Bjørn Nilsen
Background and activities
Working at NTNU / NTH since 1985, Professor of Geological Engineering since 1992. Visiting Professor at Colorado School of Mines 1991-92 and 1998-99. Current projects and applied resesearch mainly connected to:
- Investigation,stability and support of rock tunnels, particularly subsea
- Rock slope stability
- Engineering geological aspects of TBM excavation
- Engineering geological aspects of hydropower projects
Teaching:
TGB4185 Engineering geology BC (coordinator)
TGB4190 Engineering geology of rocks AC (coordinator)
TGB5110 Engineering geology and tunnelling (part of course)
TGB4575 Engineering geology, Specialization topic (part of course)
TGB4500 Engineering geology (coordinator)
GB8303 Stability of rock slopes (PhD-course)
GB6001 Engineering geology for construction and site managers (continuing education course - coordinator)
Supervision PhD-projects:
ongoing:
2017- Henki Ødegaard: Optimization of test methods and design of transistion zones in unlined pressure tunnels
completed last 10 years:
2018- Are Håvard Høien: Applicability of reinforced ribs od sprayed concrete in poor quality, swelling rock mass
2017- Øyvind Dammyr: The use of TBM in future Norwegian infrastructure projects
2015- Karl Gunnar Holter: Waterproof tunnel lining with sprayed concrete and bonded membrane in hard rock and cold climate
2014 Martina Böhme: Spatial and temporal variability of rock slope instability in western Norway
2012 Dawei Mao: Analysis of rock support performance for tunnelling in weakness zones containing swelling clay
2010 Guro Grøneng: Stability analyses of the Åknes rock slope, Western Norway
Committee and board participation:
- Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (RMRE, Springer): Member of Editorial Board and regular reviewer
- Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology (TUST, Pergamon): Member of Editorial Board
- Standard Norway: Representative of committees for revising Eurocode 7 and NS 3420
- ITA - International Tunnelling Association: Norwegian representative in ITA-CET
- ITA World Tunnel Congress 2017: Chairman of Scientific Committee
Participation in expert panels / reference groups:
Selected ongoing:
- Romsdalsfjord subsea road tunnel, Norway (evaluation of investigations and design, SVV)
- Tellnes open pit mine, Norway ( evaluation of pit wall stability and design, Titania)
- Kiruna and Malmberget, Sweden (evaluation of surface displacement and subsidence caused by underground mining, LKAB)
- Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2NIC), Singapore National Research Foundation (evaluation of research applications for projects related to utilization of subsurface)
Selected completed:
- Rogfast subsea road tunnel, Norway (evaluation of pre-construction investigation, alignment planning, SVV)
- Karmsund subsea tunnel, Norway (stability evaluations during design and contruction, SVV)
- Atlanterhavs tunnel, Norway (evaluation after subsea cave-in, SVV)
- Holmestrand underground railway station, Norway (evaluation during design and construction, JBV)
- High speed railway in Norway (feasibility evaluation, JBV)
- Large, underground hydropower projects in China (Xiangjiaba, Baihetan, Nuozhadu - quality control during construction)
- Løsberga, Norway (stability evaluation after slide in high road cut, SVV)
- Hanekleiv tunnel, Norway (evaluation after cave-in, Ministry of Transportation)