The limited amount of space in our densely populated country is constantly under pressure. A growing population combined with increased business activity has meant that new residential areas and industrial sites are being built in a wide variety of locations. And because everyone wants to travel between destinations quickly and easily, these spatial developments have resulted in more and more roads and railways. Despite all these claims on our space, one of the ways that The Netherlands can maintain its standard of living quality is to use underground space. Not only for activities that cause disruption on the surface, but also for activities that can be carried out just as effectively without daylight, such as the storage of goods.

Although there is increasing demand to use underground space, a great deal of knowledge is still needed to ensure that the potential for this type of spatial use is used effectively in coming years. How, for example can disruption to the environment during construction and the use of underground infrastructure be minimised? Which safety requirements must underground structures meet, and how can the costs of underground construction be reduced? Delft Cluster is carrying out research to find the answers to these and many other questions. This research is carried out as part of three projects:

Delft Cluster is carrying out the projects 'Managed drilling' and 'Innovative shallow construction' together with the Centre for Underground Construction (COB), as part of the Consortium DC - COB.