Underground engineering for sustainable urban development / Committee on Underground Engineering for Sustainable Development, Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Division on Earth and Life Sciences ; National Research Council of the National Academies.

Includes bibliographical references.

"For thousands of years, the underground has provided humans refuge, useful resources, physical support for surface structures, and a place for spiritual or artistic expression. More recently, many urban services have been placed underground. Over this time, humans have rarely considered how underground space can contribute to or be engineered to maximize its contribution to the sustainability of society. As human activities begin to change the planet and population struggle to maintain satisfactory standards of living, placing new infrastructure and related facilities underground may be the most successful way to encourage or support the redirection of urban development into sustainable patterns. Well maintained, resilient, and adequately performing underground infrastructure, therefore, becomes an essential part of sustainability, but much remains to be learned about improving the sustainability of underground infrastructure itself. At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Research Council (NRC) conducted a study to consider sustainable underground development in the urban environment, to identify research needed to maximize opportunities for using underground space, and to enhance understanding among the public and technical communities of the role of underground engineering in urban sustainability. Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development explains the findings of researchers and practitioners with expertise in geotechnical engineering, underground design and construction, trenchless technologies, risk assessment, visualization techniques for geotechnical applications, sustainable infrastructure development, life cycle assessment, infrastructure policy and planning, and fire prevention, safety and ventilation in the underground. This report is intended to inform a future research track and will be of interest to a broad audience including those in the private and public sectors engaged in urban and facility planning and design, underground construction, and safety and security."--Publisher's description.

This study was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-0946245.

Print version record.

1.Introduction -- Defining Underground Infrastructure -- Sustainability -- Hazard and Risk -- A Brief History of Underground Occupation -- Potential Benefits and Challenges Associated with Developing Underground Space -- Human Factors Affecting Underground Development -- Report Organization -- References -- 2.THE EVOLUTION OF AND FACTORS AFFECTING UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT -- Expansion of the Underground in the Past Century -- Engineering the Underground for Sustainability -- Policy, Economic, and Human Behavioral Drivers that Influence Decision Making -- Cross-Systems Interdependencies -- Consequences of Incomplete Planning -- Planning and Governance for Sustainability -- Long-Term Management of the Underground -- References -- 3.CONTRIBUTIONS OF UNDERGROUND ENGINEERING TO SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT URBAN DEVELOPMENT -- The Broad View: The Urban Setting as a System of Systems -- Hazards, Security, and Resilience of Urban Areas -- References -- 4.HEALTH AND SAFETY UNDERGROUND -- Human Factor Engineering -- Managing Safety through Regulation -- Hazards to Human Health -- Security from Violence -- International Underground Tunnel Safety Codes -- Emergency Response Challenges -- Increasing Comfort and Maximizing Safety -- References -- 5.LIFECYCLE SUSTAINABILITY, COSTS, AND BENEFITS OF UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT -- Lifecycle Sustainability Assessment -- Lifecycle Economic Benefits and Costs -- Lifecycle Environmental Benefits and Costs -- Social Benefits and Costs -- Research Needs for Lifecycle Costs and Benefits -- References -- 6.INNOVATIVE UNDERGROUND TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT -- Evolution of Technology -- Technologies for Underground Site Characterization -- Technologies for Design -- Technologies for Underground Construction -- Technologies for Effective Asset Management -- Technologies That Promote Sustainability and Resilience -- References -- 7.INSTITUTIONAL EDUCATIONAL, RESEARCH, AND WORKFORCE CAPACITY -- Coordinated Formal Planning -- Technological Leadership -- An Educational Framework -- Improving Performance -- Advancing Technology for Sustainability -- Lifecycle Approaches -- User Safety and Comfort -- Final Thoughts -- References -- APPENDIXES -- A.Committee and Staff Biographies -- B.Open Session Meeting Agendas.

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide