Judges
Hamdi Aydin
Türkiye
Olivier Böckli
Switzerland
Soo-Ho Chang
South Korea
Dr. Soo-Ho Chang is a distinguished professional in the field of Civil, Urban & Geosystem Engineering with a robust academic and career history. He earned his Ph.D. from the School of Civil, Urban & Geosystem Engineering at Seoul National University in August 2002. His dissertation, titled "Characterization of Stress-Induced Damage in Rock and Its Application on the Analysis of Rock Damaged Zone Around a Deep Tunnel," was guided by Prof. Chung-In Lee. This work has significantly contributed to the understanding of rock mechanics, particularly in the context of tunneling and underground space engineering. Prior to his Ph.D., Dr. Chang completed a Master of Science in Engineering in February 1998 and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in February 1996, both from the Department of Mineral & Petroleum Engineering at Seoul National University.
Dr. Chang's professional journey has been marked by a series of prestigious roles at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT). He has been a Senior Research Fellow at KICT since May 2016, where he leads advanced research projects in civil engineering. From June 2019 to December 2022, he served as the Director of the Construction Industry Promotion Department at KICT, overseeing initiatives to enhance construction practices and technologies. Additionally, Dr. Chang was the Head of the Smart Construction Promotion Center at KICT from April 2018 to June 2019, focusing on integrating smart technologies into construction processes. His tenure at KICT began in November 2007 as a Research Fellow, and he quickly rose to the position of Senior Researcher, a role he held from July 2002 to October 2007.
Elena Chiriotti
France
Jens Classen
Germany
Jens Classen is an experienced Senior Project Manager and TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) Consultant with a strong background in civil engineering and tunneling projects. He has an impressive track record of working on various tunneling projects worldwide and has held key roles in major construction companies.
He is currently employed as a Senior Project Manager at Implenia Construction GmbH, focusing on the Consorzio Dolomiti Brenner Base Tunnel Southern Access Route in Bolzano, Italy.
Jens Classen has extensive experience as an Independent TBM Consultant, providing worldwide consulting services for TBM drives in both tunneling and mining projects. He has been involved in several high-profile projects, offering expertise in TBM suitability, safety, and optimization.
In addition to his project management roles, Jens Classen has provided external consulting services for various projects, including serving as an expert witness for legal cases and offering consultancy on TBM drives and tunneling optimization.
He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Swiss Tunnelling Society, Italian Tunnelling Society, Canadian Tunnelling Society, and International Tunnelling Organization (ITA), where he holds a Vice-Chair position in the ITAtech Steering Board and is a member of Working Group No.17 "Long Tunnels at Great Depths."
Ross Dimmock
Finland
Ross has over 35 years’ of tunnelling experience primarily relating to the design and construction of permanent sprayed concrete linings for urban underground infrastructure projects. Over the last 13 years he has been with the Finnish company Normet, and currently is the Vice President for their Tunnelling business, having a focus on steering the tunnelling industry towards more sustainable solutions.
Through leading roles and exposure to the many facets of the international tunnelling industry, Ross has acquired a valuable, well-rounded “End to end” perspective of this challenging industry. He fully appreciates the technical demands of modern tunnel projects, and the need to establish a healthy balance between risk management and value engineering activities to determine the best outcomes.
Ross actively contributes to numerous industry standards and best practice guidelines on its further development and related technologies, with his recent focus on sustainable tunnelling. Ross is the chairman of the ITAtech Activity Group focused on new technologies for tunnel waterproofing and more efficient lining design. He also is a Steering Group Member for the newly formed SubSpace Energy Hub based in Switzerland, focusing on low carbon tunnelling and underground green energy storage.
Brad Grothen
United States of America
Brad Grothen, P.E. has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering. Grothen is based in Robbins’ Kent, Washington office and has specialized in custom industrial and construction equipment for over 25 years in a variety of roles, including mechanical and electrical design and project management.
In his time at Robbins he has worked in a variety of roles within the company and is currently Robbins VP of Engineering. This role includes leading overall product design and working directly with clients to present current technologies and develop new solutions for projects.
He is active in both international and domestic tunnelling organizations, contributing and leading working groups focused in Mechanized Tunnelling, Long and Deep Tunnels, and consumables.
Subodh Kumar Gupta
India
Sh. S. K. Gupta graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University and recipient of the ‘University Medal’ for standing first in all branches of Engineering. He did Masters in Structural Dynamics from IIT/Roorkee.
He is an ex. Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer with 33 years of experience. He is presently Director(Projects) in the Mumbai Metro Rail Corp. Ltd, a JV of GoI and GoM to construct urban transport project of Colaba-Bandra-Seepz (Line3).
