Keynote Speakers

Keynote 1: History, Trends & Future by Knut F. Garshol
- Knut is an independent consulting engineer and a longtime member of the Norwegian Tunnelling Network (NTN). With more than 50 years’ experience of underground construction: as resident engineer and geological engineer on major hydropower and road tunnel projects; as chief engineer and section manager at a large Norwegian general contractor; as owner and CEO of a specialist sub-contracting company; as senior manager, regional director, and technical adviser for an international underground construction chemical group; as senior resident engineer for a major EPCM firm; and, since 2015, as an independent consultant through his own company KGRE AS. 
This breadth of roles across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa as a contractor, sub-contractor, manufacturer's specialist, owner's representative, and independent expert — gives Garshol an unusually complete understanding of how underground projects succeed or fail in practice and makes him equally effective advising contractors on bid strategy and construction methodology, or advising owners on design review, specifications, and dispute resolution. 

Keynote 2: Practical Sustainability by Ola Woldmo
- Ola is a senior advisor, construction manager and Chairman of the Norwegian Rock Blasting Museum, and his specialties is in the field of underground construction and tunnel support including water ingress control by PEG method. With more than 45 years’ experience in the field of pre-excavation grouting in tunnels, cavern and shafts. This involves grouting works for the control of groundwater for major civil engineering projects in Norway, Iceland, Africa, South America, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Ola’s experience includes 15 years with civil contractors and 15 years’ experience with a leading global supplier in development and optimization of grouting materials and equipment plant for water ingress control in tunnels and shafts. 
For the past 10 years, Ola has been involved in design and control of execution for engineering companies and large public clients such as the City of Oslo, Fornebu Metro Line and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration at the Rogfast Sub Sea Tunnel project.