Award for Project Legacy & Social Value

Winner:

Balfour Beatty Vinci - Building Better Futures: West Midlands School Support Program

"This entry demonstrates a thoughtful and heartfelt commitment to community engagement, particularly through meaningful partnerships with local schools and collaboration across the supply chain. The project team’s efforts clearly reflect a desire to create a positive and lasting legacy beyond the core tunnelling works, offering an approach that is both impactful and highly replicable across other projects. The initiative showcases strong industry leadership in social value, with practices that can easily inspire wider adoption. With additional context around overarching goals, the already strong submission could be further enhanced, but overall it stands out as a well-considered, community-focused example that meets the category criteria and offers clear potential for broader influence."

Finalists:

• Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), The Government of the HKSAR, AECOM Asia and CREC Joint Venture - Yuen Long South First Phase Development U-shaped Tunnel Boring Machine (UTBM)

Carbon & Sustainability Initiative of the Year

Winner:

Mapei UTT - Mapequick CBS Active CF System

"This entry offers a highly innovative and collaborative solution to reducing carbon emissions in tunnelling by introducing a cement-free grout that tackles one of the largest contributors to a TBM tunnel’s carbon footprint. The approach shows impressive potential for significant carbon savings and stands out for its strong future replicability across the industry. The scale of impact and forward-thinking design make this a particularly influential development and a strong example of innovation driving meaningful environmental progress."

• Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), The Government of the HKSAR, AECOM Asia and CREC Joint Venture - Yuen Long South First Phase Development U-shaped Tunnel Boring Machine
• Hochtief UK Construction Ltd - Snowdonia Visual Impact Provision

Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year

Winner:

Joseph Gallagher - Life - 10 Years of Culture

"This entry presents a well-established and impactful wellbeing initiative that has demonstrated long-term commitment and cultural change over a decade. It is particularly notable for being internally driven, without client prompting or external funding, and has shown consistent improvement over time. The submission highlights strong leadership engagement and clear positive outcomes for workforce wellbeing. While more data linking the initiative to productivity or tunnelling-specific risk mitigation would strengthen it further, it stands out as a mature, thoughtful, and industry-leading example of health, safety, and wellbeing practice. This entry stood out as having real impact with Joseph Gallagher and their projects."

• Ns Nordics As -  Wellbeing of the workforce
• UrbanCGI , SCS JV and HS2  -  Behavioural Operating Standards

Innovation in Instrumentation & Monitoring

Winner:  

"This entry presents a highly innovative digital system that sets a new standard in tunnelling by seamlessly integrating large volumes of sensor data with construction processes. Its advanced visualisation and real-time insights have proven especially valuable in supporting safe and informed decision-making during TBM operations on a major project. The modular design also positions it well for use across tunnelling schemes of any scale. While a few additional on-site examples would have strengthened the submission further, the overall approach clearly demonstrates industry-leading thinking and showcases significant potential to enhance ground-risk management and digitalisation throughout the sector."

• Balfour Beatty  -  Use of innovative monitor systems for risk reduction in tunnel sea connection work

Innovation in Tunnel Design & Construction

Winner:

Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), The Government of the HKSAR, AECOM Asia and CREC Joint Venture  -  Yuen Long South First Phase Development U-shaped Tunnel Boring Machine (UTBM)

"The judges were impressed by its originality, smart engineering, and measurable impact - faster delivery, safer working conditions, and a significant reduction in carbon emissions."

Finalists:

• Bouygues Travaux Paublics -  Central Kowloon Route - Central Tunnel :- A Unique Drilling and Blasting Tunnels Through the Densest Populated Area
• DSD AECOM CSAJV  -  To Create the Largest Civilian Cavern in Asia – Practice of Innovation Design and Smart Site Management in Hong Kong
• HS2 Area North Integrated Project Team & National Highways -  Bromford Tunnel – M6 Bromford Viaduct Crossing
• Joint participation by CEDD/HKSAR Government, AECOM, BK-STEC JV -  Construction of Subway SB-01 by RTBM method

Innovation in Tunnel Fit-Out, Maintenance & Refurbishment

Winner:

Arup - AI and Automated Tunnel Inspections for Fit-out and Maintenance: A Whole Life Cycle Case Study

"This is a strong and well-rounded entry that demonstrates smart use of technology, solid engineering thinking, and measurable outcomes. The submission clearly outlines the need for the innovation, how it was implemented, and the wide-ranging benefits it brings - particularly in terms of time, cost, and safety improvements. The approach stands out for its scale and the detail in which the data collection system is described. The collaborative development across multiple projects and clients adds further strength, showing a commitment to continuous improvement. The innovation has had a notable impact, including influencing a client’s approach to tunnel asset management. To enhance the entry, consider more directly linking the supporting documents with the written content for clarity. This submission stood out by the fact they developed the use of AI across multiple projects to make big steps in productivity and deliver for clients."

