ITACET short courses have become a traditional part of the annual World Tunnelling Congresses and 2019 will be no exception.

The ITA-CET Committee has been working in close collaboration with the WTC Organising Committee and the ITACET Foundation to prepare two short courses that will be on offer during the WTC in Naples.

A two-day course on “Tunnelling 4.0: Information Technology for the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Underground Works“ will be held on 3rd-4th May 2019.

The aim of this course is to highlight some of the most advanced aspects of digital and information technology applications in the design, construction, maintenance and refurbishment of underground works.

The use of BIM in tunnelling will be presented and discussed, providing students with relevant examples from the design to the “as built” model implemented during construction, in addition to BIM use during maintenance and refurbishment of underground infrastructure.

The second key topic of the course is the use of automation and virtual and augmented reality as tools to improve the tunnel construction process.

Advanced technologies available for geotechnical mapping and exploration, surveying and monitoring will be discussed, together with automation applied to equipment used in underground construction and to quality control and assessment processes.

The course is designed to inform designers, site managers, young engineers and university students how the most recent innovations in information technology can be applied to tunnelling and be used to improve design, construction and maintenance processes.

The second course will take place on 4th May 2019 and will focus on “Communication and Stakeholder Engagement”.

There is growing awareness of the need for efficient communication with the populations and the stakeholders involved in the increasing number of underground projects all over the world. Engaging in dialogue is necessary at all stages of ideation, financing, design, construction and operation.

There has been a considerable rise in sustainability policies and procedures over recent years and communication strategies need to be adapted accordingly, whilst making the most of new media.

This course will provide advanced information on communication techniques and approaches that can be applied to foster interaction amongst stakeholders, through the use of new media. It will explain sustainability assessment procedures with a special focus on underground works. Finally, relevant cases histories and examples of best practices will be presented from all over the world.

For information on the course programmes, fees and to register, please visit the WTC web site: http://www.wtc2019.com/conference/itacet-training-course