CPT, the Portuguese Tunnelling and Underground Space Comission, was created in 2006, as the Portuguese Member of ITA, inside SPG - Portuguese Geotechnical Society. SPG has 1001 members, 148 being members of ITA and CPT. In 2010, CPT organized a Course on Tunnelling in Urban Areas and a Conference on the Use Underground Space and joined AFTES and 4 other European countries in the organization of the International Congress of Lyon, 2011.
Working Group on Portuguese Tunnels – data collection is in progress, after a Seminar organized in Lisbon, May 2008. A book on Portuguese tunnels will be published by 2012.
The other Working Groups, as mirror groups of those in ITA, are under development (Conventional Tunnelling, Health and Safety of Underground Works, Urban Problems and Underground Solutions, Risk in Tunnelling)
Major projects:
- The Porto Subway Line to Gondomar, including a 1 Km tunnel, was completed by the end of 2010 and open to the public on the 2nd January of the new year.
- Complementary geotechnical studies for the the tendering of the 2nd phase of the extension of Porto Subway (4 lines, 17 Km of tunnels, 29 Underground Stations) were carried out.
- The extension of the Red Line of the Lisbon Subway from Oriente Station to the Airport, with over 3,5 Km long tunnels, was under construction, at an advanced stage.
- Design studies for the high-speed railway lines Lisboa-Porto and Lisboa-Madrid, requiring a significant length of tunnels in the approach of densely urban areas, have also been ongoing.
- Relevant activity concerning the construction of road tunnels in Madeira Island was carried on.
- The Marão Tunnel (2 galleries, 5655 m each the longest Portuguese road tunnel), was under excavation.
- Tunnels and underground structures for the reinforcement of the hydroelectric power schemes of Venda Nova III, Bemposta, Picote, Alqueva and Baixo Sabor were under construction too.
- Underground power plants and hydraulic circuits for 10 new dams with high hydropower potential, are in design phase.