Finalists:

• Leeds City Council -  New York Road flyover bearing replacement
• National Gas in collaboration with A.Hak UK   -  A66 Diversion Project – Cumbria for Innovation in Tunnel Fit-Out, Maintenance & Refurbishment

Outstanding Contribution to the Industry

Winner:

Sarah Langley - Sika

"This submission showcases Sarah’s impressive dedication to the tunnelling industry through her leadership, volunteering, and high-profile involvement with the BTS and BTYM."

Technical Innovation of the Year

Winner:

"This is a well-structured and compelling submission that demonstrates a simple but effective innovation to mitigate clogging and optimise spoil flow. The use of compressed air has reduced maintenance interventions and improved safety. While not complex, its measurable outcomes and potential for widespread adoption make it a model for how targeted changes can yield significant benefits."

Finalists:

• Balfour Beatty -   Revolutionary data workflow for SCL work
• Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), The Government of the HKSAR/AECOM Asia/CREC Joint Venture -  Yuen Long South First Phase Development U-shaped Tunnel Boring Machine (UTBM)
• Dr. Sauer & Partners for Anglo American -  Sprayed concrete lining (SCL) for deep mine shaft
• Waste & Environmental Technologies   -  Transforming Tunnelling Wastewater Treatment through Modular Innovation

Tunnelling Ground Investigation Project of the Year

Winner:

United Utilities and Mott MacDonald Bentley  -  Bolton WwTW - Management of Challenging Ground Conditions

Finalists:

• Southern Water and  Stantec -  Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project
• United Utilities and Mott MacDonald Bentley -  Bolton WwTW - Management of challenging ground conditions

Tunnelling Project of the Year ($150M and over)

Winner:

DSD AECOM CSAJV - Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns

"This entry represents a landmark underground infrastructure project, excelling in technical innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. Highlights include freeing up 28 hectares of urban land, advanced digital engineering (BIM, digital twin), innovative excavation and monitoring methods, and impressive material reuse of over 90%. The project also demonstrates strong workforce development, delivering safely and on time through complex geology. Overall, it is a transformative and exemplary project that showcases innovative use of underground space and sets a high benchmark for future infrastructure delivery."

Finalists:

• Balfour Beatty - Hinkley Point C - Tunnel to Shaft Connections

Tunnelling Project of the Year (up to $150M)

Winner:

Avove, Severn Trent and HB Tunnelling - Strelley to Redhill Trunk Main

"Delivered ahead of schedule with strong project controls, technical innovation (pipe jacking, TBM optimisation, modular construction), and exemplary safety (220,000+ hours with zero RIDDOR incidents). Demonstrated proactive risk management, environmental stewardship (carbon reduction, biodiversity protection), and excellent stakeholder engagement leading to high satisfaction. A well-rounded project showcasing collaboration, innovation, safety, and sustainability. A well-rounded project showcasing collaboration, innovation, safety and sustainability."

Finalists:

• Metroselskabet (The Copenhagen Metro) -  Extension of the metro line M4 to South Harbour

Tunnelling Project Team of the Year

Winner:

DSD AECOM CSAJV - Cavern Heroes – Strive for Perfection

"The winning team recognised that their project required quick decisions and top tier expertise, and their approach delivered this very successfully. Team behaviours and shared goals from the top achieved a great legacy for the tunnelling industry"

Finalists:

• Balfour Beatty - Hinkley Point C - Tunnel to Shaft Connections
• Balfour Beatty Vinci -  HS2 Area North Sublot 1 Tunnels
• Barhale and Thames Water - Fortis Green to Cockfosters Resilience Upgrade
• Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), The Government of the HKSAR, AECOM Asia and CREC Joint Venture - Yuen Long South First Phase Development U-shaped Tunnel Boring Machine (UTBM)
• HB Tunnelling -  Saltley Viaduct Diversion Project

Tunnelling Specialist Supplier of the Year

Winner:

Maxwell GeoSystems

"This submission clearly articulates the specialist service provided and addresses an important industry challenge with a comprehensive digital platform that combines multiple construction monitoring aspects. The innovation delivers automation, digitisation, and real-time monitoring, providing strong benefits in cost, time, and safety. Collaboration with project partners is evident, and the environmental advantages are well demonstrated. Overall, this entry showcases a highly impactful and forward-thinking solution that sets a benchmark for the industry."

Finalists:

• Doka
• HB Tunnelling
• Joseph Gallagher

Young Tunneller of the Year

Winner:

Mark Ayad - Balfour Beatty Vinci

"This entry showcases an impressive and complex tunnelling project with strong evidence of excellence across multiple areas. It highlights effective leadership, a can-do mindset, and dedication to learning and improvement throughout both design and construction stages. The submission also demonstrates active industry engagement, including STEM outreach, and the integration of best practices from international projects, shared through publications and conferences. Overall, this is an outstanding entry that exemplifies leadership, innovation, and a strong commitment to the industry."

Finalists:

• Charlie Rideout  - Balfour Beatty
• Declan Conlon - HB Tunnelling
• Julia Masague Martin -  Mott MacDonald
• Lau Kai Kin Kenji - China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong)
• Pierre Cubille - Bouygues TP - Dragages HK