TAI Journal
Year : 2023, Volume : 12, Issue : 2
First page : ( 22) Last page : ( 26)
Print ISSN : 2277-2820. Online ISSN : 2278-4713.

Enhancing the Sustainability of Underground Works

Dr. Krenn Florian¹

¹Managing Director, Geoconsult

Online Published on 01 June, 2024.

Abstract

Sustainability has become a catch word in the last years. Everything has to be sustainable, from mobiles to cars to … you name it. Whether the idea of sustainability is followed when every year a new “must have” version of a well designed and durable mobile communication product is revealed, is debatable; however the market supports it. As designers in the area of infrastructure and underground works sustainability has been and is always part of the work. E.g. the concrete codes world over are taking a design life of 50 years into account, with infrastructure works having a design life of 100years and more. That a design life of 100 years does not necessarily mean that a structure will be standing for 100years without due care and maintenance is understandable; however it means that the designer has taken all due care and provisions based upon the state of the art to ensure that once executed according to the specifications, the structure will be able to withstand the foreseen impacts coming over 100years. Apart from that (and the execution quality) the choice of systems and materials affecting maintainability of the structure is playing a key role to ingrain sustainability into the design. In addition to sustainability, the focus on reduction of the carbon footprint has increased substantially in the last years.

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