In the past years, along with the reduction of the presence of foreign companies in the tunneling projects of Iran and the necessity to count on national capacity to meet the country’s needs for strategic and important tunneling industry, there has been significant growth in various aspects of this industry in Iran. It can be believed that there is enough experience and knowledge to design and construct large tunneling projects required for sustainable development in the country. During these years, very large projects with different applications namely, water and sewage transfer, rail and road transport, underground mining and other strategic items have been successfully managed, designed and constructed by engineers and specialists in the country’s tunnel industry, despite the difficulties caused by economic sanctions. Many of these projects have faced great challenges during design, construction and operation, which have been solved by using the knowledge and experience of Iranian engineers. Although overcoming these challenges has been time consuming and costly in some cases, the experience gained from them is undoubtedly invaluable. Obviously, utilizing the experiences gained from tunneling in difficult conditions (technically and economically), while helping to reduce the time and cost of designing and constructing similar projects, can be a big step for the growth, development and self-sufficiency of the national tunneling industry in the future.
In this regard, the theme of the 14th Iranian Tunneling Conference has been chosen as “Lessons Learned from Past Challenges”. In this conference, by analyzing and reviewing the valuable lessons learned in this industry during the past decades, we try to provide the necessary basis for better management of the country’s tunneling projects in different stages of feasibility, design, construction and operation, as well as easier overcoming of various challenges of this industry.
This conference is held with the aim of creating a suitable platform for the promotion of tunneling knowledge and with the themes such as research, development and innovation, principles of identification and design, construction and operation technologies, with a special look at past challenges and emphasizing the key role of tunneling in the fields of environment, economy, etc. provides a good opportunity to exchange information and provide lessons learned from past experiences as well as familiarity with new technologies in the tunnel industry. The planned programs for this conference include training courses and workshops, oral and poster presentations, technical exhibitions, and technical visits from tunneling projects. Iranian Tunneling Association (IRTA), with the experience of holding thirteen scientific conferences at national and international levels and effective communication with scientific and industrial tunneling associations in the world, invites all scientists, specialists, professors, students, researchers and those involved in the tunneling industry to participate in the fourteenth Iranian Tunneling Conference, which will be held in Tehran in November 2022, and contribute to the flourishing, promotion and development of knowledge and technology of underground spaces by active participation in this conference.