Colaba- Bandra-Seepz (Line-3), which is also called the ‘Aqua Line’, is a 33.5 km long fully underground metro corridor. It runs in the North-South direction, which is the primary direction of traffic in Mumbai. Line-3 has 26 underground stations and one station At Grade. It connects important originations and destinations and would have influence on 3 million population in Mumbai. It connects main railway stations of Churchgate, CST and Mumbai Central and also connects both the terminals of the airport.
Line-3 would also connect to the Line-1, Line-2, Line-6 and Line-7 of the metro network; and also the monorail. Line-3 stations are being built in the most congested as well as heritage areas in the city, such as Hutatma Chowk, Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Grant Road, Dadar and many more. In terms of Dr. Sreedharan, this is the most difficult urban infrastructure project ever undertaking in India.
Mr.Gupta comes with extensive experience of conceptualizing, planning, contracting and implementation of underground as well as elevated modern metro rail networks. He has worked as an Expat on an international metro consultancy project. He is widely travelled within India and abroad.
He recently presented a paper on Mumbai Metro Line-3: the execution strategy for delivering the Aqua line in “the World Tunnel Congress” recently held in Copenhagen.
Siamak Hashemi
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Siamak Hashemi obtained a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering, an M.Sc. in Rock Mechanics, and completed his Ph.D. in Soil Mechanics. He is an experienced geotechnical engineer with a proven track record of providing geotechnical engineering consulting services on contractual or project basis.
Siamak held the position of Technical Deputy of Mines and Industries Department and Head of Knowledge Management Division at Sabir Dam and Water Works Construction Company. During his tenure, he negotiated terms of cooperation, prepared contracts with local and international clients for several mining and industrial projects.
As Project Manager and Head of Soil Mechanics Division at Moshanir Power Engineering Consultants, Siamak led teams in designing and assessing the stability of foundations, slopes, and tunnels in diverse geological conditions. He was also part of a multinational team involved in the preliminary design of Tehran's Metro Line 3.
Previously, he served as the Head of Technical Department at Khak & Sang Co., a geotechnical consultancy in Tehran. There, he managed and supervised site investigation projects for dam and tunnel construction, conducted in-situ rock mechanics tests, and oversaw the installation of monitoring instruments for several dam and tunnel projects.
Siamak served three terms as the vice-president of the Iranian Tunnelling Association (IRTA), and since 2019 is the Animateur of ITA’s working group 23 on design and construction of shafts. He is the Chief Editor of IRTA’s Tunnel Magazine, and Technical Editor of the Tunnelling and Underground Space Engineering (TUSE) Journal.
Samuel Huckle
France
Sam, a civil/mining engineer with a British and Belgian background, specialises in project delivery. Embarking on his journey in the tunnelling industry in 2011, he has developed a multicultural understanding through involvement in multimillion-euro projects across Europe. His diverse roles encompass main works contractor, client's engineer/advisory, and client positions. Currently, Sam is involved in a tunnel tender for Hochtief Infrastructure GmbH.
Within the ITA, Sam has been part of the steering board of the Young Members since 2021, contributing to the development of the YM offering and supporting the association in the background. His representation of the AFTES association reflects his deep appreciation as a self-described Francophile. Within the French association, he serves as an editorial contributor and reviewer for the Tunnels & Espace Souterrain publication and upcoming Technical Recommendations.
In his leisure time, Sam is dedicated to the preservation and reinstatement of the Tunnel d’Yvoir, aiming to revitalise this piece of Belgian civil engineering heritage and its tourism potential
Jeyatharan Kumarasamy
Singapore
Experienced geotechnical engineer with over 25 years of working experiences in the tunnelling and underground construction industry focusing on the land transport infrastructures. Working currently as Director (Civil Design) responsible for the design of major rail and road infrastructures at the Land Transport Authority, Singapore. He is a registered Professional Engineer (Civil) in Singapore and skilled in planning, design and construction of underground structures as stated below:
- Planning, design and construction of underground and above ground transport infrastructures
- Geotechnical design of foundations, retaining structures, tunnels, slopes and ground improvements
- Investigation of geotechnical failures/problems and recommendations
- Manage site investigation, lab and field testing and factual investigation reports
- Planning instrumentation and monitoring and interpret of monitoring data
- Prepare Geotechnical Interpretative and Baseline Reports (GIBR)
- Provide construction claim assessments
Recent Professional Contributions:
- Executive council member of International Tunnelling Association (ITA-AITES) (2019 – 2021)
- President of the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Society Singapore (2018 – 2024)
- Immediate Past President of the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Society Singapore (Since 2024)
- Chairman of site investigation technical committee under Singapore Accreditation Council (2014 – 2023)
Jian Liu
China
Dr. Liu Jian, Ph.D., is a professor of engineering with a specialization in bridge and tunnel engineering. He holds both a Master of Science (M.S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Bridge and Tunnel Engineering from Tongji University, completed in 2002 and 1999, respectively, and a Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of Delaware, obtained in 2006.
