Wednesday, 19. November 2025
Workshop on Tunneling in Challenging Conditions
Focused expert lectures on soft ground tunneling, complex support systems, and hands-on lessons from active projects.
Thursday, 20. November 2025
Conference Day & Panel Discussion
Main day of the conference featuring top experts from Slovenia and abroad. Ending with a roundtable on the future of underground construction.
Friday, 21. November 2025
Technical Excursion
Site visit to the Karavanke Tunnel – currently the largest tunnel construction project in Slovenia.
Wednesday, 19. November 2025, Janus Hall
Workshop on Tunneling in Challenging Conditions
8:00–9:00
Registration of participants
9:00–9:30
Welcome speeches
Milan Črepinšek, President of ITA Slovenia
Andrea Pigorini, President of ITA-AITES
9:30–10:25
Lecture
Milan Uljarević: Dealing with complex geology and groundwater – experience from the Iriški Venac Tunnel Project
10:25–11:20
Lecture
Marko Žibert: Innovative application of microfiber-reinforced shotcrete in the Karavanke Tunnel under high deformation conditions
11:20–11:50
Coffee break with refreshments
11:50–12:45
Lecture
Nedim Radončić: Modern approaches to tunnelling in the Alps – lessons from Swiss and Austrian projects
12:45–13:40
Lecture
Giuseppe Lunardi: Tunnelling in weak ground: lessons learned from recent Italian projects
13:40–14:55
Lunch
14:55–15:50
Lecture
Peter Schaul: Design possibilities and applications of synthetic fibre-reinforced concrete in underground infrastructure
15:50–17:10
Round table
Managing risks and responsibilities in complex underground projects
17:10
Event conclusion
Wednesday, 19. November 2025, Kronos Hall
Workshop for Young Members
14:30–15:00
Registration of participants
15:00–15:35
Introductory presentations and welcome speech
Introductory presentation ITA Slovenia
Introductory presentation ITA Young Members
Welcome speech Andrea Pigorini, President of ITA-AITES
15:35–16:00
First set: It's not all about depth: professional roles, challenges and perspectives
Lectures (Gregor Vilhar, Luigi D’Angelo)
16:00–16:20
Discussion
16:20–16:50
Coffee break with refreshments
16:50–17:05
Second set: Underground space as an integral part of a sustainable city
Lecture (Anja Slapničar)
17:05–17:25
Discussion
17:25–17:40
Third set: From challenges to solutions: digital tools on the construction site
Lecture (Metod Gaber)
17:40–18:00
Discussion
18:00
Event conclusion
20:00
Social event at Union brewery pub (Pivnica Union)
Thursday, 20. November 2025, Janus Hall
Lectures
8:00–9:00
Registration of participants
9:00–9:30
Welcome speeches
Milan Črepinšek, President of ITA Slovenia
mag. Andrej Rajh, Ministry of Infrastructure of RS
mag. Andrej Ribič, DARS
9:30–10:00
Introductory lecture
Andrea Pigorini: Italian high speed rail – evolution of tunnel design
10:00–11:00
Lecture Session 1
Boštjan Volk, Jože Ratej: Challenges of building the eastern tube of the Karavanke Tunnel in aquifers
Jakob Likar, Žiga Likar, Tadej Cotelj, Erazem Kovač, Melanija Huis, Andrej Likar: From planning to construction of the permocarbonate section of the eastern tube of the Karavanke road tunnel in highly extrudable plastic hills
11:00–11:30
Coffee break with refreshments
Thursday, 20. November 2025, Kronos Hall
Slovenian lectures
11:30–12:45
Lecture Session 2
Marjan Zaletelj: Presentation of the Divača–Koper second track project – current status
Gašper Brus, Gregor Vilhar, Jure Česnik, Vid Pristavec, Mitja Pečovnik, Elvir Muhić: BIM modelling and guidelines on the Karavanke Eastern Tube construction project
Andrej Ločniškar: Geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological monitoring of tunnel construction
Boštjan Volk, Matej Zalokar: Geotechnical monitoring of silo construction at the NSRAO landfill
