Abstract
Growth of urban areas, the corresponding increased demand for utility services and the possibility of new types of utility systems are overcrowding near surface underground space with urban utilities. Available subsurface space will continue to diminish to the point where utilidors (utility tunnels) may become inevitable. Establishing future sustainable strategies in urban underground engineering consists of the ability to lessen the use of traditional trenching. There is an increasing interest in utility tunnels for urban areas as a sustainable technique to avoid congestion of the subsurface. One of the principal advantages of utility tunnels is the substantially lower environmental impact compared with common trenches. Implementing these underground facilities is retarded most by the initial cost and management procedures. The habitual procedure is to meet problems as they arise in current practice. The moral imperative of sustainable strategies fails to confront the economic and political conflicts of interest. Municipal engineers should act as a key enabler in urban underground sustainable development.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sterling, R., Carmody, J. (1993) Underground Space Design. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Oude, E.H.J. (1992) Underground space for utilities. Proceedings of the International Conference on Underground Space and Earth Sheltered Structures, Delft University Press, Delft.
Canto-Perello J., Curiel-Esparza J. (2001) Human factors engineering in utility tunnel design. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 16, 3, 211–215.
Curiel-Esparza, J., Canto-Perello, J. (2002) Compatibility between utilities in the design of utility tunnels, Proceedings of the VI International Project Congress, Barcelona.
Curiel-Esparza, J., Calvo M.A. (1998) Management of industrial environmental risks in the European Union, Proceedings of the IV International Project Congress, Cordoba.
Cano-Hurtado J.J., Canto-Perello J., (1999) Sustainable development of urban underground space for utilities. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 14, 3, 335–340.
Cerda, I. (1867) Teoria General de la Urbanizacion, y aplicacion de sus principios y doctrinas a la Reforma y Ensanche de Barcelona, Imprenta Espanola, Madrid.
Canto-Perello J., Curiel-Esparza J. (2003) Risk and potential hazards in utility tunnels for urban areas. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Municipal Engineer 156, 1, 51–56.
Moffatt, S. (2001) Sustainable integration of infrastructure and building. Proceedings of the workshop to the Sustainable Buildings 2000 Conference, The Sheltair Group, Vancouver.
Stemmet, F. (2002) The engineer: a key enabler in urban design. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Municipal Engineer 151, 2, 101–109.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Curiel-Esparza, J., Canto-Perello, J. & Calvo, M.A. Establishing sustainable strategies in urban underground engineering. SCI ENG ETHICS 10, 523–530 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-004-0009-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-004-0009-5