FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING – Copenhagen, Denmark, September 4-7, 2022 30
After 2 years of pandemic restriction, ITA family was able to physically gather again in Denmark. The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association held its forty-eight General Assembly in Copenhagen, from 4 to 7 september 2022, in conjunction with the World Tunnel Congress 2022 "Underground Solutions for a World in Change", organized by ITA and the DFTU - Danish Society for Tunnels & Underground Works. More than 2,000 persons participated in the Congress and 150 had registered to follow the WTC through a digital platform. 38 of the 78 Member Nations participated or were represented in the General Assembly.
MEMBER NATIONS PRESENT
Australia, Autria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica*, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary*, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States of America.
MEMBER NATIONS NOT PRESENT
Argentina, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaidjan, Belarus, Buthan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Combodia, Chile, Croatia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malaysia, Morocco, Montenegro, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates*, Venezuela, Vietnam.
* represented
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
MEMBERS
Arnold Dix, Autralia, President (2022-2025)
Jenny Yan Jinxiu, China, Past President and correspondent WTC 2024 (2022-2025)
Andres Marulanda, Colombia, Vice-President (2022-2025)
Choi Hangseok, Korea, Vice-President (2022-2025)
Jamal Rostami, Iran, Vice-President (2022-2025)
Sindre Log, Norway, Member (2022-2025)
Damian McGirr, United Kingdom, Member (2022-2025)
Monika Mitej-Czajewska, Poland, Member (2022-2025)
Andrea Pigorini, Italy, Member (2022-2025)
Klaus Rieker, Germany, Member (2022-2025)
Sanja Zlatanic, United States of America, Member (2022-2025)
Gérard Seingre, Treasurer, Switzerland (2022-2025)
Ioannis Fikiris, Greece, correspondent WTC 2023 (2021-2023)
Thomas Dalmalm, Sweden, correspondent WTC 2025 (2022-2025)
GOVERNANCE COUNCIL:
Bill Newns, New Zealand (2022-2025)
Leslie Pakianathan, Singapore (2022-2025)
DECISIONS
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Virtual ITA Awards 2022
After the success of its seventh editions, the iTA Awards 2022 will take place in December 2022 as a virtual event.
For the 2022 ITA Awards, a new category is being proposed. This year there will be 8 categories:- Major Project of the Year - Over € 500 million
- Project of the year - Between € 50 and 500 million
- Project incl. Renovation of the Year - up to € 50 million
- Technical Innovation of the Year
- Product/Equipment Innovation of the Year
- Beyond Engineering - Making Underground Works Projects even Better
- Innovative Underground Spaces
- Young Tunneller of the Year
- ITA 50thAnniversary - 2024
A task force will handle the organization of the 50th anniversary. Different events and proposals could be organized at this occasion at the WTC but also along the year in different part of the world.
Main points are the following:- Reflect the achievements of the tunnelling in the past 50 years through videos with many landmark projects showing the diversity but also the technical progress along the years in building tunnels and using the underground space. Series of ITA videos. The program will involve the MNs in preparing and submitting projects, photos and videos.
- A special attention will be devoted to activities during the WTC 2024 as it will probably need a "specific session" in addition to the Opening ceremony.
- "ITA fellows".
- Participation of all Past presidents and members of the ITA family at the WTC2024.
- WTC 2025
The General Assembly voted unanimously to have the ITA 51th General Assembly and the WTC 2025 to take place in Stockolm, Sweden, organized by the Swedish Rock Engineering Association.
World Tunnel Congress 2025 | 9-15 May 2025 (wtc2025.se)
- ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL:
The activities of the year 2021-2022 are presented in the Activity Report. It is available here.
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ORGANISATIONAL REVIEW AND COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT (ORCA)
Following the decision of the GA 2021, the ExCo decided to pursue the implementation of ORCA and the task force re-engaged with Humentum. Numerous discussions between the different groups/Members involved (ExCo, Member Nations, Working Groups, Committees, etc.) were carried out by Humentum between April and June 2022 and a final report was presented during the 1st part of the GA in Copenhagen. This gave rise to further questions/remarks from Member nations on the feasibility/implementation of certain points. ORCA aims to improve/optimise the work within AITES in all the different categories of stakeholders.
ITA PUBLICATIONS
The following reports have been published:
- WG 3 - Contractual Framework Checklist for Subsurface Construction Contracts (2nd edition 2021)
- WG 11 - Immersed Tunnels - Owners Guide - Annexes
- WG 14 - Tunnel Spoil Handling, Treatment and Disposal Options from a Gobal Perspective
- WG 22 - BIM in Tunnelling - Guideline for Bored Tunnels
- WG 22 - Recommendations for the Application of ISO 19650 Series during the Delivery of underground Projects & Assets
- WG 23 - Shafts - Definition and Classifications
- ITAtech AG Excavation - Guidelines on Services of machinery for Mechanized Tunnel Excavation
FUTURE WTC'S
- WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2023: "Expanding Underground: knowledgge & passion to make a positive impact onthe World", from 12 to 18 May 2023 in Athens, Greece.
- WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2024: China Civil Engineering Society (CCES) will organize the World Tunnel Congress and the 50th General Assembly of the Member Nations from 19 to 25 April 2024 in Shenzhen, China.
- WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2025: Swedish Rock Engineering Association will held the 51st General Assembly and WTC "Tunnelling into a sustainable future - methods and technologies" in Stockolm, Sweden, from 9 to 15 May, 2025.