Nashville is beckoning to the industry perhaps more than usual this year. The famous city is set to host the latest large-scale gathering of the UCA North American Tunneling (NAT) Conference, in late June.
The busy programme of tracks and speakers is still being prepared but much is already lined up for the latest edition of the biennial major conference and exhibition, taking place over June 23-26. It is organised by the Underground Construction Association (UCA), a division of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).
The four-day event will focus on the information, advances and projects in the tunnelling and underground infrastructure industry, including challenges and victories. The event is aimed for contractors, engineers, consultants, vendors and owners the industry – as well as infrastructure asset owners.
In terms of numbers, more than 1000 attendees are expected to see some 140 exhibitors, and to hear presentations in about 20 technical sessions. As ever, many networking opportunities are available through the exhibition space and presentations as well as networking events, lunches and dinners. And, of course, the many offerings of the host city of Nashville.
More than 200 booths are available on the exhibition show floor
Plans for the technical sessions and presentations will be available in more detail in the coming months, which T&TNA will detail.
Lined up already among the list of Signature Speakers is a local professional researcher and communicator – Tony Gonzalez, a reporter and news director with 90.3 Nashville Public Radio, and who, for the channel’s ‘Curious Nashville’ podcast, gets opportunity to chase down answers to questions that come up for some residents, such as those who wondered: “What’s really beneath our city?” He will be the NAT Luncheon Speaker on June 24, giving an entertaining and informative talk to share what he found out, in his talk ‘What tunnels lie beneath the city?’
The busy conference and exhibition is also offering academic support to US institutions through two initiatives – scholarships for students; and also a programme to bring professors/lectures to see how course teaching can bring more focus to underground infrastructure construction (see box panels).
Nashville beckons.
Check for more information as it released: www.smenet.org www.natconference.com
SUPPORTING ACADEMIC STUDIES
Through the ‘Teach the Professors/Lecturers Programme’, UCA’s NAT 2024 conference is seeking to support academic courses in civil underground engineering (structural, geotechnical, construction) by “providing education and curriculum” to those course developers and instructors of such studies.
A shortage of trained civil engineers exists has been identified as a major threat to the growing underground infrastructure sector, according to the technical committees of UCA and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
To contribute toward countering that problem, NAT 2024 is sponsoring 10 professors/instructors to attend the conference in late June. The aim is to give them access to the presentations and exhibition, and networking, to help enhance their understanding of civil engineering for underground infrastructure.
They will also participate in a workshop that focuses on helpful and suitable curriculum options of relevance to junior-level/undergraduate courses, such as introductions to specialist areas like geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and construction engineering. The aim is to help craft over the following months a series of appropriate lessons, homework problems, and/or presentations for students by the Fall, for courses to be held in the 2024-25 academic year, in the US.
Educational support to help increase the focus upon, appreciation of, and participation in underground engineering in future is also being given through scholarships. These awards – from UCA and NAT – are to help develop the career options for students, and do so through two possibilities: conference attendance and academic scholarships, respectively. Application deadline is April 15. Contact: scholarships@smenet.org
EVENT SPONSORS
The following are sponsors of NAT 2024 at the different levels:
Gold Level Sponsors:
Jacobs
Mott MacDonald
Herrenknecht
HNTB
Silver Level Sponsors:
PPS – Poltinger Precision
Systems
Traylor Bros., Inc
Affholder
Stantec
Bronze Level Sponsors:
Dr Sauer & Partners
Delve Underground
Stiver Engineering
Schnabel
Jay Dee
Aztec (part of Typsa Group)
