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return false;" title="PDF" rel="nofollow" class="pdfButton"><img src="/templates/about-tunnelling/images/system/pdf_button.png"></a> <p>Increasing competition for surface space, targets for energy savings and for the broader objectives of <span class="mytool"><abbr title="The type of overall development (economic, social, energetic, environmental, etc.) which makes it possible to meet the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing those of the future generations.">sustainable development</abbr></span>, point progressively towards greater, more diverse and better coordinated use of the <span class="mytool"><abbr title="Underground, beneath the surface">subsurface</abbr></span>.<br /> In this way, supply and demand both favour increase in the extent and range of use of the ground beneath our feet.</p> <p><i>(Abstract from</i> "Tunnelling Technologies for the 3rd Millennium" <i>Foreword by Sir Alan MuirWood ITA president 1974-1977)</i></p> <ul class="links"> <li> <a hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/underground-planning">Underground Planning</a> </li> <li> <a hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/mining">Mining</a> </li> <li> <a hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/architecture">Architecture</a> </li> </ul> <p>Dive into the deepest structure on earth!</p> <ul> <li> <a target="_blank" title="Opens external link in new window" href="https://youtu.be/WRBYk2FO5QE"> Have a look at the video on YouTube by clicking here. </a> </li> </ul> <div class="bloc accordion pull-left clearL"> <div class="accordion-group clearfix first"> <h2><a class="accordion-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse1">Transport</a></h2> <div id="collapse1" class="accordion-body collapse in"> <p><span class="mytool"><abbr title="A tunnel, strictly speaking, is a subterranean passage open at both ends. Often used as a synonym for adit, drift or gallery">Tunnels</abbr></span> for transport exist for centuries.</p> <p>They have been developped both in urban <span class="mytool"><abbr title="A general term used to describe the form and quality of the surroundings for a person or place. Usually has a strong connotation for the natural aspects of the surroundings">environment</abbr></span> for <span class="mytool"><abbr title="Provision for the movement of people in an urban area in unstructured groups, e.g. by bus, train, metro, etc">mass transit</abbr></span> transports and in interurban environment mainly to cross mountains both for roads and railways.</p> <p>The development of transport tunnel is still very active, notably in mass transit specifically in Asian countries, but also in European countries where new techniques both concerning construction and exploitation allow smaller towns to build a <span class="mytool"><abbr title="A rail-based urban mass transport system -- usually with a substantial portion of the route length underground">metro</abbr></span> network.</p> <p>In interurban environment, long base tunnels trend to replace summit tunnels and many underwater tunnels have been built or are at a project stage.</p> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse2">Urban Environment</a></h3> <div id="collapse2" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>In urban environment, the first tunnels have been built for mass transit networks.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/transport/urban-environment">Read more</a> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse3">Interurban Environment</a></h3> <div id="collapse3" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>Rail, road and navigation tunnels are beeing built for centuries. One of the most - if not the most- ancient tunnel of that type is the Malpas tunnel on the Canal du Midi in France built in 1776.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/transport/interurban-environment">Read more</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="bloc accordion pull-left"> <div class="accordion-group clearfix first"> <h2><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse4">Energy, Water & Telecommunication</a></h2> <div id="collapse4" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>More and more in urban areas but not only, utilities are built <span class="mytool"><abbr title="Below ground level">underground</abbr></span>. First of them, and already in the ancient ages, <span class="mytool"><abbr title="A pipe or conduit for transporting liquid waste for treatment or disposal">sewers</abbr></span> were built underground to avoid dissemintation of diseases and bad smells.</p> <p>In Rome the "Cloaca maxima" has been built in the VI掳BC.</p> <p>Nowadays, more and more utilities are needed, electricity, communication, water, gaz, optic fiber.... They all need to be buried.</p> <p>In non urban areas, the utilities are of an other type; they have been first associated with hydro power, but now they alos concern, hydrocarbon storage, nuclear waste storage, pipes.</p> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse5">Urban Utilities</a></h3> <div id="collapse5" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>With large concentrations of people in limited space, it has become necessary to utilize the subsurface for locating a growing number of services in urban environments.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/energy-and-water/urban-utilities">Read more</a> </div> </div> <h3><a hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/energy-and-water/non-urban-utilities">Non Urban Utilities</a></h3> </div> <div class="bloc accordion pull-left"> <h2>Other Subsurface Facilities</h2> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse6">Public Buildings</a></h3> <div id="collapse6" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>In a growing number of cases, public buildings are being built underground in some of the major cities all over the world.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/other-subsurfaces-facilities/public-buildings">Read more</a> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse7">Goods Storage</a></h3> <div id="collapse7" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>One of the big <span class="mytool"><abbr title="An issue that is considered of value. Only those issues that represent differences among alternatives may be considered in an analysis.">advantages</abbr></span> of <span class="mytool"><abbr title="Space created or used underground">underground spaces</abbr></span> is the high thermal inertia and the relatively limited cost of construction when the rock mass is of an adequate quality.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/other-subsurfaces-facilities/goods-storage">Read more</a> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse8">Industrial Facilities</a></h3> <div id="collapse8" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>Even if it is not very common to locate industrial activity underground, on some occasion鈥檚 strategic or hazardous activities are carried out underground.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/other-subsurfaces-facilities/industrial-facilities">Read more</a><br /> </div> </div> <div class="accordion-group clearfix"> <h3><a class="accordion-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" href="#collapse9">Military Facilities</a></h3> <div id="collapse9" class="accordion-body collapse"> <p>The need of secrecy and the high strategic <span class="mytool"><abbr title="Maximum price that would be paid to obtain a good. It is generally a function of the quantity of this good already possessed or already consumed">value</abbr></span> of military <span class="mytool"><abbr title="This phase of construction covers preparation for immersion, the immersion, foundation preparation, backfilling, and completion of the interior works">installations</abbr></span> make the use of the underground space of particular interest.</p> <a class="readMore" hreflang="en" href="/en/use-of-underground-spaces/other-subsurfaces-facilities/military-facilities">Read more</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </main> </div>  <script src="https://www.ita-aites.org/Common/sponsors.js?1732370351"></script> </div> </div>  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.ita-aites.org/Common/footer.css?1732370351" type="text/css" /> <script src="https://www.ita-aites.org/Common/footer.js?1732370351"></script> </body> </html>