground, we can
look to examples of typical underground
space use, innovations, and instances
where structures placed on or above
the surface are being replaced by new
ones underneath. The following sections
describe many of these uses and planning
considerations. The Appendix to this
report presents noted projects world-wide
to highlight both typical and innovative use
of the underground in urban areas.
Figure 12, Sound Wall adjacent to Housing

2 >> S
Typical
afety requirements
underground in
solutions
all stages of construction
For centuries, underground structures, detailed example projects selected for benefits such as reduced noise and visual
either natural or man-made, have been either for their typical or innovative use of impacts. Metro systems are designed for
used for shelter and to produce raw the underground. public mass transportation and often link
materials. Today, underground structures with other means of transportation such
help in the use of the limited and valuable 2.1 Transportation and as surface rail, bus services and aviation.
space in urban areas more efficiently by Infrastructure A complex subway system like that in
replacing traditionally surface facilities with London or Paris (shown in Figure 13)
tunnels, caverns and other underground Tunnels have been used since the 19th attracts many passengers and, therefore,
spaces. Today, underground infrastructure century to provide a grade-separated represents a real alternative to the
is a diverse field and can be categorized in space to make individual (vehicular) automobile. Travel time savings, combined
several ways. A study in the Netherlands and public transportation faster and with energy savings in terms of cost per
suggested five main uses (Admiraal, 2007): independent from local traffic and natural passenger per km, contribute to the
barriers. The success of subways and success of metro systems which are now
• Transport Use (with emphasis vehicular tunnels continues to be seen a typical solution to urban transportation.
on infrastructure): Provides in the expansion of existing systems
for transportation tunnels and world-wide and creation of new metros Continually improving tunneling and
underground utilities, as the urban populations demand more excavation support technology adds to the
• Production Use: Extraction of rapid transportation. Road tunnels are success of urban rail systems. Advances in
underground resources, increasingly seen as a way to reduce Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Technology
• Urban Structure Use: Structure the surface impacts while maintaining a (refer to section 3.7) now allows tunneling
foundations and underground facilities vehicular traffic lifestyle. in more difficult ground conditions – even
such as shopping malls, recreational below the ground water table – with little
facilities, car parks and working space, 2.1.1 Rail Tunnels disturbance to the surface.
• Storage Use: Space for materials The availability of subway (metro) systems
best placed underground such as in many cities in the world has become Rail System Technologies
hazardous materials and energy standard since the opening of the first Urban underground rail systems use
storage, steam-powered underground railway in various technologies for power and vehicle
• Archive Use: Underground resources London in the 1860s. European cities as type. Light rail is a form of urban rail that
– archaeological and earth science a “rule-of thumb” provide underground generally has a lower capacity and lower
resources and subsurface bio-diversity. transportation when the number of speed than heavy rail systems.
residents exceeds about 500,000 people. The «term light» rail refers to modern
Some of the uses involve access by the Worldwide over 48 metro systems streetcar and tram systems with rapid
general public; others involve storage or currently exist, for over 9,000 km of transit-style features that usually use
are for protection of the materials from underground rail. electric rail cars operating underground
exposure or access. in the vicinity of downtown districts. Light
The following sections present some The advantages of a metro system are well rail systems are powered with overhead
representative examples of underground known. These include reduction of traffic catenaries, and may operate within city
solutions for urban problems. The congestion, faster travel times, less energy streets as well as underground. Heavy rail
appendix of this report provides more consumption, and other environmental systems obtain power from an electrified
Figure 13, Paris Metro Figure 14, Paris Metro Map Figure 15, High Speed Rail Line from Nuremberg
to Ingolstadt, Germany

3
2 >> P
Typical
lanningunderground
for emergencies
solutions
third rail, and must be grade separated – adapt the road network to the predicted In addition to the grade separation
either in a tunnel or through an elevated demand. At the same time the impact of allowed by tunneling, the placement of the
system. traffic on the surrounding residents has roadway – often over 50m wide for urban
been reduced. expressways, creates an opportunity for
Inter-city rail transport is the conveyance use of the surface for pedestrians, cyclists
of passengers and goods between cities Some cities have built tunnels in “ring and local transport. The community
along railways that facilitates national and roads” in order to avoid vehicles traversing especially benefits from greatly reduced
international trade and economic growth. the downtown area. A ring road in Munich noise and less air pollution combined with
Due to geographic circumstances or with its long tunnel entrance is shown new spaces, and the overall environmental
spatial necessities, certain line sections in Figure 16. Other recently completed quality is improved. The tunnel users
run in tunnels. Especially in mountainous tunnels near Paris and Madrid offer benefit from reduced travel times.
areas, certain types of tunnels, like multiple traffic Lanes – and, in the case of
helical tunnels or base tunnels have been Paris A86 tunnel, a double deck to allow The decision to build a tunnel in an
developed over the last century. two directions of travel in a single tunnel. urban area is dependent on a number of
Numerous train tunnels, which are more The list of large ring road tunnels and considerations, including the existence
than 100 years old, are still in operation direct access tunnels increases annually, of natural or man-made obstacles or
today. with large road tunnels completed, under conflicting usage, like existing subway
construction or planned in: Prague, tunnels or foundations of neighboring
Since the 1980s, the development of Melbourne, Shanghai, Tokyo, Zurich, and structures.
high speed trains, like the French TGV, other cities.
the German ICE (Figure 15), the Spanish Aerial vs. Tunnel Decisions
HSL and the Japanese Shinkansen called Tunnels on roads leading directly to In a number of US cities, for example,
for the construction of new railway lines the city centre are often dropped from Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco,
over long distances. In order to reduce consideration because of high direct the communities have been extremely
the time of travel and to improve the riding costs, safety and security concerns for disappointed by the non-sustainability
comfort, those stretches require little the operation of the tunnel as well as the of the chosen surface solutions, mainly
curvature and an extremely flat gradient. need for ventilation structures and rescue constructed in the 1950s and 60s.
These boundary conditions resulted in routes. Also, the extensive construction Giant elevated structures through
the construction of new railway tunnels process may cause major inconvenience downtown areas are now seen as
of sometimes considerable length. As rail for residents and local business. Never- unsightly, noisy, possibly unsafe, and
systems are on a fixed guideway, and are the-less, the long-term and overall benefits provide only limited access to areas
increasingly automatically operated, safety are seen to outweigh the negative and adjacent to the freeway. After a relatively
- when compared to road travel is greatly temporary impacts. For example, the short period of operation, the decision
increased. Melbourne City Link tunnel “celebrates” its makers have in many cases realized the
existence with a modern vent shaft tower. negative impacts of elevated structures
2.1.2 Road Tunnels Other locations may choose to move the and decided to favor road tunnel solutions.
Over the last few decades, many cities shafts to less obvious locations or even Earlier decisions only focused on direct
have constructed roadway tunnels to camouflage them to be less noticeable. construction costs. In order to avoid such
improve their traffic conditions and to unfavorable situations again, decision
Figure 16, Ring Road Tunnel, Petuelring, Figure 17, North and South tunnels, Caille 30, Figure 18, Road Tunnel, Caille 30, Madrid
Munich, Germany Madrid

2 >> S
Typical
afety requirements
underground in
solutions
makers should include real-estate impacts,

structural life span, and long-term
sustainability when making such choices.
In addition to the capital costs for a

proposed tunnel project, the decision
making process should also take the
following aspects into consideration:
• Advantages of underground with

respect to from health, less exposure
to noise and pollution,
• Safety measures vs risk analyses
and safety plans to be included from
Figure 19, A86, Paris Region, Upper Deck
project conception, (Photo: Cofiroute)
• Enhanced property values without
major blocking of views, visual blight
and intense noise intrusion,
Figure 20, Schematic Operation A86
• Allows more opportunity for other (Photo: Cofiroute)
uses of the at-grade space – including
green areas,
• Increased revenue for commercial
interests when public access is not
impeded by the elevated structure,
• Increased tax revenue when public
property is underground, allowing
development of the surface,
• Life-cycle cost of underground
structures are typically less than for
those exposed. The service life of
underground structures is typically
longer. A number of aerial structures
built in the 1950s in the US have
now been replaced. Meanwhile older
Figure 21, Melbourne City Link vent shaft Figure 22, Melbourne City Link
tunnels performing similar functions
are still in service,
• Safety benefits from tunnels in
seismically active environments
perform better than elevated
structures.
In summary, early planning stage studies

should include proposals for road tunnels.
Those underground solutions must not
only be judged by their initial costs, but
also by their overall long-term advantages.
In the meantime, a number of cities

have realized the need for a sustainable
approach with regard to their overall traffic
planning. Cities like Sydney, Brisbane, a) b)
Amsterdam and Shanghai have shown
that there is a need for action. Figure 23 Figure 23, Alaska Way Viaduct Today (a) and Proposed Tunnel Option (b)
shows the Alaska Way Viaduct in Seattle,
USA, today and a proposal for a suitable