12:45–14:00
Lunch
14:00–15:15
Lecture Session 3
Matej Zalokar, Tadej Cotelj, Žiga Likar, Vladimir Vukadin: Geotehnical monitoring during construction of new tunnel tube Karavanke
Klara Ocepek, Anej Braniselj, Nina Jurečič: Geological-geomechanical investigations for the renovation of existing railway tunnels: the case of Vintgar tunnel
Gregor Lotrič, Boštjan Volk, Julija Fux, Markus Schmidt: Application of the results of ground penetrating radar measurements in the progress of tunnel excavation on the example of the T1 (Lokev) tunnel, 2nd track Divača–Koper
Elvir Muhić, Saša Galuf, Boštjan Volk, Sebastjan Bratina, Vojkan Jovičić: Bridging karst caves on the 2nd track Divača–Koper: the case of the Lokev tunnel
15:15–15:40
Coffee break with refreshments
Thursday, 20. November 2025, Horus Hall
English lectures
11:30–12:45
Lecture Session 2
Daniele Peila, Carmine Todaro, Andrea Carigi, Di Alfio Giovani, Anna Caracciolo Barra, Paola Grenni, Luisa Patrolecco: The Italian approach for the evaluation of the potential ecotoxicity of mucking in EPB excavation
Tina Živec, Markus Schmid, Thomas Richter, Martin Hostnik: Application of borehole radar measurements as part of the geotechnical analysis for bridging caves inside the tunnel T2 of the new Divača–Koper railway line
Peter Jemec, Peter Zupančič, Simon Arčan, Martin Hostnik: Bridging karst phenomena in the T2 tunnel on the second track between Divača and Koper
Pascal Leuenberger, Ramona Wenninger: Tunnel maintenance as a key factor for safety, service life, and cost: the critical role of drainage
12:45–14:00
Lunch
14:00–15:15
Lecture Session 3
Dilleta Traldi, Jemec Peter: Composite shell lining in Pekel escape tunnel allowed high CO2 reduction
Željko Špiljar, Dora Helena Špiljar: Evacuation signs in underground car parks: installed for our safety or as a matter of form?
Tilen Urbančič, Tilen Čuk, Sandi Naglič, Jaka Gorišek: Using augmented reality technology in tunnels
Wolfgang Aldrian, Roland Mayr, Grgur Petrović: CO2 Savings Through Effective Use of Sprayed Concrete
15:15–15:40
Coffee break with refreshments
Thursday, 20. November 2025, Janus Hall
Lectures
15:40–16:50
Lecture Session 4
Anton Levičar, Sergej Hiti, Nejc Mihevc: Ljubljana railway junction
Vojkan Jovičić, Mitja Pečovnik, Elvir Muhić, Samo Peter Medved, Marko Kosovel: The Maribor city tunnel: a feasable underground traffic solution
Tilen Urbančič, Luka Gradišar, Uroš Barlič, Jure Česnik: Next-Generation Tunnel Inspection: Digital Twins on a Web Platform
16:50–17:05
Relaxation break
17:05–18:35
Round table
Contracts, billing and additional work in tunnel construction
Participants: Milan Črepinšek, Maja Koršič Potočnik, Kristijan Mugerli, Andrea Pigorini, Anjo Žigon, Tatjana Zalokar, Janez Kušnik
18:35
Networking event with dinner
Friday, 21. November 2025, Karavanke tunnel
Technical Excursion
8:00–9:00
Departure from Ljubljana (Dolgi most P+R)
9:00–9:15
Arrival at Hrušica
9:15–9:25
Welcome speeches
Welcome speech DARS
Welcome speech DRI
9:25–10:00
Lectures
Lecture Cengiz
Lecture Geoportal
10:00–12:15
Tunnel tour
12:15–16:00
Lunch at gostilna pri Martinu, Kranjska Gora
16:00–17:00
Planned return to Ljubljana (Dolgi most P+R)
Note: If possible, bring your own protective equipment.
IZS kreditne točke
Komisija za izobraževanje pri IZS je pooblaščenim in nadzornim inženirjem za udeležbo na obeh dnevih 15. konference o predorih in podzemnih objektih dodelila 5 kreditnih točk iz izbirnih vsebin skladno s Splošnim aktom o stalnem poklicnem usposabljanju pooblaščenih inženirjev. Za pripis kreditnih točk morate na dan dogodka ob registraciji izpolniti listo prisotnosti.
Organizatorji bomo poskrbeli za skupinsko vlogo o udeležbi. Točke bodo s tem pripisane avtomatično, IZS pa dodatnih obvestil ne bo pošiljala.