CREATION

The Belgian Tunnelling & Underground Space Association, in short Belgian Tunnelling Association (ABTUS-BVOTS), was born on March 9, 1977, by the fusion between the Belgian Grouping for Underground Techniques and Town planning, created in 1959, and the Belgian Tunnelling Association, set up in 1976 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Public Works.

 

AIM OF THE ASSOCIATION

ABTUS-BVOTS aims to promote and develop the knowledge about underground construction works of all kinds: transport tunnels (road, metro and rail), sewers and technical galleries, shafts, and all underground constructions in general (car parks, shopping centers, underground plants, factories and storing spaces, ...).

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Its interest goes to all sectors of science and technique linked with design of tunnels and underground works, construction techniques (e.g. immersed tunnels, bored tunnels, cut & cover tunnels, ...) incl. specific equipment, project financing, asset management and maintenance, tunnel technical installations, town planning and promotion of Underground Space solutions, and more generally their technical, safety, sustainable & environmental, innovative, contractual and administrative aspects, as well as economic and social issues.

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These aims need to bring together and mobilize all actors of the profession:

 

• the public authorities and public institutions:

  • Federal, regional and local administrations

  • Universities

  • Transport companies

  • Research & Development centers

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• and the private institutions:

  • Contractors

  • Design & Engineering offices and Consultants

  • Architects and town planners

  • Control offices

  • Equipment manufacturers & specialized suppliers

  • Investors

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The presence of these various sectors in its Board gives the Association a particularly efficient representativity in a wide range of activities.

 

ABTUS-BVOTS is also promoting Belgian tunnelling know-how and expertise internationally and will have the privilege to organize the World Tunnel Congress WTC 2027 in Antwerp.

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ABTUS-BVOTS will celebrate its 50 years of existence in 2027.

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ABTUS-BVOTS carries out all activities that can contribute to its aims, as:
> the dissemination of information on doctrines, sciences and techniques, on the basis of a common terminology;
> the concertation in order to define, in the framework of its capabilities and after coordination with the other relevant bodies, research and development aims;
> the participation in the national and international bodies dealing with underground works;
> the information of the members, the collectivities and the public on the problems concerning the use of the underground.

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MEANS OF ACTION
To reach these various aims, ABTUS-BVOTS organises inter alia conferences, study-days, symposia and site visits. It promotes also the organisation of international congresses, periodical and others, and participates actively in them. It keeps relations and collaborates with the international, foreign and national, public and private organisations that cope with similar or related problems. It distributes to its members the magazine “Tunnels et Espace souterrain”, official publication of the French sister-association “Association Française des Tunnels et Espace Souterrains”.

SCIENTIFIC PRIZE
This prize, with a value of 1.250 euros, has been created in 1983, and is aimed to recompense remarkable master thesis from last year students civil engineer or town planner from a Belgian University or similar institution, that fall in the frame of the aims of ABTUS-BVOTS. These works have to be proposed and supported by the professor who followed their redaction.

MEMBERS
The number of members is permanently moving and depends largely on the general economic trend and particularly on the one of the infrastructural works. ABTUS-BVOTS counts around 120 members, with 70% being collective (corporate) members and 30% individual members.
Members are active across various sectors, including:

-Public authorities (national, regional, local)
-Consultants
-Universities, laboratories, research and control centers, professional associations
-Contractors
-Suppliers
-Others and private individuals

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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
At the inland side, it is the wish of the ABTUS to bring together in a dynamic, homogeneous and multidisciplinary team all the people an organisations that are concerned -close or far- with the use and the operation of the underground, i.e. the public authorities, the consultants and engineers, the architects and town planners, the specialists in geology and ground mechanics, the general and specialised contractors, the equipment suppliers, the laboratories and research, control and certification institutes, the teaching institutes, the scientific associations, etc.
At the international side, it has to maintain the international reputation of Belgium in the field of underground works, and thus tries to carry out and to amplify the contacts with the most eminent foreign specialists.

In this capacity, it represents Belgium within the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA). It previously hosted the ITA’s annual General Assembly and World Tunnel Congress in 1980. In 2027, it will once again organize the World Tunnel Congress, which will coincide with the celebration of its 50th anniversary.

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