3
2 >> P
Typical
lanningunderground
for emergencies
solutions
tunnel solution in the future. After seven passage below a busy city road that has Great Lakes in North America, contain the
years of studying options for replacing incorporates shops and connects the majority of this fresh surface water.
the existing viaduct (aerial structure), a existing shopping centers on both sides of
large bored tunnel is now funded and in the road with each other. Several methods to deliver and to process
intensive planning. drinking water are used today.
In road or train tunnels, pedestrian tunnels Stored freshwater from dams is distributed
2.1.3 Pedestrian and Bicycle Tunnels may support the self-rescue of the tunnel both by open channel or through pressure
Pedestrian tunnels may be used where the users in the event of an emergency and pipelines. Water from lakes and barrages,
demand of pedestrians to cross another also provide access for relief units. The or water from deep lying aquifers, is also
traffic route is high. If limiting disruption large Mt. Baker Ridge highway tunnel in used for the production of drinking water.
to highway or train traffic is the priority, Seattle Washington, US, contains space What these systems have in common, is
pedestrian tunnels represent a suitable for a pedestrian and bicycle tunnel in the that the water needs to be stored, treated,
solution. Foot tunnels have been used to upper portion of the tunnel. and distributed, which requires a large
cross rivers as well as roadways, such as network of basins, pipelines and pumping
in Greenwich, East London (see Figure 24). 2.2 Drinking Water Storage and stations.
Distribution
Often, pedestrian tunnels are being Storage
combined with other underground Access to unpolluted freshwater is a For over 2,000 years, cisterns –
structures. For example, they serve critical issue for human survival. Only three underground caverns or accessible tanks
as connecting ducts between subway percent of the water on earth is fresh, and – have been used in areas where water
platforms or even in-between neighboring about two-thirds of this is frozen in glaciers is scarce. Present day cisterns are often
stations or to help to provide barrier-free and polar ice caps. Most of the remaining only used for irrigation due to concerns
access from one building to another. water is underground and only 0.3 percent over water quality. Cisterns today can
The Koopgoot in Rotterdam, The is surface water. Freshwater lakes, most also be outfitted with filters or other water
Netherlands (Figure 25), is an underground notably Lake Baikal in Russia and the purification methods when the water is
Figure 24, Greenwich Foot Tunnel, Figure 25, Koopgoot Pedestrian Tunnel and Figure 26, Mt. Baker Ridge
East London Shopping Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Pedestrian and Bicycle tunnel
Figure 27, Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey Figure 28, Hollywood Reservoir Project, Los Angeles, US Figure 29, CSO Storage Cavern, Atlanta, Georgia,US

2 >> S
Typical
afety requirements
underground in
solutions
meant for consumption. The Basilica Michigan, by diverting storm water and
Cistern (see Figure 27) is the largest of sewage into temporary holding reservoirs
several hundred ancient cisterns that still (see Figure 31). Full completion of the
lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. system is not anticipated until 2019,
The cistern, located in the historical but substantial portions of the system
peninsula of Istanbul next to the Hagia have already opened and are currently
Sophia, was built during the reign of operational. Similar projects in the United
emperor Justinian I. in the 6th century. States include the East and Westside
CSO (Combinded Sewer Overflow)
Modern reservoirs are now being placed projects in Portland Oregon, the Custer
underground for protection of the water Avenue CSO in Atlanta, Georgia, and
against air pollution and to make the water the North Dorchester CSO in Boston,
supply more secure. Massachusetts.
2.3 Storm Water Relief and CSO

Systems
Handling the effects of storm floods is

proving to be an increasing problem for
cities as, along with development, paved
areas increase and infiltration into the
ground is reduced. Other reasons for this
increasing problem are:
• former retention areas adjacent to

stream courses have been converted Figure 30, Deep Pump Station,
Portland, Oregon, US
into populated or economically used
land,
• more intense storms attributed to
climate change are occurring.
To cope with the unfavorable effects of

Figure 32, Water Storage and Traffic
flooding, the options include: Tunnel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• recreating natural storage areas,

• improvement of the drainage capacity One of the most interesting projects with
using pipelines or tunnels, respect to multiple purpose systems is
• creation of temporary storage the SMART Tunnel project, (Stormwater
capacities (above and below ground), Management and Road Tunnel).
such that storm and sewer water may The objectives of this tunnel, which is
be treated before being discharged situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is to
into natural waterways, solve both the problem of flash floods and
• combinations of the above utilizing traffic jams during rush hour. The 9.7 km
underground space multi purpose long SMART Tunnel, put into operation
systems. in May 2007, consists of three separate
sections. During normal conditions, a
Numerous recent examples of combined 3 km long section of the upper two decks
sewer outfalls (CSOs) can be found in US is used for vehicular traffic, wheras the
cities. base section of the tunnel is used for the
transportation of water from a basin in the
In Chicago, the Tunnel and Reservoir northeast to a reservoir in the southeast. In
Plan (TARP) is a large project that aims case of an increase in storm water due to
to reduce flooding in the metropolitan a major storm incident, all three sections of
area, and to reduce the harmful effects Figure 31, Tunnel Reservoir of the TARPProject the tunnel with a diameter of 13.2 m can
of flushing raw sewage into Lake Chicago, USA be used for water storage and transport.

3
2 >> P
Typical
lanningunderground
for emergencies
solutions
The necessity for closure of the tunnel a) District heating is a system for Often, ground probes, to be inserted in
for traffic is expected to happen once distributing heat using steam (vapor) or designated bore-holes, are used to extract
or twice a year. By combining these two water – via a thermally isolated network of heat or cold from the ground.
functions, Kuala Lumpur saves money and underground pipes in densely populated Recently, a precast tunnel segment to be
space compared to building two separate areas. The heat is generated in a centralized used as a heat exchanger in tunnels or
systems (Tunnels and Tunneling, 2008). location and is predominantly used for ducts has been developed and patented.
residential heating. In deep mountainous tunnels for example,
2.4 Energy Storage and The heat is often obtained from a heat in the vicinity of a tunnel tube could
Distribution in Underground cogeneration plant burning fossil fuels or then be used to defrost nearby road
Networks increasingly from biomass. Geothermal sections during the winter period.
heating and central solar heating also
The distribution of fossil fuels and electric may be used. Simultaneous production of The usage of geothermal energy within
energy requires a sophisticated network electricity and heat is highly efficient and the first 400 m below the ground surface
of infrastructure. The availability of these offers a couple of advantages: is often referred to as near-surface
resources must be guaranteed at all times geothermal energy, whereas all activities
for urban areas. With urbanization, there • Opportunity to use waste heat from below that point are called deep-seated
is an increasing need for undergrounding industry, geothermal energy. In recent years, a great
power transmission – for safety and land • Large plants instead of many small units effort has made to extract hot water
use considerations. increase efficiency, from great depth, i.e., 5,000 m below
• Use of multi-fuel boilers minimizes the ground surface in order to produce
2.4.1 Production, Storage and effects from fluctuating fuel prices. electricity or to feed it into local district
Distribution of Energy heating systems.
In the following section, energy production, Instead of individual earth-covered pipelines,
its storage and distribution, are discussed some communities use tunnels (see Figure c) The underground can also be used as a
in terms of district heating, geothermal 34) to bundle pipelines for district heating to thermal reservoir for heating and cooling.
energy, thermal heating, hydropower, and allow easy access for maintenance. Heat from other sources, which would
fossil fuel distribtion. All of these may be otherwise be lost can be stored and used
associated with underground solutions. b) Geothermal energy results from the use later. By the same principle, environmental
The feasibility of an underground solution of the underground as a heat or cold source cold can also be stored for later cooling
depends largely on local conditions and its or as a thermal reservoir. It is well suited for applications. Underground thermal energy
purpose in combination with commercial many applications due to the available large storage is especially suitable for storing
and financial considerations. Depending on volume and the constant natural temperature larger quantities of heat or cold over longer
local boundaries such as water resources, level. periods of time. Foundations elements
appropriate geological characteristics or the Geothermal energy from the underground is such as cast-in-place piles can be made
existence of other forms of energy, most of obtained via underground heat exchangers to be very efficient in exchanging heat into
the following solutions can be applied for or by pumping groundwater. Apart from the ground or extracting it. Many major
urban areas. heating, heat pump systems can also be new office blocks are making economical
used for space cooling. use of these new developments, thereby
Figure 33, SMART Entrance Figure 34, District Heat Tunnel in Cologne, Germany Figure 35, Geothermal pile with heat exchanger
tubes attached to the reinforcement to be
incorporated in the concrete (Parriaux, 2009)

2 >> Typical underground solutions
minimizing the use of underground industrial facility for the storage of oil 9 million barrels. Set for completion by
pipe systems for long distance energy and/or petrochemical products and 2014, this project will significantly increase
transport. from which these products are usually Singapore’s storage capacity for oil without
transported to end users or further using expensive surface areas.
The Minewater Project in Heerlen, The storage/refining facilities. An oil depot
Netherlands, aims to demonstrate how the typically has tankage, either above ground Along similar lines, Helsinki, Finland,
geothermal energy, stored in the form of or underground, and gantries for the moved the storage of coal from surface
water in flooded mines can be used as a discharge of products into road tankers or to underground caverns. This move freed
safe and ecological way to heat buildings. pipelines. up valuable space at the surface for other
Amongst others, the goals of this pilot uses and allowed a nearby residential
project are: In Singapore the Jurong Rock Caverns development to proceed without the
project is underway to create a series hindrance that in the past the surface
• To supply new, «green» energy from of underground caverns, at a depth of storage of coal caused.
old mines, 120 m and a storage capacity of about
• To economically regenerate an f) Hydropower
abandoned area, Hydropower is the generation of energy
• To develop an environmental solution from the force or fall of moving water.
instead of an environmental problem. Most hydroelectric power comes from the
potential energy of water held in dammed
Cooling systems. Underground placement reservoirs. The water under pressure is
of cooling plants is now used. These large used to drive a turbine. In many areas, the
facilities prepare cooling water for turbines are situated in large underground
distribution while the underground setting caverns. To obtain a very high head,
allows placement in convenient locations i.e., the height difference between the
– for example adjacent to the Seine River upstream and the downstream water level,
in Paris, while protecting the character of water for the hydraulic turbine may pass
the locations. The Appendix features the through a steel-plated tunnel, also called a
Cooling Plant at Place du Canada, Paris, penstock. Other forms of hydropower, like
France. tidal power or pumped storage power exist
in suitable regions. All of these solutions
d) Gas Storage: Underground reservoirs comprise specific underground structures.
are an important method of storing
various gases. Three principal types are 2.4.2 Pipeline Systems
used: depleted gas reservoirs, aquifer The transport of fossil fuels, freshwater,
reservoirs and salt cavern reservoirs. sewage and electric energy through
Depleted gas reservoirs are formations Figure 36, Underground Coal underground pipelines and cables was
Storage, Helsinki, Finland (Photo:
from natural gas fields that have produced strongly developed in the 19th century.
Jorma Vilkman)
all their economically recoverable gas. Pipeline transport has proved to be an
The depleted reservoir formation is readily economical way to move pressurized
capable of holding injected natural gas. liquids and gasses over long distances,
Aquifers are underground, porous and and typically has lower cost per unit
permeable rock formations that act as and higher capacity than other means
natural water reservoirs. In some cases of transport. The potential for damage
they can be used for natural gas storage. to the facilities due to natural causes –
Underground salt formations are well or interference by humans – is greatly
suited to natural gas storage. Salt caverns mitigated by placing these pipelines
allow very little of the injected natural gas below the ground surface. On the other
to escape from storage unless specifically hand, lack of visual accessibility means
extracted. The walls of a salt cavern are that underground pipelines need more
strong and impervious to gas over the extensive remote monitoring, for instance
lifespan of the storage facility. by monitoring pressure variations. Pipeline
operators employ qualified surveyors and
e) An oil depot – sometimes called inspectors to continuously control the
a tank farm or an oil terminal – is an Figure 37, Underground Oil Storage (Wallis, 2011) performance of critical pipelines.

