Risk management in Canadian tunnelling projects

Unforeseen ground conditions are the main cause of delay and cost overruns around the world in tunnelling construction. Underground uncertainty demands extensive efforts for risk reduction and management. The insurance sector has reacted drastically to the tunnelling industry after experiencing losses for up to 500% against premiums earned in 2001. Consequently, insuring tunnelling projects has become a challenging process around the world where auditable Risk Management practices are becoming mandatory. This trend is having a global impact that has reached Canadian projects. This thesis analyses the impact of "The Joint Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnelling Works in the UK" in the international insurance market and its influence in Canada, as well as the state of practice of Risk Management in the Canadian tunnelling industry. The start-up guideline for the practice of "Systematic Risk Management in Tunnelling Projects" consolidates these findings.