Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground comprises a collection of 118 papers, four reports on symposium themes, and four invited lectures presented at the seventh International Symposium on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, held in Rome, Italy, 16-18 May 2011.

The symposium was organized by the Technical Committee TC28 “Underground Construction in Soft Ground” of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). This is the latest in a series which began in New Delhi in 1994, and was followed by symposia in London (1996), Tokyo (1999), Toulouse (2002), Amsterdam (2005), and Shanghai (2008). The Rome symposium was organised by the Italian Geotechnical Society (AGI), under the auspices of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and the Italian Ministry for Public Works, and sponsored by various national and international companies.

Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground includes contributions from 30 countries on research, design and construction of underground works in soft ground. The contributions cover:

- Construction, design, and measured performance of bored tunnels

- Physical and numerical modelling of deep excavations and bored tunnels

- Construction, design, and measured performance of deep excavations

- Design methods and predictive tools for deep excavations and bored tunnels

- Ground movements, interaction with existing structures and mitigation measures

- Activities of TC204 working groups

The general reports give an overview of the papers listed in the symposium’s technical sessions. The proceedings include the written version of the four invited lectures covering topics ranging from the geotechnical aspects of construction of the new Mexico City deep sewerage system (as a special contribution of TC214 “Soft Soils”), to the long-term settlement mechanisms of tunnels in Shanghai, the lessons learned from the deep excavations for the North-South Line in Amsterdam, and the evaluation of the effects of tunnel excavation on historical buildings, drawing on experience gathered during construction of subway line C in Rome.

Similar to previous editions, Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground represents a valuable source of reference on the current practice of analysis, design, and construction of tunnels and deep excavations in soft ground. The book is particular aimed at academics and professionals interested in geotechnical and underground engineering.