Call: Sustainable Development of Urban Underground Infrastructure

Sweden is facing major challenges given that large scale investments in underground infrastructure must be made during the next decades.

As the migration to our cities progress, there is an increasing demand on land for the development of infrastructure, housing, commercial and other services, recreation and industrial areas. Urban underground infrastructures offer opportunities to improve the environment and promote sustainable urban development.

Sustainable development of urban underground infrastructures demands planning to increase the resilience and energy efficiency during both construction and operation of underground infrastructures. The planning must include how energy efficiency can be improved and consequently how emissions can be reduced.

The Swedish Research Council Formas in co-operation with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has decided upon a strategic investment in research for sustainable development of urban underground infrastructures. The parties will invest 65 MSEK during the years 2013-2016. Industry involvement is required in the form of co-financing. Additional collaboration partners are: Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI), the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), the Development Fund of the Swedish Construction Industry (SBUF) and the Rock Engineering Research Foundation (BeFo).

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB) supports the call by providing the opportunity to carry out research in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory.

The call has identified the following imported areas:

• Design, performance and maintenance
• Efficiency and logistics
• Water  – its interaction with the underground facility and
• Risk management

Priority will be given to projects with an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach.

The call will be launched in May 2012 and a decision is expected to be taken in November 2012.