The lemma of the Seminar descends from the Portuguese current situation concerning underground works, which is twofold.
The first aspect is the drastic decrease of the volume of awarded construction contracts and the growing concern with the implementation of maintenance and refurbishment tasks. It is well known that the latter are key factors of the technical and financial success of the life span of underground works, potentially longer than the structures at ground surface. The adoption of emerging technologies on construction materials, methods and equipment in the planning and management of exploration and maintenance is revolutionizing this field of activity.
Complementarily, the Portuguese underground works contractors and consultancy companies are managing to explore and preserve business opportunities abroad, where good financial and technical management during the life span embodies a positive selection factor on tender processes. Consequently, the 4th International Seminar addresses the Operation and Maintenance and Refurbishment aiming at enabling their consideration in Planning, Design and Construction. These, it may be said, are the underpinnings to the success of any underground project.