ITA reveals shortlisted entries for global tunnelling awards

From a large number of entries received from across the globe, they selected 28 finalists from 15 countries. This year is the sixth edition of the ITA Awards and they will be presented at a virtual conference and exhibition event to be held on December 3-4. It will be the first time the Awards are presented virtually and is in line with prevailing coronavirus restrictions. As well as being spectators to the Awards ceremony, visitors to the event will be able to meet sponsors in the Exhibition Hall, network, learn and celebrate.

The finalists are:

Major Project of the Year (more than €500 million)

• Jinjiazhuang spiral tunnel project, Yanqing to Chongli Expressway, China
• Sydney Metro City and Southwest Project (John Holland CPB Ghella JV), Australia
• Ryfast – construction of the world’s longest sub-sea road tunnel, Norway.

Project of the Year (€50m – €500m)

• Chinatown Station of the Central Subway Programme, San Francisco, US
• Large scale underpass using multiple construction methods at Banxuegang high-tech city, Shenzen, China
• Micangshan Tunnel on G85 Expressway, China
• Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, Sri Lanka.

Project of the Year including Renovation (up to €50m)

• FEDRO Tunnel Renovation Method – renovation of a non-reinforced primary lining using night shifts while keeping all traffic lanes open during the day, Switzerland
• Lower Otta Hydropower Project, Norway
• The integration of subway station construction and ecological environment protection in a complex environment, China
• Nord Stream 2 microtunnelled shore crossing (Züblin), Germany.

Technical Innovation of the Year

• Automated geological forward-prospecting technique mounted on hard-rock TBM, China
• Innovative GB-InSAR system for real-time face safety monitoring, Italy
• Digital condition assessment of Brunel’s brick tunnels, United Kingdom
• Laser-guided system for conventional tunnelling, Spain.

Overcoming the Challenge

• 89.3°C ultra-high ground temperature treatment for Sangzhuling tunnel in Nyingchi-Lhasa section of Sichuan-Tibet railway, China
• Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed railway: Yujingshan mountain tunnel crossing giant karst cave and underground river, China
• High performance EPB excavation in mixed face and variable ground with up to 7bar groundwater pressure, Mexico.

Oddities of the Underground

• The Spiral Tunnel, Drammen, Norway
• Tunnelling in the service of archaeology, Israel.

Innovative and Contributing Underground Spaces

• Indian strategic petroleum reserves caverns, Padur, India
• Shenzhen Chegongmiao integrated traffic hub project, China
• Union Square/Market Street Station, San Francisco, battered drilled shafts as permanent ground support, US.

Young Tunneller of the Year

• Josh Barry – Australia
• Laurence Delplace – Belgium
• Dimitrios Litsas – Greece
• Qingfang Liu – China
• Sandeep Singh Nirmal – India