Figure 38, Pipeline in Trench Excavation Figure 39, Utilidor in Amsterdam under the Figure 41, Underground Trash Collection,
Mahlerlaan (Photo: H. Admiraal) Netherlands
2.4.3 Utilidors tunnel functions as a sewage main and stopped due to the establishment of the
To guarantee consumers the distribution cable tunnel for the city centre and major fax machine. To the present day, many
of fresh water, gas, district heating as well government buildings. studies have investigated the possibilities
as electricity and telecommunication in of using pipelines to transport consumer
cities, pipeline and cable systems may a) Other Underground Transport and manufactured goods.
use more complex underground solutions, The idea of using pipelines for more
for example, bundling all components in applications than just liquid and gas Another interesting example can be found
service ducts or tunnels. transport is not new. Pneumatic tubes, in Almere, the Netherlands.
for example, are systems in which Garbage disposal problems sparked
Cable tunnels carry high voltage cables cylindrical containers are propelled through interest in pipeline transport systems.
accross bodies of water, consolidate a network of tubes by compressed air An extensive network of pipelines, with
conduits, and reduce the disruption of cut or by vacuum. They can be used for a total length of about 8 kilometers now
and cover methods for individually installed transporting physical objects. Pneumatic transports the garbage out of the city.
conduits and the consequent impact on capsule transportation was originally Next to offices, shops and apartments,
city streets. invented in 1806. The Victorians were the intakes for three types of garbage (paper,
first to use capsule pipelines to transmit biological and other garbage), as shown
In Ashgabat, Turkmensistan, a cable telegraph messages, or telegrams, to in Figure 41, have been constructed.
tunnel has been combined with a large nearby buildings from telegraph stations. Using a suction method, the garbage is
scale drainage system. The drainage For example, both, Paris and Berlin had transported at a speed of 70 kilometers
system discharges excess subsurface a functioning pneumatic tube network per hour to a collection terminal, where it is
water into the nearby desert for use in an of more than 400 km in length until the divided into different containers.
irrigation project. At the same time the 1960s. Further development was then Filled containers are automatically replaced
Figure 40, Utilidor, Ashgabat,Turkmenistan

and a signal is sent to garbage trucks to 2.4.4 Deep Geological Repository

take the full containers to the incinerator. In several locations world-wide nuclear
Similar transport systems have also been power plants are located in or close to
used in Tokyo, Stockholm and Barcelona. urban areas. At these locations spent fuel
The use of this system has reduced rods are temporary stored in above ground
pollution throughout the city, and the fuel ponds. These storage locations could
absence of garbage trucks has reduced also be located below ground, reducing
sound and smell nuisance. the possible environmental impact.
b) Future Concepts For more permanent storage of spent fuel,

«CargoCap» is a safe and economical the deep geological repository concept
way to carry goods quickly and on time in has been developed. This involves the
congested urban areas by underground placement of long-lived radioactive
transportation pipelines. waste in rooms excavated deep within
Figure 43, Waste Isolation Pilot Project Caverns, US
This innovative concept, which is currently stable, low-permeability bedrock. The
under development, is the outcome of the combination of waste package, engineered
interdisciplinary collaboration in research seals and bedrock would provide a several countries. In Germany, there is
and development at the Ruhr University high level of long-term safety, without a political debate about the search for
of Bochum, Germany. The system is relying on on-going future maintenance. a final repository for radioactive waste,
independent from aboveground traffic Common elements of potential repository accompanied by loud protests – especially
congestion and weather conditions. systems include the radioactive waste, in the Wendland area, which was seen
A model is displayed in Figure 42. Each the containers enclosing the waste, the ideal for the final repository until 1990.
vehicle, the so called «cap», is designed tunnels housing the containers, and the This location is currently used for the
for the transportation of two euro-pallets. geologic makeup, or type of rock, of the temporary storage of nuclear waste.
Euro-pallets represent the majority of the surrounding area. There is also a proposal for an international
general inner-European cargo transport, repository in optimum geology – Australia
and can thus be directed through pipelines The process of selecting appropriate or Russia are possible locations.
with a diameter of about 1.6 m. deep final repositories is under way in
Since urban areas are becoming more

crowded and polluted, it seems only a
matter of time before more new ideas
will be transferred into reality. When
shops and offices could be supplied with
goods via the underground, pollution and
traffic congestion in cities can be greatly
reduced, resulting in a better quality of
life and an improvement of the work
environment.
Figure 42, «CargoCap» Concept

2.5 Community Development and one of the sites of the Lillehammer Winter both the surface and underground public
Improvement Olympics Games in 1994 and houses up and commercial spaces to thrive (Belanger,
to 6,000 visitors. The hall is today used 2007). Architectural design, focusing on
The charm of a city centre is closely for sport and cultural events. The Louvre human psychological needs like sufficient
related with the existence of leisure time in Paris, France, and the extension of light, air, and social safety has created
facilities and public green spaces. the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The underground worlds in metropolitan areas.
Urban centers for shopping, entertainment, Netherlands, both possess underground
dining and social events are seen as key exhibition space.
for “quality of life” in urban areas.
These factors attract people to stay and Caverns, tunnels, subway facilities
live in the city centre areas. and others that were originally built for
one single designated purpose have
2.5.1 Underground Cultural and occasionally been converted into cultural
Amusement Facilities facilities. The so called «Kunstraum» in
Due to limited space in downtown areas, Munich, Germany, is an art-gallery which
some cities have expanded their cultural revitalizes an unused section of Munich’s
facilities into the underground. subway next to a principal subway station.
Since no eye-catching historic or The music club «Substage» in Karlsruhe,
challenging exhibition building is apparent Germany, uses a former pedestrian
from street level at first glance, these underpass for rock concerts, parties
places may need additional promotion and other cultural events. In Düsseldorf,
or benefit from ongoing word-of-mouth Germany, an art-gallery, named «KIT»,
or active advertising. Cultural facilities has opened its doors in a dormant space
revitalize downtown areas and improve the between the bores of a road tunnel.
quality of life.
Throughout the world, many major
Some remarkable examples include the underground shopping malls in
Philharmonics in Cologne, Germany, combination with restaurants, cafés, and
where performances are below the earth’s cinemas open their doors daily. The first
surface right next to the world-heritage site large center, the so called «Underground Environmental Control
of the Gothic Cathedral. Graz, the capital City», was constructed in Montreal, In Bailly village (North of Burgundy, Yonne
of the federal state of Stryria in Austria Canada (Figure 45). Later, cities like department), a previous stone quarry
accommodates an event hall chiseled Seoul, Beijing, Moscow, Toronto, Tokyo, comprising 4 hectares of galleries, 50 m
into a mountain below the castle («Dom Singapore and others adopted this below ground level, was first reused as a
im Berg», Figure 44). The facility is used concept. Especially where unfavorable mushroom bed (1927-1972) and then as
for multiple events and offers a volume climate conditions exist, planners have cellars, thanks to its very good location in
of 6,700 m³. The world’s largest arena chosen to go underground. In Toronto, a vineyard region, its natural humidity and
excavated in rock can be found in Gjøvik, Canada, the underground system of constant temperature.
Norway. The Gjøvik Olympic Hall was tunnels and shops is credited with allowing
Figure 44, “Dom im Berg”, Graz, Austria Figure 45, Underground City, Montreal Figure 46, Bailly village Cellars, France
(Photo: Gilles Puech)

2.5.2 Underground Parking Further reduction in underground space 2.6 Living and Working
An underground parking garage is a needs may be realized by automatic multi-
building or part of a building, which is storey car parking garages. These provide Humans generally prefer to live and work
designed specifically for automobile lower building costs per parking slot, under the influence of sunlight and fresh
parking situated below the ground surface. as they typically require less building air. Nevertheless, due to extreme climatic
It is usually accessed via a ramp on the volume and less ground area than a conditions, and limited resources for
street floor level and consists of one or conventional facility with the same heating and cooling, some places require
more parking levels. In many cities in capacity. However, the cost of the underground housing solutions.
the world, it is now standard to use the mechanical equipment within the building In other instances, lack of surface space
underground space in central areas for that is needed to transport cars internally has meant looking for additional space to
parking garages instead of a high rise car needs to be added to the lower building be placed underground – especially when
park. Figure 47 illustrates the Post Office cost to determine the total costs. Other the existing building may have historic
Square in Boston, USA, demonstrating an costs are usually lower, too, for example designations or significant appearance.
obvious improvement of the downtown there is no need for as much energy
quality. A similar example in Marseilles intensive ventilating systems, since cars 2.6.1 Underground Housing
illustrates the beautification of the public are not driven inside and human cashiers A life of comfort and safety is the perpetual
space by placing the parking structures or security personnel may not be needed. desire of humanity. To achieve this desire,
underground, Figure 48. The driver leaves the car in an entrance suitable space is required for dwellings.
module. It is then transported to a parking However, fulfilling this need for suitable
slot by a robot trolley. For the driver, the space is becoming more and more
process of parking is reduced to leaving difficult in many areas of the world due
the car inside an entrance module. to a growing shortage of urban land.
Underground housing offers an energy
conserving, low environmental impact form
of shelter that can be appropriate in some
climates and environmentally sensitive
areas. This being said, it is well known that
many people have negative feelings about
spending extended periods underground
due to lack of sunlight, poor ventilation
and air quality, a high level of humidity,
lack of orientation, or an association
with darkness, coldness and dampness.
Technical solutions for these problems do
exist, however, such as air conditioning,
ventilation, light shafts, glass floors and
proper lighting conditions.
a) before b) after
Figure 47, Post Office Square Parking, Boston, USA – 1960s (a) and Post Office Square Today (b)
a) before b) after
Figure 48, Parking Garage Marseilles, France Figure 49, Terraced Earth Sheltered Housing on
Steeply Sloping Hillside, France

