The first China-Japan-The Netherlands Tunnel Symposium, co-organized by Tongji University, Geo-Research Institute (GRI) and Delft Geotechnical Research Institute (The Netherlands) is recently held in Yifu Building, Tongji University. The conference is also sponsored by Shanghai Society of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Urban Construction Group Corporation (SUCC), Shanghai Shentong Group Co., Ltd (Shentong), Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge Construction Development Co., Ltd (T&B Co., Ltd). More than sixty experts, scholars and those who work in the field of geotechnical engineering attended, and made academic discussions and exchanges on cross-ocean tunnels, long-distanced soft-soil tunnels of large diameter and the concerning auxiliary technologies.
At the opening ceremony, three chairs —— Hashimoto Tadashi, director of GRI, Japan, Prof. Zhu Hehua, dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Tongji, and Prof. J. Walraven from Delft Institution of Technology, the Netherland delivered respective speech and gave elaboration on the background and significance of holding this symposium for the first time. Prof. Sun Jun, academician of Chinese Academy of Science, Adaichi Toshihisa, former director of Japan Society of Civil Engineering, currently, director of Japan Society of Large Dam and honorary professor of Kyoto University, as well as Dr. Brinkman from GeoDelft were invited to make reports respectively on the Design of Total Fatigue Life of Undersea Tunnel, the Japanese Technologies for Tunnel and Subterranean Space Development, and the Dutch Tunnel Construction Experience. Also, other experts from SUCC, Shanghai Tunnel Company, T&B Co., Ltd and Shentong made special reports on the experience and challenge of building Shanghai cross-Huangpu River tunnels、cross-Yangtze tunnel and tunnels for metro. Then, more reports concerning construction experience, new research findings and innovations were given by Japanese and Dutch counterparts.
During the symposium, heated and free discussions were carried out on the issues of the sedimentation and long-run maintenance of tunnels in Shanghai, which is of great significance for the exchanging of information and idea, the sharing of achievement. And it is especially helpful for the experts of Shanghai to learn from the opinions and comments of foreign counterparts, and to apply them to the future construction and management of the tunnels in Shanghai.
Before the symposium, the foreign delegations and some of the domestic ones visited the Shangzhonglu Cross - Huangpu River Tunnel within the central beltway system, and the world-largest-diameter shield tunnel construction site —— Pudong–Changxing Island Segment of Chongming Cross-ocean Tunnel.
