International Tunnel Forum with high-profile, compact Rounds of Discussion

The STUVA regularly promotes tunnel forums at the InnoTrans Convention involving high-grade podium discussions and rounds of experts. Here at international level the emphasis is on what will keep us mobile in future. The following article presents the programme of this year’s Tunnel Forum. STUVA member companies receive vouchers to attend free-of-charge.

Programme

September 19, 2018

2:00–4:00 pm, Exhibition grounds, CityCube Berlin, Level 3, Room M8

Long-term Targets in Tunnelling: Investment Strategies for Construction and Refurbishment

An efficient, modern transport infrastructure represents one of the keys for securing a country’s competitiveness in a sustainable manner and is an important factor for the quality of life. According to predictions the need for mobility will continue to grow in the future. As a result, the federal government has made around 270 billion euros available for the maintenance and new construction of the transport infrastructure in Germany with the Federal Transport Plan up to 2030. At the forum, just what implicating the Transport Plan will signify for tunnelling will be explained. Furthermore, the issue of which tasks have to be tackled in the long run will be dealt with. Investments in transport infrastructure must be made wherever they represent the greatest use for man and the economy. What are the principles for a reliable transport network under the given boundary conditions, and how is the requirement planning for such quantities drawn up? What is needed to maintain the infrastructure of an economic location at high level?

Moderation

Dr.-Ing. Roland Leucker, Managing Director, STUVA Inc., Germany

Panel Discussion

Dipl.-Ing. Andrea Blome, Councillor for Mobility and Transport Infrastructure of the City of Cologne; Head of the Special Commission for Transport Infrastructure at the Association of  German Cities, Germany

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Muncke, senior strategy expert, Asset Management and Strategic Planning, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Austria

Prof. Dirk Rompf, board member for Network Planning and large-scale Projects, DB Netz AG, Germany

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Schultz, Managing Director Engineering Sector, Association of Transport Companies (VDV), Germany

September 20, 2018

2:00–4:00 pm, Exhibition grounds, CityCube Berlin, Level 3, Room M8

Current Challenges in Tunnelling and Tunnel Operation

Ongoing measures to maintain and upgrade the network in accordance with demand are required to assure an efficient infrastructure. As a consequence, some 270 billion euros have been earmarked in the current Federal Transport Plan up till 2030 in Germany from the federal budget for the transport infrastructure and thus for building and maintaining the network’s bottlenecks, tunnels. At the forum the question is examined as to whether related tasks which have to be resolved in the short term with the available personnel capacities and structures can be accomplished as desired. What exactly is the current situation in terms of planning, operation and construction of tunnels, and what must now be undertaken to enable the federal government’s investment initiative to succeed. Does it in fact threaten to fail on account of unattainable implementation possibilities? How possible solutions shape up and which approaches should be pursued will be discussed. Are changes in procedure advisable in order to disperse with protracted approval proceedings for example?

Moderation

Dr.-Ing. Roland Leucker, Managing Director, STUVA Inc., Germany

Panel Discussion

Chris Dulake, Civil Engineer, Major Project Portfolio Director, Mott MacDonald, United Kingdom

Dr.-Ing. Stefan Franz, Project Director, German Unity Federal Motorway Planning and Construction Management Company, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Klaus Rieker, Managing Director Tunnelling Division, Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Peter Ruland, Director, Ramboll Transport GmbH, Germany