The advantages of underground living size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility The decision making process involved in
offers additional benefits when compared is located underground on the east side the planning, funding and construction
to living in traditional buildings, including a of the Capitol so as not to detract from of major infrastructure across the globe
nearly constant comfortable temperature the appearance of the Capitol and of is dependent on many factors, most
without the need for additional insulation, the grounds designed by Frederick Law importantly:
quiet, resistance to hurricanes, tornadoes Olmsted in 1874.
and most weapon systems and the • Financing and funding aspects,
unobtrusiveness of such buildings on the 2.6.3 Underground Manufacturing and • Designated function of the facility,
landscape. One of the greatest advantages Special Facilities • Type and jurisdiction of owner,
is energy efficiency. The stable subsurface Many human activities or consequences of • Market sector (transportation, water,
temperature of the earth saves energy such activities are best placed underground utilities, other),
costs. Additionally, the noise insulation of for the protection of the environment and • Legal and administrative process,
the surrounding earth makes underground specialized equipment. • Authority granted to the lead agency,
homes exceptionally quiet, and with a • Number and role of every stakeholder,
smaller surface area, fewer facing materials The underground may be suitable for • Owner status: public or private.
are used. However, underground living in manufacturing, laboratories or scientific
flat areas can be easily affected by flooding facilities. Such facilities can be constructed How the process and factors are managed
and waterproofing and moisture control in the underground for obvious standard within individual countries, as well as within
are key design and operations issues in reasons like safety, fire protection, protection localities, varies markedly, but the principal
underground buildings. from severe weather, reduced noise and steps involved in remain:
vibration, energy savings, and other special
2.6.2 Office and Public Facilities reasons such as shielding of the surface • Recognition of the purpose and need
A number of international facilities have from radiation. for the infrastructure for concept
been placed underground to allow justification and development,
access to and additional space under the Worldwide, a number of nuclear research • Planning and preliminary engineering:
important building while allowing facilities, operate large underground to define scope, feasibility, and
un-obscured views of the building. structures like particle accelerators. preliminary budget definition,
Well known examples include the For example, the Large Hadron Collider • Implementation: including strategies
expansion of the Louvre museum in (Figure 52) which is run by the European for project delivery, procurement,
Paris, France, the Smithsonian Museum Organization for Nuclear Reseach is packaging, engineering, cost
in Washington, DC, US, and the US contained in a circular tunnel with a estimate, financing strategies,
Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). In the case circumference of 27 kilometres at a depth • Implementation and Construction:
of the CVC, it is seen as an extension of ranging from 50 to 175 metres below the including contract terms and
the Capitol Building that welcomes over ground surface. The 3.8 metre diameter, definitions of roles, risk allocation and
1,000,000 visitors per year to the seat of concrete-lined tunnel crosses the border sharing strategies, and construction
American government. between Switzerland and France four times. approaches.
At nearly 54,000 m2, the CVC is the largest Surface buildings hold ancillary equipment
project in the Capitol’s 215-year history such as compressors, ventilation equipment,
and is approximately three quarters the control electronics and refrigeration plants.
Figure 50, Earth Sheltered Housing in a National Figure 51, US Capital Visitors Center Figure 52, Section of the Large Hadron
Park District, UK (architect Arthur Quarnby) Collider Tunnel

Decision- making is involved throughout industry stands frustrated on the sidelines. The decision making process may take
the process at key milestones and may several to many years to complete – as
be as simple as a review and comment Even in the absence of misinformation, illustrated in Figure 53 below. Identification
of a draft planning or engineering the decision about whether to solve urban of the need – faster travel time, capacity of
document, to the assessment of project problems with underground solutions is sewerage system, etc. – is followed by the
risks and their allocation among project usually complex. It depends on a large evaluation of alternatives and their relative
partners, to the ultimate project funding number of aspects which should all be costs, evaluation of environmental impacts
and approval. Projects and managers taken into account including: and benefits. In the decision making
must evolve with the project over time to process, a combination of factors drive
satisfy the constraints and apply adaptive • Social - aspects concerning people the decision to go underground – or not –
management strategies to assist in and their preferences, and depending on the weight that various
progressing the program and helping the • Safety and security issues, factors are given, different solutions can be
decision makers. • Aesthetic needs – visual and reached. Examples of the various factors
architectural impacts of the solution, are given in the following sections.
It is important at the outset of a project • Ecological impacts –those aspects
that the program requirements are concerning the environment,
clearly defined, the constraints identified • Legal issues – including regulatory
to facilitate the early planning and and zoning aspects,
preliminary engineering stages and that • Economic and cost considerations,
the information is provided to justify or • Technical – related to the possible
disqualify the project to the managers and construction techniques and risks
ultimately the political leaders. Distribution, involved.
discussion, and transparency of project
information to all stakeholders throughout The focus during the decision making
the life of the project is key to unfettered process may be somewhat less concerned
implementation. with technical details and more on
In the absence of information, stakeholders strategic aspects of urban planning, may
are left to speculate and frequently this they be of social, economical, ecological
can result in inadvertent dissemination of or aesthetic background. Nevertheless, the
misinformation. technical aspects cannot be discounted
from any discussion of underground
It is also important at the outset of the construction. A general perception exists
project for the managers to have a clear that the risks in underground construction
sense of the entire organisational network are higher than those of other construction
including the constituent stakeholders to methods and that, partly through the
understand the communications network higher risk and uncertainty involved, the
and information needs to assist each of direct building costs of any underground
the decision makers. solution will be substantially higher.
This Chapter addresses the various
History shows that the best information aspects of underground construction and
and the best prices are not often what is considerations in the decision making and
used in the public discourse leading up evaluation of underground solutions.
to public decisions about infrastructure
alternatives. In an urban environment
the answers are should be clear but the
transitional edge cities and suburban
areas are gray areas where the debate to
go underground is often waged, loudly by
stakeholders. Voices of the proponents
and opponents may not be those of
the designers or the estimators, but of
the stakeholders representatives, who
frequently present information that is
unclear, confusing or misleading while the Figure 53, Flow Chart – Typical Transit Project

3 >> Decision making process
3.1 Social Aspects amongst others. Some of the social • Noise, vibration and other impact on
factors addressed in this chapter that the environment.
Underground solutions may play an have a direct impact on the choice for Barriers to movement: An example of
important role in social aspects of project underground solutions are: a structure that negatively impacts the
development. The achievement of an community is any elevated transportation
environmentally-friendly development • Construction impacts and other system – roadway, rail line, pipeline, etc.
should be considered during the decision temporary conditions affecting the These structures can significantly impact
making process. This can encompass a community, a community by impeding access to
reduction of pollution or noise nuisance, • Structures dividing a community; residences and businesses.
the efficient use of space, economic • Development potential of the area; These impacts can result from the
development, the preservation of the • Other uses of the space, for example combination of a constrained corridor,
living environment, public health or safety, recreation, chronic traffic congestion, and land
ownership patterns that constrain
property redevelopment. The result
can be a degradation of the physical
environment, with passage across the
transit corridor permitted perhaps only
at intervals along the right-of-way or at
stations.
This can also cause businesses or
residents to relocate, perhaps “down-
market”, with the structure creating a
physical barrier to movement of people
and vehicles between communities on
either side, with economic impacts to
the adjacent communities. Noise and
pollution from combustion engines also
reduces property values around the
structure. Elevated structures in the
wrong corridor or location can create
physical as well as visual separation and
may blight frontage properties (ITA WG
N°13, 2003).
3.1.1 Land Use

Underground solutions often offer better
Figure 54, Toronto Metro development options. Well planned
subway systems, road tunnels,
underground parking, and underground
cultural facilities, for example, allow more
effective use of the area above
ground. This maximizes the prospects
for intensification of land use where
accessibility is at a premium and it offers
the prospect of development gain.
These potential benefits depend upon
effective planning to be realized in
practice.
Parks and Open Space: A related

aspect is that underground solutions
can help to create or retain local
Figure 55, ‘Alaskan Way Viaduct between Figure 56, ‘Alaskan Way Viaduct – impact on recreation possibilities, such as parks
downtown and waterfront adjacent properties and other open spaces. These can be a

determining factor in the decision making The increased land values that result 3.1.2 Noise Impact
process, as the social implications are from an underground solution, freeing Certainly, the amount of noise generated
considerable. Figure 57 illustrates the up the surface area, is conceptually a by traffic or industry can be an important
public use of the Rhine Embankment straightforward analysis. Similarly, as the issue in the decision making process. The
Boulevard, Dusseldorf, Germany, an benefits of removing physical barriers noise associated with elevated structures
inner-city area that was previously from the community and increasing the in urban environments is problematic and
devoted to automobile traffic, and is now development potential of that area are self the social acceptance of noise in urban
used for public space and enjoyment of evident. However, clear financial examples environments is decreasing. It is clear that
the waterfront. are difficult to access. the impact of noise to the environment is
It is even harder to put a monetary value substantially reduced with underground
These elements are clearly illustrated on the reduction in noise and vibrations construction.
when elevated systems (freeways that an underground solution can provide
and parking garages) are removed (see Section 3.6 for more details). Similarly, vibration can be a significant
and replaced as in the cases of the These analyses are becoming more issue in the case of underground solutions,
Boston Central Artery, Boston; the Post common and have successfully been particularly where the alignment is under a
office square, Marseille, France; the conducted for most subway projects that historic center with important, old buildings
Embarcadero Freeways, San Francisco or might have considered at-grade or aerial or is located near sensitive facilities
the Madrid Ring Road. systems, and are also more commonly such as hospitals, research centers or
applied for roadways including the Alaskan universities. Measures to reduce vibration
Way Viaduct, described above, and a to acceptable levels are available, at some
number of roadways in Europe and Asia incremental cost (usually small) (ITA, WG
including the Madrid Ring Road and the N°13, 2003). Even without additional
A86, Paris. measures, the impact of vibration of an
underground solution is often less than
that of an above-ground solution.
3.2 Safety and Security
Although underground facilities can be

seen in a negative light when safety and
security are considered, in most cases
they are better protected from external
threats and natural hazards than surface
facilities. On the other hand they do need
more attention with regard to fires and
other internal risks during their design and
operation. If properly managed, however,
these risks can remain comparable to that
of surface and elevated structures.
a) b)
3.2.1 Smoke and Fires
In particular, the threat of fires has been
highlighted in the recent past by a number
of well publicized incidents, such as the
Feb. 2003 incident in the Taegu metro
station in Seoul, South Korea. An arson
attempt led to a fire in a metro carriage,
which produced great amounts of smoke
in the metro station. The smoke hindered
escape attempts of passengers from the
station platforms, prevented fire fighters
from quickly entering the station and also
prevented a second train from entering the
Figure 57, Rhine Embankment, Dusseldorf, Germany, 1970s (a) and Rhine Embankment Today (b) station where the fire occurred.

