Tunneling in North America is a market with a pipeline of work that is weighted more to utilities and their renewal and expansion than many other regions of the world. It is a matter as age, as noted, and also that point on scale. North America is a huge market, compared to so many others.
Hence there is already much but also growing activity in trenchless tunneling in North America. The next major gathering to discuss the market and opportunities, technology and case studies, is the NASTT’s No-Dig- North 2025 and ISTT International No-Dig event to be held late October in Vancouver.
We preview the trenchless event in this issue of T&TNA and look at other aspects of no-dig technology – such as the latest advances and also teamwork that has come out of this year’s Not-a-Boring Competition, in Texas. Every year the race delivers more capability for underground technology.
Considering the application of technology, we also have articles that look at how a high powered drum cutter was the solution for a hard rock tunnel in a sensitive urban setting; and how enhanced software packages are boosting capabilities for drill & blast jumbos.
Sticking with IT, we learn how data and AI are boosting knowledge systems across industry and what that can mean, through Integrated Data Intelligence, for improving project delivery in tunneling. Still on data and digital we hear how conferences are giving more time to sharing experiences, particular with Building Information Modeling (BIM).
In this issue, we also present articles of discussing the evolution of fire suppression technology for underground settings and equipment.
Looking farther out in the tunneling world, a market briefing comes from the Middle East and, from China, we hear of a variable diameter TBM that bored on a slope for a pumped storage hydro project.
