Study: Underground Geoengineering for Sustainable Development

美国国家科学院的一个特设委员会将进行一项研究，总结当前关于城市环境地下开发的地球工程学知识；确定需要进行的紧迫研究，以利用通过地下开发增强城市可持续性的机会；并加强公众和技术界对地球工程在城市建成环境可持续发展中的作用的理解，特别是通过最大限度地减少对不可再生能源资源、建筑材料的消耗以及对自然、建筑和社会环境的负面影响。需要解决的问题包括地质场地特征、建筑和岩土监测技术、能源需求和效益，以及可持续地下基础设施发展的生命周期成本和效益。这项研究将为以地球系统工程和管理为重点的新的地球工程研究轨道提出方向，以确保未来可持续地下发展的人力资源。将分析在这一领域建立一个新的研究中心的利弊，并将考虑加强可持续地下开发的人力资源能力的其他潜在选择--包括现状。促进或抑制地下可持续发展的政策、经济和人类行为驱动因素也将从社会科学的角度加以考虑。

An ad hoc committee of the National Academies will conduct a study to summarize current geoengineering knowledge about underground development in the urban environment; identify pressing research needed to take advantage of opportunities for enhancing urban sustainability through underground development; and develop an enhanced public and technical community understanding of the role of geoengineering in the sustainability of the urban built environment, specifically through the minimization of consumption of nonrenewable energy resources, construction materials, and negative impact on the natural, built, and social environments. Issues to be addressed include geologic site characterization, construction and geotechnical monitoring techniques, energy requirements and benefits, and lifecycle costs and benefits of sustainable underground infrastructure development. The study will recommend directions for a new geoengineering research track focused on earth systems engineering and management to ensure future human resources for sustainable underground development. Advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new research center in this area will be analyzed, and other potential options for enhancing the human resource capacity for sustainable underground development -including the status quo- will be considered. The policy, economic, and human behavioral drivers that promote or inhibit the development of the subsurface in a sustainable manner will also be considered from a social science point of view.