The fact that the second train remained 3.2.3 Terrorist Attacks facilities, but also are including new
in the running tunnel, and that the metro Since the sarin gas attack in Tokyo’s designs to protect the facilities against
carriages contained large amounts of subway system in 1995, the safety and excessive loads, including explosions
combustible material contributed greatly to security of tunnels and underground (Munfah, 2009). Understanding the impact
the 192 casualties. facilities against malicious attacks have of a blast on the tunnel structure and
The fire risk can be mitigated to a large been serious concerns. its systems enables the development of
extent during the design phase. Design Subsequent attacks heightened this countermeasures that can be implemented
criteria can be developed to purge smoke concern and made it of critical importance on existing tunnels to strengthen them or
from the system in a number of scenarios, to transportation facility owners, law can be implemented as part of the design
depending on the location of the fire: enforcement agencies, and the public. of a new tunnel or underground facility.
Tunnel, station, platform or concourse Countermeasures for the protection of Specific Design concepts are reported
levels. Train operations also can be underground structures include many elsewhere, such as (Munfah, 2009) and
controlled to ensure that there is adequate of those being undertaken for all public (TRB 2006).
separation between oncoming trains and
fires. For example, the Amsterdam North
South Line has a “safe haven” concept,
whereby a train can only enter the running
tunnels if sufficient platform space is
available at the next station or emergency
exit, preventing trains getting stuck in the
running tunnels. This is combined with an
absence of easily combustible materials in
the carriages.
Development of metro carriage interiors in

the Paris and other metros world wide has
led to the use materials that do not ignite at
gasoline combustion temperatures, thereby
not contributing to the fire load (smoke and
heat) in case of fires. Success of the new
materials in use is demonstrated in that in
1975 a Paris metro fire led to the loss of
several carriages, but a similar fire load in
2002 did not spread outside a 1m2 area Figure 58, Earthquake Damage surface Structure, Chile (Wallis, 2010)
and self-extinguished (Marchais, 2009).
3.2.2 Earthquakes Table 4, Summary of Recent Earthquakes and Impact on Metros

When natural hazards such as earthquakes
Earthquake Date Magnitude Impact on Subway
are considered, underground facilities
are most often better protected without Mexico City 1985 8,1 No damage to tunnels.
additional measures than their surface Some power disruption.
counterparts. The lower levels of ground Patrons evacuated safely
motion away from the ground surface and Loma Prieta (SF) 1989 6,9 No damage to tunnels. Subway ser-
the constraining effect from the surrounding ved as lifeline structure.
soil contributes to the safety and stability in
this case. Northridge 1994 6,7 No damage
With the development of seismic codes, Kobe, Japan 1995 7,2 No damage to tunnels, damage to
subways are now considered very safe station and sewer pipes. Attributed
in earthquakes. Examples are listed in to 1962 design with moderate seismic
Table 4 below. Most recently, in 2010 in provision
the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile,
Taipei 2002 6,8 No damage
surface roads and public transport suffered
extensive damage, but the Santiago metro Chile 2010 8,8 Running next day. Some damage at
system was virtually undamaged. entrance to station

3.3 Aesthetics is a good example how underground underground construction can have an
structures and architectural features can influence on the environment, including
The visual and aesthetic impact is often meet. With proper design an underground effects on soil, water, air, climate, fauna,
the major quoted reason for deciding to solution can be an aesthetic highlight in flora and their living space, cultural assets
relocate infrastructure to the underground. itself. as well as on human beings. In the
Compared to above ground solutions, decision making process, the stakeholders
like elevated structures, an underground 3.4 Ecological and need information on the environmental
structure would not impact on the visual Environmental Aspects consequences of their decisions.
image and character of the environment. It is therefore necessary to assess
This may be important to hide unattractive Underground space utilization can environmental effects of underground
technical facilities in sensitive locations help solve environmental and resource structures in the decision making process
or when industrial facilities must be sited dilemmas in several ways. and observe them during the construction
adjacent to residential areas. Underground facilities are typically energy and operation phases.
This might also be important for the efficient in their own right. The natural
preservation of natural landscapes. insulation provided by the soil regulates the Some of the environmental impacts of
The increasing requirement for all utility temperature within the construction and underground structures are:
services to be placed underground thereby reduces the need for heating or
stems essentially from visual impact cooling, lowering the energy consumption • Air pollution due to construction
considerations and concerns about when compared to surface constructions. equipment,
protection against the elements. Over time the higher cost of construction • Effects on the groundwater level,
Underground solutions can also fulfill may be compensated for by savings • Pollution and treatment of
architectural requirements as shown in in power and the alternative use of the groundwater,
Figure 61. The Canary Wharf Station surface. • Excavation of polluted material;
• Waste water originating from the
More importantly, by using underground construction,
space, higher urban densities can be • Pollution of surface water,
supported with less impact on the local • Use and displacement of (natural)
environment. In addition to the obvious resources.
benefit of preserving green space and
agricultural land, higher urban density Of these effects, only air pollution and
can lower fuel resource consumption effects on the groundwater are discussed
by containing sprawl. Underground in detail, as these are of ongoing
development will be an important tool in importance. The other effects are mostly
reshaping our urban areas to meet the limited to the construction phase and differ
challenges of the future without destroying little for above-ground or underground
their heritage or worsening their surface construction techniques. A brief discussion
environment. (Esaki, 2005) of cut-and-cover methods is mentioned
further below as this method may be
Figure 59, Wine Caves for Storage at controlled
temperature
During the construction phase, however, particularly disruptive.
Figure 60, Underground Architecture Figure 61, Canary Wharf Station, London

3.4.1 Air Quality will depend on the background tunnel exit portals will also be diminished
Air pollution in the vicinity of underground concentrations, the air pollution from road when a transverse ventilation system
solutions can be generated, during the tunnels will be concentrated around the is installed with a separate ventilation
construction phase, by emissions coming tunnel exit portals. Models are available shaft. The cost of these systems must
from machines to build the structure and, that can predict emissions and be weighed against a system without
during the operation phase, by the engine concentrations based on traffic intensity, the tunnel, and the dispersion of the
exhaust of traffic using the underground type of traffic, average speed, etc, so contaminants, along with the energy use of
structure. that emission concentrations can be the scrubbers and disposal of the filtered
During tunnel construction the air pollution predicted and arrangements to reduce the material.
around the tunnel exit portals is mainly concentration can be made. In Norway,
caused by exhaust gas from combustion the Laerdal Tunnel, high air quality in 3.4.2 Water
of fuel for electric power generators, tunnel the tunnel is achieved by ventilation and Effects on the groundwater level can
boring machines and other equipment. purification. As with all long road tunnels, occur when an underground structure
In addition, excavation of dry tunnels can fans draw air along the tunnel. is built in groundwater bearing layers
generate dust. Several measures may be This tunnel is equipped with an air or groundwater lowering is used during
applied to minimize concentrations on treatment plant, located in a 100 meters construction. Above-ground constructions
vulnerable construction sites. wide cavern that removes both dust and will interact with groundwater levels to a
For instance electric powered equipment nitrogen dioxide from the tunnel air. Dust lesser degree during operation, although
can be used, that at least moves the and soot are removed by electrostatic the influence during the construction
emissions from the construction site to filters and a large carbon filter can remove phase might be the same as an
the power station. Also, low emission excess nitrogen dioxide (Brekke, 2001). underground solution, depending on the
engines, exhaust purification catalysts and construction method used.
particle filters can be used to lower the In the operating phase an underground Geology and groundwater regime are of
air pollution, and improved logistics, work structure is often a better solution to course key factors in the considerations
and route planning can lower the overall prevent air pollution caused by traffic than about the construction options for
fuel consumption on site. Dust mitigation a surface structure since the pollution is (in underground solutions. The construction of
measures include sectioned off work case of tunnel structures) restricted to the a tunnel, for example, can induce changes
areas, plastic strip doors and water mist immediate vicinity of the tunnel ventilation in the groundwater level depending on the
curtains. outlets and the tunnel exit portals. local geology and groundwater regime,
Here, it is possible to install purification the choice of construction methods and
During the operations phase air pollution is facilities to remove exhaust gases and dust the design of the tunnel. Such changes in
mainly caused by the engine exhaust from particles from the air before it is released groundwater levels can affect:
traffic. Although the actual concentrations to the environment. The pollution of the
• soil stability, causing subsidence of
soil and settlements of buildings and
other man made structures,
• water supplies, by drying of wells or
removal of potential resources for
water supplies,
• habitats, by desiccation of wetlands;
• agriculture and forestry, as desiccation
of land can cause changes in
productivity. The effect can both be
negative or positive depending on
drainage of agricultural land.
Pollution of the groundwater can occur

during underground construction if a
spill or loss of chemical compounds to
surrounding groundwater occurs,
if such chemical agents are used in the
construction work. Similarly, fuels and
other substances from the machinery
Figure 62, ‘Ventilation shaft carbon scrubbers (Picture: Sydney Water) could leak into the groundwater. Spills can

