ABSTRACT

An innovative energy segment for tunnel lining was patented by Politecnico di Torino in 2016 and tested in an experimental site installed in the tunnel of Turin Metro Line 1. Data were collected between 2017 and 2018 to form the basis of the performance assessment of the technology. Promising outcomes encouraged the authors to collaborate in this direction over the project of Turin Metro Line 2 to propose a methodology for assessing the thermal energy potentially exploitable by an underground infrastructure. This paper is intended to describe the methodology to be adopted for the feasibility study that will be conducted to assess the energy potential resulting from the thermal activation of the tunnel lining and how this can be distributed to surrounding users.