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The page of the Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering research group at the Politecnico di Torino

03/07/2026

10 years: a round number, and a good moment to look back...and ahead

🚇 Today we celebrate 9 years since the Enertun prototype was installed along the Turin Metro Line 1 south extension. And guess what? Exactly 🔟 years ago, the Enertun patent was filed!

At the time, the idea was simple but ambitious: what if underground transport infrastructure could do more than move people? What if tunnels and stations could also contribute to the energy transition by exchanging heat with the ground around them?

Nearly a decade later, that question feels more relevant than ever.

Cities are looking for smarter, more integrated ways to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and make the most of the infrastructure they have to build. Thermally activated metro tunnels are one of those ideas that sit quietly beneath our feet, but may have a very visible role in the sustainable cities of tomorrow.

Turin has already been a place of experimentation and innovation in this field. Perhaps the next chapter is closer than we think.

08/06/2026

Our rockmech member Maria Romana Alvi took part in the Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference 2026, held from June 2 to 5 in Boulder, Colorado. 🌎

During the conference, Maria Romana presented her work “Experimental investigation of the behaviour of a shallow energy wall in a PCM-improved ground” within the session “Coupled Multi-Physics Mechanics of Geomaterials for Energy and Environmental Applications”.

She shared experimental results from her PhD on the real-scale GeothermSkin prototype, focusing on the use of Phase Change Materials for the thermal improvement of the underground. Her research aims to explore new strategies to enhance the thermal performance of energy geostructures and the ground's thermal inertia. ☝️

The conference was also a valuable opportunity to visit the Center for Infrastructure, Energy, and Space Testing (CIEST) and Geotechnical Centrifuge Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder.

11/05/2026

Last week, our Rockmech team member Simone De Feudis took part in the 5th National Symposium on Energy Underground Structures and Engineering, held from May 8 to 10 in Nanning, China. 🇨🇳
In the session on energy underground structures, Simone presented his work "Energy retrofitting of existing tunnels: The Olimpia tunnel case study", showcasing the innovative research we are carrying out here at Rockmech. ☝️
A special thank you goes to Prof. Xiaohui Cheng and Prof. Naifeng Zhao for their kind invitation and generous support in making Simone's participation in such a stimulating conference possible. We are truly grateful for the opportunity! 🙏
Follow our webpage www.rockmech.polito.it to keep up with all our latest research! 🌐🔎

27/04/2026

Exciting visit to the Idropolitana project in Torino with students from the Master’s programme in Civil Engineering – Geotechnics, as part of the courses Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering and Geotechnical Applications for Energy and the Environment.

The project represents a key infrastructure for urban water management and resilience in Torino, offering an excellent real-world case study of complex underground works in a densely built environment. During the visit, students had the opportunity to explore the construction site, observe shaft excavation activities, and gain first-hand insight into TBM operations and monitoring systems.

This experience provided a valuable link between theory and practice, highlighting topics such as soil–structure interaction, numerical modelling, and the challenges of tunnelling in urban contexts. The discussion with field experts was particularly appreciated, giving students the chance to engage directly with practical engineering problems and solutions.

A big thank you to SMAT and COLMETO, and to Eng. Andrea Baldan and Eng. Lorenzo Peila for their insightful presentation of the project, including key aspects of its design, shaft construction technologies, and TBM excavation.

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