also happen when existing installations techniques, the only impact at surface
in the soil are damaged by accident. level are the portals, access shafts or
This includes leakage from sewers or entrances, where significant space may
of coating oil from heavy power supply be needed during construction. Such
cables. The problems arising from these solutions do not generally disrupt or
types of spill are not different from influence the quality of life to the extent
other kind of construction works, but it that other (above-ground) solutions
should be stressed that deep excavation would. An exception is tunnels built from
and underground work in many cases the surface in open trenches, which are
makes the groundwater more vulnerable, only closed after the entire construction
because the covering soil is removed. is finished (so-called cut-and-cover
That is especially the case in areas where constructions). However, even in the case
groundwater is a resource for water of cut-and-cover, temporary decking can
supply. be placed to allow traffic to pass while
work goes on below.
During the operational phase, spills,
for example from fuels transports, can According to ITA WG N°13, when making
occur, but these accidents are not the choice for urban mass transit systems
expected to pollute the groundwater but it is safe to say (in case of mass transit
primarily the drain water system. systems like a metro) that the most
In this respect, they may be even better disruptive construction method is cut-and-
contained when compared to similar cover construction, which is often used
accidents above-ground. for underground subway stations and
sometimes for the line structures which Figure 65, Maintaining trees during the construction of
Considering that above-ground solutions connect the stations (ITA WG N°13, 2003). an underground car park, Champs Elysees Avenue, Paris
have nearly similar impacts on the Significantly less disruption is caused by
environment (although the character and elevated or above-ground constructions,
the intensity of impacts may differ), these since construction is primarily at the business and other indirect costs are
aspects must be kept in mind during the column locations of given routes. considered, cost may be reduced overall.
decision making process and at the end However, above-ground station structures Such indirect costs include loss of profit
a comparison between underground and have a significant impact during for nearby businesses, increased travel
above-ground solutions has to be made. construction (and the final structure has cost due to road disruptions, but also rise
long-term visual and noise impact). or fall of property values due to extended
3.4.3 Disruption during Construction The least disruptive method is tunneling construction works.
As noted above, the focus during the for line structures and mining techniques
decision making process may be less for stations. The major disadvantage Progress has been made in cut-and-cover
concerned with technical aspects, such of these techniques is an increase of construction methods, especially in the area
as the construction techniques used. construction costs, although when the of ground support (slurry or precast walls,
For many underground construction costs of economic disruption to adjacent grouting, and anchors).
But the efficiency of these construction
methods is significantly reduced by the
constraints resulting from underground
congestion due to the presence of
numerous utility networks and the more and
more severe environmental requirements.
In addition, cut-and-cover methods are
encountering growing resistance from local
inhabitants, because of the disturbances
and nuisances caused by major excavations
undertaken in such congested areas. This
illustrates that the construction technique
used to realize an underground solution
can have a significant influence on its social
Figure 63, ‘Precast concrete decking with Figure 64, Cut and Cover Construction within Street, New impact and should not be overlooked.
excavation ongoing below York City

(see Figure 66). Local regulations actually It is not only that underground solutions
prohibited building the houses above the can help and influence the decision making
road, a solution that would have further process in offering alternative solutions
increased the number of houses that could for urban problems, it can also be that the
be realized in the area. political process drives which underground
This example shows that underground constructions are possible. An example is
solutions can solve zoning problems, and the extension of the Madrid metro system,
at the same time can be hindered by local where the extension phases of the metro
regulations. are timed to coincide with the 4 year terms
of the city council.
Apart from zoning, laws and legal
restrictions do exist in many legalities that The planning period for a new metro
prohibit building under existing structures extension directly proceeds the elections,
that are not publicly owned. such that directly after elections the
Such laws can severely limit the necessary political decisions can be taken.
possibilities for underground solutions Building can start directly after and (part of)
and will need to be considered during the lines can be taken into operation
the decision making phase. Although in during the term.
many cases buildings or lands can be
expropriated, this will add additional cost As this example shows in Figure 67,
to the underground solution, which has to underground solutions can be included
be weighed against the benefits of mixed in the decision making process easily,
land use, for example. if the underground is considered at an
Figure 66, Sytwende Ring Road and City Extension, early stage. Unfortunately, this is still not a
The Netherlands On the other hand, when expropriation common scenario. When the underground
is impossible or severely restricted, space is taken into consideration only on
both above ground and underground an ad-hoc basis, the risk exists that users
3.5 Decision Making Process and solutions are limited, and extending use the underground on a first come – first
Legal Aspects public transport and services will soon served basis, and thereby block future
become next to impossible. In Japan for possibilities and an optimal use of both
Various legal aspects can influence the instance the uncontrolled rapid expansion above ground and underground space
decision making process for underground of underground space use combined (ITACUS, 2010). An early view of the value
solutions. Underground solutions will leave with limited expropriation possibilities led of underground space, combined with
the surface area open for other uses, to a situation where metro extensions reservations for future use, such as the
allowing for multiple use of land in densely below publicly owned land had become City of Helsinki makes, facilitates the future
developed areas. This intensive use of land too restrictive due to extensive urban decision making process and keeps future
can ease the decision making process, as growth. To open up future expansion options open.
it allows multiple functions to be combined possibilities government passed the Deep
in the same area. In this way, it is often Underground Utilization Act in 2001 that
possible to conform to zoning plans and basically expropriates all ground 40 m
solve urban problems at the same time below the surface (MLIT, 2008).
and in the same location.
Restrictive zoning plans or other
regulations may not allow mixed use of
land in all cases, which would hinder
underground solutions from developing
their full potential.
An example is the Sytwende land tunnel

in the Netherlands, where a long-term
conflict between city extension and ring
road development has been solved by
completely enclosing a new road and
building houses almost on top of the road Figure 67, Decision Making Process

3.6 Economics life cycle cost analysis, considering the 3.6.1 Life Cycle Costs Analysis
following: Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a
The fact that the initial capital cost of method for assessing the total cost of a
underground projects is often significantly • Construction costs, construction project. It takes into account
higher than for elevated or above-ground • Costs of operation, all costs of construction, operating,
solutions in most cases ultimately leads • Maintenance costs, maintenance and disposal of a building
to the less expensive option. However, • Disposal costs, or building system. LCCA is especially
selection of an alternative only on the • Surface use and land cost. useful when project alternatives that fulfill
basis of initial capital cost may be the same performance requirements, but
misleading and in many cases precludes As well as an analysis of benefits. An differ with respect to initial costs, operating
the realization of very substantial long-term example of the influence of surface use costs and maintenance costs, have to be
benefits. and land cost is the underground sewage compared in order to select the one that
treatment plant «Dokhaven» in the centre maximizes savings. The LCCA should be
Considering that underground solutions of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. performed early in the design process
have long-term benefits like lower life The original plans of the water board called while there is still a chance to refine the
cycle costs due to longer durability when for three separate sewage treatment plants design to ensure a reduction in life-cycle
compared to above-ground projects, the above ground at different locations, which costs (LCC). Figure 69 shows possible life
underground alternative can return more would also involve a costly restructuring cycle costs.
benefits during its life time. Therefore, of the entire sewer network in the city.
the true cost of an underground solution By constructing a single treatment plant It is generally true that the construction
should be evaluated, not in terms of initial underground in an old harbor dock, costs of underground solutions are greater
capital cost, but in terms of life cycle substantial savings in direct cost were than elevated or surface facilities.
costs, benefits considering the longer possible and a restructuring of the sewer This was already documented in (ITA WG
service life underground solutions as well network was not necessary. At the same N°13). The cost of an underground mass
as their contribution to the environment time this opened up the former brownfield transit system was reported around 4.5
and sustainability. In order to achieve this location and surrounding areas. times higher than a surface construction
goal, a long-range cost-benefit analysis, Since 1987 the area has been redeveloped and 2.25 times higher than an elevated
where the initial capital is only a part of into a modern and vibrant living quarter, construction (in case of an urban mass
the total financial commitment, has to be distinctly increasing the property values for transit system). As shown before the bare
performed (Parker and Reilly, 2008). In a large neighbourhood. initial cost comparison is not reasonable
such an analysis, a consideration of all as it should include costs during operation
direct and indirect costs is necessary. The and replacement costs. In most cases
cost-benefit analysis should include the operating costs for lighting, ventilation,
Figure 68, Madrid Metro Planning and Expansion

Figure 69, Life Cycle Cost Considerations Figure 70, Planning estimates for Subway vs. Aerial
Structures, Los Angeles Subway
Where urban property values are

increasing, the capital cost of underground
construction can be competitive with the
above ground option – when mitigations
for property impacts and replacement
of traffic lanes and parking are taken
into account. In a proper LCCA such
costs, as well as future benefits must be
considered. Such future benefits attributed
to underground projects should include:
• Valuable surface space will be

untouched or made available again
(land cost savings),
• Road user time savings (in case of
road tunnels),
• Public transport user time savings
Figure 71, Tunnel Project Phases: (in case of urban mass transit system),
Accumulated Cost and Corresponding Influence on Cost (PIARC)
• Pedestrian time savings,
• Accident reduction,
communications and safety systems In order to decrease costs during the
• Increased property values and tax
will be higher for underground solutions. operation phase a long-term strategy
revenues,
Maintenance costs could be the same or should already exist during the design. As
• Reduction of noise impacts,
even less than for an elevated structure. shown in Figure 71, the influence on costs
• Improvement of air quality,
However, considering the generally much is enormous during the planning phase
• Improvement of the architectural
longer useful service life of underground but declines to a minimum in the operating
quality of urban environment,
constructions, the overall life time costs phase. The other way around occurs
• Improvement of safety and security in
might be lower. with the accumulated costs: these costs
urban environment.
are at a minimum in the planning phase
and increase many times over during the
It is a fact that long term benefits such as
operation phase.
increased economic activity and urban
development potential are frequently not
included in making the choice of whether
to go underground or above ground.

