ABSTRACT
Environmental aspects are often a crucial issue that is taken into account for the feasibility of a tunnel project. Therefore, they must be considered as a constraint that influences the design. Natural resources and ground water preservation, muck disposal and its reuse, interference with nearby structures and population due to soil and water pollution, and the emission of dust, noise and vibrations must be considered and properly nullified or minimized. The design process should therefore include and design the mitigation measures needed to minimize the impact of the various environmental hazards. In this chapter, the key issues of the most important environmental aspects are presented and discussed.
