ABSTRACT
Analysis of controlled deformation in rocks and soils is a universal approach in planning and construction of underground works (named A.DE.CO), which stands apart from all previous methods for having always pursued to attain the respect of times and costs of completing works, independent of the excavation system used, whether it be mechanized or traditional. Additionally, respecting times and costs of production works is in the interests of Clients and the Contractors alike, and can be achieved only by means of industrialization of the excavation. The starting point of the approach is the reinforcement -in poor geotechnical conditions- of the tunnel core-face of the excavation by means of fiber glass elements. The practice, which started almost 30 years ago in Italy, has proven to be suitable in the most complex geological contexts, in clays, in soft grounds and in rocks and for whatever stress state conditions and tunnel dimensions.