3.7 Technical Aspects • The development of new and 3.8 “Mega Projects”
innovative methods and equipment for
As this paper focuses on the decision geological exploration, monitoring and No paper on the benefits of underground
making process much more than the decision support systems, significantly space use would be complete without
construction process, technical aspects lowering the risk of unknown some discussion of Mega projects that
of underground construction are not dealt geological conditions, have achieved notoriety due to the scale,
with in great detail. Only a short overview • The application of new cutting cost and duration of construction.
of topics which could be interesting technologies in mechanized tunneling,
during the decision making process is increasing the excavation speed and Especially large scale projects costing
given. In order to decide whether to build lowering the costs, millions to billions of Euros are open
underground or above ground a feasibility • Continuous monitoring of the to public scrutiny and much attention
study comprising all boundary conditions construction environment combined in the news media. One in particular,
and all available construction methods with active control to minimize the Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel project
should be made. In this feasibility study impact during the construction phase (affectionately known as the “big dig,”)
different construction methods would be on the surroundings, gained special attention in the 1990s
considered. The fact that a large number • The inclusion of renewable or through 2007, when it was substantially
of different underground construction geothermal energy systems in completed. The project was originally
methods are available, as well as a underground structures, lowering planned to replace an existing six-lane
multitude of underground solutions, reveals the energy footprint of these elevated highway (Interstate 93) through
the innovative aspect of underground constructions, downtown Boston with an eight to ten
construction. As shown in Chapter 3, • The combination of large underground lane underground expressway - directly
a significant proportion of urban problems construction projects with concurrent beneath the existing road, and extended
can be solved by underground solutions. educational/outreach programmes, the I-90 under Boston Harbor to Logan
in order to make the underground International Airport. The elevated road
A good overview of underground construction business an attractive would then be demolished to provide open
construction methods is given in technology-driven, skills demanding space and some modest development.
e.g., (Puller, 1996, Maidl et al. 1996). industrial sector, whilst creating new To put these highway improvements in
Here only a selected number of significant job opportunities, the ground in a city like Boston proved
engineering developments in underground • The use of shallow small-diameter to be one of the largest, most technically
technology in recent years are given, tunnels to create a novel underground difficult and environmentally challenging
based on the experience of major projects. transport system for supplies and infrastructure projects ever undertaken
Such developments are: goods, supplementary to existing in the United States. The project spans
infrastructures, which reduces the 13 km of highway, 260 km-lanes miles in
• A significant improvement of surface road traffic, all, about half in tunnels. The larger of two
the sustainability and safety of • Use of diaphragm walls to limit wall Charles River bridges, a ten-lane cable-
underground urban road and rail deflection during excavation and stayed hybrid bridge, is the widest ever
systems, through improved (safety) reduce impact to the environment of built and the first to use an asymmetrical
installations and design guidelines, building activities. design. However, cost projections for
• A lowering of the costs and the initial scope of the project in the
improvement of safety and quality of
underground construction and space,
making it a competitive alternative to
surface construction,
• The realization that underground
space is a platform for new
construction concepts and new
business models, and is adopted by
city planners and decision makers to
foster the development of sustainable
cities,
• The development of tunneling
equipment that can operate in any
type of ground,
Figure 72, Modern tunneling technology Figure 73, Public Space over former at-grade freeway

planning phases were in the on the order tunnel speeds traffic to the city’s airport, December 2007 article on the Web site of
of $2.6 Billion (1982 estimate), while the and a majestic cable-stayed bridge over Time magazine. To keep the old elevated
final cost of construction in 2007 was the Charles River has become a new city highway in service while construction
over $14 billion. Schedule over-runs, icon. proceeded on the new Central Artery,
construction claims and a public tiring of engineers put temporary steel supports
the construction related traffic diversions All this, and more, was made possible by into place, transferred the load of the old
has given it the perception of mis-used the Big Dig, a $14.8 billion transportation elevated highway to the walls of the new
funding. project that has produced a host of related underground expressway, and then cut
benefits - $7 billion in projected private away the legs of the viaduct.
Whether the project was justified will, investment, the creation of more than Traffic continued on the old elevated
need to be judged over time, but it now 40,000 jobs, and a 12 percent reduction highway, with drivers unaware of any
may be claimed that Boston is truly a city in carbon monoxide emissions. Before the change.
transformed. Where an ugly green elevated project was completed, it prompted a real
highway once stood - slicing through the estate boom in downtown Boston and The main tunnel carrying I-93 through the
heart of the city’s downtown and restricting beyond city had to go under the century-old Red
access to the waterfront and historic North In addition to dramatically reduced driving Line subway, climb nearly to the surface to
End - there is now parkland and new time through Boston and to the airport, go over the Blue Line subway, and then go
commercial development over a tunnel the project provided a new multimodal under ramps to an existing highway tunnel
that zips traffic through the city. Another transportation center at South Station; before emerging to cross the Charles
an 11-hectare greenway over the I-93 River on the widest cable-stayed bridge
tunnel; new bus rapid transit service in the world - which was constructed over
(the Silver Line) that runs partially through the Orange Line. Tunnels under working
tunnels built by the Big Dig; a new park railroad tracks at South Station were
on Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor pushed through soft fill by giant hydraulic
created by capping a former landfill; and jacks, but first the ground had to be
16 hectares of parkland along the Charles “frozen” with injections of chilled brine to
River. make it stable enough for the six giant
tunnel segments - the largest structures
The technical challenges of construction ever “jacked” in this way.
were unprecedented, requiring feats of
engineering breathtaking in their scope In one of the project’s greatest logistical
and complexity. challenges, a tunnel carrying I-90 under
the Fort Point Channel was constructed
“Of all the project’s engineering challenges, with giant concrete (immersed) tubes built
none was more daunting than the first on site in a casting basin, floated into
-how to build a wider tunnel directly position and placed about 1 meter above
underneath a narrower existing elevated the Red Line, supported by 110 concrete
highway while preventing the overhead shafts drilled into bedrock.
highway from collapsing,” according to a
Figure 74, Tunnel to Boston’s Logan Airport and Charles Figure 75, Ground Freezing for section under active Rail Figure 76, Central Artery 1
River Bridge Boston Road

The Cost of a Mega Project The project’s initial schedule, which called on Spectacle Island to create a park and
How does a project end up costing $14.8 for completion in 1998, was based on the $1 billion for a bridge over the Charles
billion when it was originally projected to assumption that the project would have River that was extensively redesigned over
cost $2.6 billion? all environmental approvals in place by a period of 11 years. “Mitigation eventually
1986. In fact, the project did not receive accounted for about one-third of the Big
In the case of the Big Dig, the answer full environmental approval until 1994, and Dig’s cost,” according to a 2007 article in
includes the cost of more than two the project was substantially completed City Journal magazine.
decades of planning, design and 12 years later - virtually the same time Over 21 years, the Big Dig was expanded,
construction, plus the effects of inflation, frame as originally projected - but with a redefined and revised to meet a myriad
major additions to the scope of the project, significantly expanded scope. of legitimate concerns and demands by
and extensive mitigation of the project’s the project’s many stakeholders, resulting
environmental impacts. More than half of the increase in the in the final $14.8 billion cost. In contrast,
The initial cost estimate for the Central project’s cost can be attributed to if the scope of such mega projects is
Artery/Tunnel project, prepared in 1982, inflation, which added $6.4 billion to clearly defined and all complexities and
was $2.6 billion. That estimate did not the cost estimate prepared in the early stakeholders are taken into consideration,
include inflation (per Federal Highway 1980s. Major additions to the project’s the budget can be more realistically
Administration guidelines) and was for scope - including the reconstruction of the determined and kept from the start.
a highway system considerably smaller Dewey Square tunnels, new interchanges The Pioneer Institute for Public Policy
in scope than the project ultimately at Logan International Airport and Research, in a report produced in
completed in 2007 at a cost of $14.8 Massachusetts Avenue, more complex December 2008, concluded: «With the
billion. methods for the Fort Point Channel passage of time, the Big Dig should,
crossing, roofs for open-air tunnels in and will be seen, as one of the most
South Boston and East Boston, and successful congestion relief projects ever
temporary ramps to maintain traffic during built...the extraordinary improvements in
construction - increased the cost by an transportation service that the completed
additional $2.7 billion. Efforts to mitigate Big Dig now brings to the city of Boston
the project’s environmental, social and will hopefully become the legacy that lasts,
economic impacts added $3 billion, not the decade and a half of construction.»
including $400 million to dispose of fill

4 >> Solution Summary
Worldwide, there is an increasing need In order to efficiently include underground These solutions are further illustrated by
for new infrastructure as cities expand, solutions in the decision making process, several key projects around the world
redevelop and rehabilitate their existing it is important to realize the current (see Appendix A), where the use of
infrastructure, in order to meet demands possibilities of underground construction underground space is a major component.
of increased population and an increased and the problems that can be solved in Chapter 3 finally focuses on the decision
awareness of the general public for the this way. In Chapter 1 the paper gives an making process and lists points of
quality of their surroundings. In many overview of urban problems that may be attention when considering or comparing
cases this leads cities to expand outwards, solved through the use of underground underground solutions, such as the impact
with lower urban density further away from space, such as: on environmental quality, aesthetical
the city centre, in order to find the required issues, social and legal influences,
space. • Crowding and lack of space (for work reduction in travel times, energy saving
and recreation), and possible increase in property values.
If, however, underground space is included • Traffic congestion, In an ideal situation all such aspects are
when looking for solutions to urban • Aging infrastructure and distribution of considered when above ground and
problems, higher urban densities can resources, underground solutions are compared.
be supported, leading to more compact • Aesthetic qualities and image of the
cities with a lower impact on the local urban environment, “Population growth and the advent of
environment. In addition to the obvious • Safety, security, and protection mega cities are increasing the pressure
benefit of preserving green space and against natural disasters, on sensitive areas. The underground has
agricultural land, there is strong evidence • Flooding, enormous potential for realizing spatial
that higher urban density can lower fuel • Environmental conditions such as benefits. You could say that one of the
and resource consumption. noise and air pollution, greatest challenges facing mankind is to
Underground development will be an • Sewage conveyance and treatment, achieve higher density while at the same
important tool in reshaping our urban • Synergy effects of the above. time improving urban existence.”
areas to meet the challenges of the Lord Norman Foster, British Architect
future without destroying their heritage For each of these topics, Chapter 2 gives
or worsening their surface environment an overview of underground solutions
(Esaki, 2005). that address one or more of these topics.
These include:
• Road and rail tunnels,

• Parking,
• Drinking water storage and
production,
• Storm water relief,
• Energy and goods distribution,
• Short and long term storage,
• Recreational facilities, leisure and
shopping,
• Office space and housing.

