Monday, May 25, 2026
Opening Ceremony
4 Keynote Lectures
2 parallel sessions on 7 topics
Technical exhibition
Poster session
Social Evening at the Břevnov Monastery
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
2 parallel sessions on 7 topics
Open Session
Technical exhibition
Poster session
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Technical excursions
In this year´s edition, 88 full papers were accepted.
Scientific sessions
Session 1: Conventionally excavated tunnels
Session 2: Mechanically excavated tunnels
Session 3: Other underground structures, repositories, reconstructions and history
Session 4: Geotechnical investigation and monitoring
Session 5: BIM, numerical modelling, research, development and sustainability
Session 6: Equipment, operational safety and maintenance
Session 7: Risk management, contractual relationships and funding
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Chairs: Prof. Matouš Hilar, Dr. Alexandr Butovič
Radek Mátl (Czech Republic)
Planned and constructed tunnels on the motorway network in the Czech Republic
Michal Froněk (Czech Republic)
Beroun Tunnel — high-quality railway connection to Western Europe
Petr Provazník (Czech Republic)
Erzgebirge Tunnel — a key part of the new Dresden — Prague railway connection
Dr. Alun Thomas (Denmark)
Design optimisation for carbon savings on the new lines of the Copenhagen metro
INVITED LECTURES IN THEMATIC SESSIONS
Session 1: Conventionally excavated tunnels
Session chairs: Libor Mařík, Dr. Pavel Růžička, Michal Froněk
Dr. Angelos Gakis (Austria)
Shallow Conventional Tunnelling under a Live 21-Lane Highway
Session 2: Mechanically excavated tunnels
Session chairs: Dr. Zdeněk Žižka, Petr Salák, Boris Šebesta
Dr. Vojtech Gall (United States)
Design and Construction of Urban Tunnels Through Pile Foundations: Case Studies and Applications — The Gateway Program in New York City, Manhattan Contract P1B
Prof. Bai Yun (China)
A-TBM tunneling in China
Session 3: Other underground structures, repositories, reconstructions and history
Session chairs: Dr. Jan Pruška, Dr. Richard Šňupárek
Prof. Shahab Yasrebi (Canada/Iran)
Innovative Top-Down Construction of the Niayesh Underground Parking and Its Integration with the Niayesh Tunnel, Tehran
Session 4: Geotechnical investigation and monitoring
Session chairs: Dr. Alexandr Rozsypal, Dr. Václav Veselý
Prof. Dietmar Adam (Austria)
Long-term measurements of energy geostructures at the Taborstraße metro station in Vienna
Session 5: BIM, numerical modelling, research, development and sustainability
Session chairs: Prof. David Mašín, Dr. Eva Hrubešová
Nasri Munfah (United States)
Underground Space Development as a Catalyst for Urban Growth
Session 6: Equipment, operational safety and maintenance
Session chairs: Miroslav Novák, Petr Kučera, Dr. Jan Faltýnek
Prof. Robert Galler (Austria)
Experimental investigations on the thermal performance of refractory plaster for tunnel applications
Session 7: Risk management, contractual relationships and funding
Session chairs: Dr. Martin Srb, Dr. Jaroslav Beňo
Haldun Kahyaoglu (Spain)
Pareto Efficiency vs. impartiality and objectivity in construction contracts for tunnels
Nasri Munfah (United States)
Ten Recommendations for Avoiding Multi-Contract Disputes in Underground Projects
OPEN SESSIONS
Planning, design, and construction of underground structures for High-Speed Rail (HSR)
Session chairs: Dr. Karel Rössler, Dr. Zdeněk Žižka
Dr. Monika Mitew-Czajewska, Assoc. Prof., Institute of Roads and Bridges, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland
High-Speed Rail Network tunnels in Poland – overview and challenges
Florian Diernhofer, Team Leader Tunnel Safety Projects, ILF Consulting Engineers GmbH, Austria
Advanced Equipment, Operational Safety and Maintenance for the Koralm Railway Tunnel
Heinz Ehrbar, Independent Consultant, Heinz Ehrbar Partner LLC, Switzerland
Selection of the most suitable organisational model for long tunnels
Prof. José-Miguel Galera, CEO, SYSTRA Subterra, Spain
Geotechnical challenges during the design and construction of high-speed rail tunnels — case studies
Gerhard Harer, Head of Central Coordination BBT, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Austria
Aspects concerning the real operational availability of long railway tunnels
Martin Knights, Independent Consultant, Martin Knights Consulting Ltd, Great Britain
Key contract features of the UK High Speed 2 Phase 1 Project
Jiří Merta, Advisor to the Director of the High-Speed Lines Construction Management, Správa železnic, Czech Republic
Technical and operational concept of high-speed railways in the Czech Republic
Raimundo Jose Saiz Perez, Global Head of Business Development, ACCIONA Construction, Spain
Innovative Engineering Solutions to Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Challenges in Lot 1 of the Pajares Tunnels on the León — Asturias HSR Line
Andrea Pigorini, ITA President, Head of Infrastructure Engineering, FS Engineering, Italy
Italian High-Speed Rail: 1,000 km through and beneath Cities and Mountains — Engineering the Next 1,000 km towards Southern Italy
Patrick Senn, Senior Project Manager / Expert, Amberg Engineering AG, Switzerland
Lessons Learned from Major Alpine Railway Tunnels — A Cross-Project Perspective on Design, Risk, and Collaboration
Site visit A – Prague Metro Line D — construction of the Pankrác—Olbrachtova section
Site visit B – Main traffic control centre of the city of Prague
Site Visit C – Rudolf adit + Old wastewater treatment plant
Site visit D – Construction of tunnels on the D11 motorway and on the Náchod bypass
Site visit E – Exploration adit for the Kamenná vrata Tunnel and Pepr mine workings
Site visit F – Construction of the HG Utility Tunnel at Václav Havel Airport Prague
Site visit G – Richard Radioactive Waste Repository