TC Chair: Giulia Viggiani

Host Member Society: UK and Italy

Short name: Underground Construction (TC204)

Technical Committee 204 (TC204) "Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground", was first established in 1989 as TC28 and is currently in its seventh term. It has completed one term with Prof Keiichi Fujita as Chairman (1989-1995), two with Prof Robert Mair (1995-2005), one with Prof Richard Kastner (2006-2011), and two with Prof Adam Bezuijen (2012-2022). The current Chair is Prof Giulia Viggiani.  

The main topics addressed by TC204 concern the geotechnical aspects of the analysis, design, monitoring, construction, and maintenance of deep excavations, tunnels, and large underground structures in the urban environment, with particular emphasis on the development, effects, and control of ground movements, their interaction with existing structures, mitigation measures, and risk management.

TC204 has organised ten International Symposia (IS) after a first meeting held as a satellite event at the 13th ICSMGE in New Delhi in 1994. These comprise IS-London 1996, IS-Tokyo 1999, IS-Toulouse 2002, IS-Amsterdam 2005, IS-Shanghai 2008, IS-Rome 2011, IS-Seoul 2014, IS-Sao Paulo 2017, IS-Cambridge 2022, and IS-Macau 2024.

To recognise his inspirational leadership and enormous technical and organisational contributions in establishing TC204, an Honorary "Keiichi Fujita Lecture" was introduced in 2011, to be delivered every three years at TC204 International Symposia. Distinguished Fujita Lecturers have included Dr Hugh D. St John (2014), Prof Hirokazu Akagi (2017), Prof Robert J. Mair (2022), and Prof Adam Bezuijen (2024). 

Website:

GeoWorld Group: Underground Construction in Soft Ground (TC204)