Geo-environmental aspects of European underground infrastructure

Underground excavation techniques have become safer, cheaper and faster. Governments of European countries and certain industrial sectors have shown to be prepared to make long-term investments in finding environmentally friendly solutions to resolve infrastructural problems in urban areas resulting from economic growth and increased urbanisation. These two developments have been responsible for a significant increase in European underground infrastructure in the past three decades. An even more spectacular growth can be witnessed in China since 2000. In this paper the use of the subsurface is described against a geological and geotechnical background. In addition, due attention is given to legislation related to underground development. Current legislation in EU countries and beyond is far from adequate to resolve legal issues concerning subsurface structures. In this paper legislation relevant to environmental aspects of subsurface infrastructural elements, and the apparent lack of proper legislative frameworks in this field at national and supra-national (EU) levels, is highlighted. As most indicators point to a more intensive use of the subsurface over the next few decades, geological and legislative constraints will become more and more decisive factors in enabling its optimal use.