He began his career as a Structure Designer at WSP Sells in Briarcliff Manor, NY, from 2007 to 2010. Dr. Liu then served as Vice Director and later Director of the Chief Engineer Office at the Shen-Zhong Link Administration Center in Guangdong Province, China, from 2010 to 2023. The Shen-Zhong Link project includes a major suspension bridge and immersed tunnel. Since September 2023, he has been the Chief Engineer at the Humen Bridge Reconstruction and Extension Office, overseeing significant infrastructure improvements. Dr. Liu's expertise has been crucial in leading these large-scale engineering projects.
RIck Lovat
Canada
Joe Luxford
Australia
Camilo Marulanda
Colombia
Enrico Pizzarotti
Italy
Civil engineer graduated from Politecnico di Milano, with over thirty-five years of experience in the design and consulting of large geotechnical and underground works, in homeland and abroad, both tunnels built with conventional and mechanized excavation and punctual works, also in urban areas, including the Brenner Base Tunnel on the Italian side.
Scientific Director and Technical Director of the engineering company Pro Iter Progetto Infrastrutture Territorio S.r.l. (www.proiter.it), member of the Board of Directors of SIG Società Italiana Gallerie since 2016 and coordinator of SIG Working Groups. He has been a speaker at numerous seminars, conferences, and university master's degrees, and author or co-author of more than 60 articles and technical publications, including the books Engineering Geology for Underground Works (Springer 2014), and Handbook on Tunnels and Underground Works (Vol. 1 and 2, Taylor&Francis 2022).
Gabriele Quarzicci
Italy
Civil engineer with 6+ years of work experience mainly in the infrastructure engineering sector. Graduated in civil engineering from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (best graduates award) with a II Level Master’s degree in Emergency Management of Civil Protection (LUMSA University).
Initially a consultant for the firm Golder Associates S.r.l., from 2018 to December 2023 tunnel engineer for Italferr S.p.A. - Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.
Since January 2024 Senior Associate for the Capital project & Economics group in PwC in the Engineering & Construction unit where he provides specialized consultancy in project planning and cost control.
Lecturer in the Tunnel engineering Master (POLITO) and Tunneling&TBM Master (POLIMI) and Deep tunnels course (University of Rome “La Sapienza”) with the topic: seismic design of underground structures, co-author in two papers published in the proceedings of the World Tunnel Congress 2019 and 2023 (“Geological and geotechnical key-factors for tunnel design of the new Naples-Bari High-Speed railway line in Southern Italy” and “The new major railway lines in Southern Italy: planning and design approaches towards sustainable solutions”). He is also a member for the ITA and Italian Tunnelling Society WG9 “Seismic Effects”.
François Renaud
France
Tris Thomas
United Kingdom
Thomas Wu
Germany
Thomas Wu is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the field of tunnel construction and management. He currently serves as the Managing Director of China Railway Equipment (CREG) Germany GmbH, where he has been involved in various high-profile projects worldwide. Some notable projects include the Great Beirut Water Supply Project, Deep Tunnel Storm Water Project, Musaimeer Sewer Outfall, Metro Algiers, Metro Copenhagen, Snowy 2.0, Lisbon Drainage Tunnel, and Istanbul Railway Tunnel, among others.
Before his role at CREG Germany, Thomas Wu held the position of Vice President at Wirth Group Holding in Germany, where he served as the General Area Manager for China at NFM Technologies in France from 2004 to 2013. During this time, he contributed to significant projects such as Dahuofang Water Transfer Tunnel, Qinghai Water Transfer Tunnel, Metro Shenzhen L2, Metro Guangzhou, and Beijing Railway Link Tunnel, among others.
His earlier experience includes working in the sales department for Singapore and China projects at Herrenknecht in Germany from 2002 to 2004, and as a Senior Project Engineer and Cost Estimator at Wayss & Freytag AG in Germany from 1994 to 2002.
Thomas Wu holds a Master of Engineering in Tunnel Construction and Construction Management from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and a Master of Science in Tunnel Engineering from the University of Mining and Technology in Beijing. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Tunnel Engineering from Xi'an Mining University.