5 >> References / 6 >> Appendix
Admiraal, H. (2007) Address by the Chair of ITA Committee on solutions, 10th ACUUS Conference –underground space: economy and
Underground Space, UN Workshop, 14 December 2007. environment, Moscow.
Belanger, P. (2007) “Underground Landscape: The urbanism and Nishi. J., Seiki, T. and Nishida, Y. (2007) The urban problems and the
infrastructure of Toronto’s Downtown Pedestrian Network”, Tunneling underground solutions, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Proceedings
and Underground Space Technology 22, pp.272‐292. of the Symposium on Underground Space, Vol.12, pp.69‐76.
Brekke, A. (2001) “The World’s Longest Road Tunnel: Laerdal – National Land Policy Institute (1997) Underground Space Use in Japan.
Aurland”, Bergen Guide, January 2001 Newman, P. et. al. (2009) Resilient Cities, Responding to Peak Oil and
Carmody, J. and Sterling, R. (1993) Underground Space Design, A Climate Change, Island Press.
Guide to Subsurface Utilization and Design for People in Underground N.N. (1999) The Big Dig breaks new ground, USA Today, May 13, 1999.
Spaces, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York. N.N. (2002) Court orders developer to lop a building in half, The Asahi
Chen, D.T. (2000) “The Science of Smart Growth,” Scientific American, Shin bun, Dec 19, 2002.
December 2000. N.N. (2002) «Interview with Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts
Esaki, T. (2005) Underground Space Design and Practice. Secretary of Transportation, for Program Four, 2002. The Big Dig»,
Godard, J.P. (2008) «Should we / Can we avoid Underground Urban Great Projects: The Building of America.
Mass Transit Systems?» – WTC 2008 – Agra, India. N.N. (2004) The London Plan.Public Private Financial Consulting GmbH
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Proceedings, Turning Segmental & Co (2005). Public Private – Durch Kooperation zum Erfolg .
Tunnels into Sources of Renewable Energy, Civil Engineering, 2011, N.N. (2012) Agglo Obersee: Wie nutzen wir den knappen Raum – wie
164, No. CEI bewegen wir uns fort. http://www.aggloobersee.ch/downloads/agglo-
ITA Special Publication, Godard, J.P., editor (2002) “Why Go obersee-plakat_8.pdf, visited 28-02-2012
Underground”, Contribution of the Use of Underground Space to Parker, H.W. and Reilly, J. (2008) Risks and Benefits and Life‐Cycle
Sustainable Development, March 2002. Costs of Underground Projects. North American Tunneling 2008
ITA Working Group N° 13 (2003) Underground or aboveground? Proceedings.
Making the choice for urban mass transit systems, ITA. Parriaux, A. (2009) Geology: Basics for Engineers. Taylor & Francis.
ITA Committee on Underground Space (ITACUS), 2010, White Paper Puller, M. (1996) Deep Excavation, A Practical Manual. Thomas Telford.
No. 2, “Planning the use of Underground Space. Rogers, R. & Gumuchdjian, P. (1997) Cities for a small planet, Faber
Longman, P.J. (1998) “Who Pays for Sprawl, Hidden Subsidies Fuel the and Faber Limited. Sliver, M. (2009) Epoch Times, February 2009.
Growth of the Suburban Fringe, US News and World Report, April 27, Transportation Research Board of the (US) National Academies (2006)
1998. National Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research
Marchais, A (2009) Lessons learnt from the operation of a large mass Program (NCHRP/TCRP) “Making Transportation Tunnels Safe and
transport network. ITA-COSUF Workshop, Budapest, Hungary. Secure”.
Maidl,B., Herrenknecht, M. and Anheuser, L. (1996) Mechanized Shield United Nations (UN) (1961) An interim report on the international
Tunnelling, Ernst Verlag, Berlin. definition and measurement of levels of living. Doc. No. Ecn.3/270/
Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) (2001) Rev.1-E.CN.5/353. UN, New York
Deep Underground Usage for Effective Execution of Public Facility Wallis, S. (2011) “India builds its first oil storage caverns”. TunnelTalk,
Construction, Japan. Mar, 2011, http://tunneltalk.com/India-Mar11-Oil-storage-caverns.php
Munfah, N. (2009) Safety and Security of Tunnels and Underground Wallis, S. (2010) “Santiago Metro withstands massive earthquake”.
Transportation Facilities, ITA WTC, Budapest, Hungary. TunnelTalk, Mar, 2010, http://tunneltalk.com/Santiago-Metro-Mar10-
Nishi, J. and Seiki, T. (2005) The urban problems and the underground Earthquake-survival.php
APPENDIX A
Editors and Contributors to Working Group N°20: Animateurs, Vice Animateurs and Tutors 2008-2012)
This report has been edited by the Animateurs, Vice Animateurs and Tutors of Working Group N°20 over the period 2008-2012.
Country Name Affiliation ITA

Germany THEWES, Markus Ruhr University Bochum Animateur 2008
France GODARD, Jean Paul ITA/AFTES Tutor 2002-2004
Hungary KOCSONYA, Pál Hungarian Tunnelling Association Tutor 2010
Japan NISHI, Junji Geo Techture Forum NPO Vice Animateur 2011
Netherlands ARENDS, Gerard Delft University of Technology Vice Animateur 2008
BROERE, Wout Delft University of Technology Vice Animateur 2008-2011 Animateur 2011
USA ELIOFF, Amanda Parsons Brinkerhoff Animateur 2008-2011
PARKER, Harvey Harvey Parker and Associates Tutor 2008-2010
STERLING, Ray Louisiana Tech University ITACUS Vice Chairman

6 >> Appendix
This report contains contributions by the various Working Group members over the period 2008-2012.
Country Participant Compagny or Affiliation

Australia KNIGHT, Simon Cutabolt
Austria SCHEIDL, Erwin Wiener Linien
Belgium DE LATHAUWER, Willy
Canada ZOLDY, Derek AECOM
China PENG, Fong-Le Tongji University
ZHU, He-Hua Tongji University
Czech Republic VALEŠ, Václav Metroproject Praha
Germany THEWES, Markus Ruhr University Bochum
WANNER, Helmut Spiekerman
Egypt MOHARRAM, Ahmed
Finland SATOLA, Illka City of Helsinki
VÄHÄAHO, Illka City of Helsinki
France GODARD, Jean Paul ITA, AFTES
DUFFAULT, Pierre ITA, AFTES
LABBÉ, Monique AFTES (Committee on Underground Space)
Hungary KOCSONYA, Pál Hungarian Tunneling Society
SZILVÁGYI, László Geoplan
Italy ALTAMURA, Gioacchino Roma Metropolitane
ASTORE, Guiseppe
SCIOTTI, Andrea Roma Metropolitane
India SINGH, Shri Mangu
Iran SADAGHIANI, Mohammad Sharif University of Technology
Japan HANAMURA, Tetsuya Okayama University
NISHI, Junji Geo Techture Forum NPO
TANAKA, Dai Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
TSUJI, Jasuto Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
YUASA, Yasutaka
Netherlands ARENDS, Gerard Delft University of Technology
BOSCH, Johan Delft University of Technology
BROERE, Wout Delft University of Technology
Norway GRIMSTAD, Eystein NGI
Russia FEDUNETS, Boris I.
Singapore OSBORNE, Nick
SIONG, Chan Kok
ZHOU, Yingxin Defence Science & Technology Agency
South Africa STEVENS, Frank City of Durban
South Korea Moorak, Son
Spain CELADA, B.
OTEO, C
RAMIREZ, P.
Sweden LUDVIG, Bengt Geosigma
Switzerland Parriaux, Aurele Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Thailand SUWANSAWAT, Vince Thailand Underground and Tunnelling Group
TEPARASKA, Wanchai Chulalongkorn University
UK DULAKE, Chris Faber Maunsell
TORP-PETERSEN, G CrossRail
UMNEY, Anthony Outside the Box Solutions in Civil Engineering
USA AHUJA, Vishwajeet Gall Zeidler Consultants
BÖHLKE, Brenda
ELIOFF, Amanda Parsons Brinkerhoff
WILLIAMS, Alex Parsons Brinkerhoff
PARKER, Harvey Harvey Parker and Associates
REILLY, John John Reilly Associates International
STERLING, Raymond Louisiana Tech University

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Report on Underground Solutions

For Urban Problems

ITA Working Group

N° ISBN: 978-2-9700776-5-7 ITA REPORT n°011 / APR 2012

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ITA Working Group

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4 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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Underground space is an area of special interest to ISOCARP, as we recognise that

Shipra Narang Suri, Ph.D. Vice-President, ISOCARP

REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 5

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6 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 7

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1.1 Typical Urban Problems Timeframe Urban Developments

8 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 9

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10 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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Figure 12, Sound Wall adjacent to Housing

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12 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 13

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makers should include real-estate impacts,

In addition to the capital costs for a

• Advantages of underground with

In summary, early planning stage studies

In the meantime, a number of cities

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REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 15

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2.3 Storm Water Relief and CSO

Handling the effects of storm floods is

• former retention areas adjacent to

To cope with the unfavorable effects of

• recreating natural storage areas,

16 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 17

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18 ITA Working Group - Urban Problems Underground Solutions

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Figure 40, Utilidor, Ashgabat,Turkmenistan

REPORT ON Underground Solutions FOR Urban Problems 19

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and a signal is sent to garbage trucks to 2.4.4 Deep Geological Repository

b) Future Concepts For more permanent storage of spent fuel,

Since urban areas are becoming more

Figure 42, «CargoCap» Concept