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Tunnel & Ground Engineering 

Building the systems societies rely on — safely and sustainably so they’re ready for what’s next  

Several construction personnel wearing high‑visibility clothing stand inside a circular underground tunnel.

Tunneling and ground engineering shape the infrastructure people depend on daily — from how transport moves, to how water and energy are conveyed underground. Working in complex subsurface conditions demands certainty, foresight and deep technical understanding.  

Jacobs supports ground engineering and tunnel construction programs across the full lifecycle, from ground investigation and design through construction and operation, managing risk, improving constructability and reducing carbon in challenging underground environments.

Global scale and delivery

Nearly 80 years of experience delivering major underground programs that support transport, water and energy infrastructure worldwide.  

Lifecycle expertise 

Integrated geotechnical, tunneling, geoscience and digital expertise applied from planning through operations to support confident decision-making.  

Managing ground risk

Geo-digital tools and deep technical insight used to understand uncertainty early, manage ground risk and improve long-term performance underground.  

TGE for Water

Tunneling and Ground Engineering (TGE) for Water delivers underground and at‑grade infrastructure that keeps water and wastewater systems flowing. We help utilities increase capacity, manage ground risk and strengthen resilience across conveyance, sewer, intake and outfall networks.

TGE for Transportation

Tunneling and Ground Engineering (TGE) for Transportation supports the safe delivery and long-term performance of rail, road, aviation and maritime infrastructure. We integrate underground engineering and transportation expertise to reduce risk, improve resilience and enable reliable movement in constrained environments.

TGE for Energy & Power

Tunneling and Ground Engineering (TGE) for Energy & Power provides resilient underground solutions that support energy generation, transmission and storage. We bring together ground engineering and energy expertise to manage risk, protect critical assets and enable safe operation in highly regulated environments.

Our tunneling and ground engineering solutions

Our tunneling and ground engineering solutions bring specialist disciplines together to support clients in planning, delivering and operating infrastructure with greater certainty, safety and resilience.

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Front view of a train inside an underground rail tunnel with tracks, lighting, and service walkways.

Tunnel Engineering

Delivering tunnel design and construction for road, rail, metro, water and utility tunnels, managing ground conditions and construction risk while supporting performance in complex underground environments.

Construction personnel wearing a high‑visibility vest uses a handheld tool to position a marker at a large earthworks site.

Geotechnical Engineering

Managing ground risk through analysis and design, informing early decisions and supporting safe, buildable and resilient underground and surface infrastructure.

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Geosciences & Engineering Geology

Assessing subsurface conditions and natural processes to identify geohazards, reduce uncertainty and strengthen early-stage decision-making.

A tracked horizontal drilling or trenchless equipment unit parked on disturbed ground beside a wooded area.

Trenchless Engineering

Ranked No.1 by Trenchless Technology in the U.S. for trenchless design, we support the installation and renewal of underground assets with minimal surface disruption in urban and environmentally sensitive areas.

Interior view of a completed underground rail tunnel with tracks, service walkways, and installed lighting.

Tunnel Systems

Designing systems for ventilation, fire and life safety, drainage and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems that protect people, support operations and enable safe tunnel performance in both normal and emergency conditions.

How we manage risk and performance underground  

Managing risk underground requires cross discipline collaboration. By integrating specialist systems, seismic expertise and digital tools, we identify uncertainty early — protecting life and improving performance across complex underground environments.  

  • Tunneling and ground engineering

    Understanding ground conditions and behaviour

    Working underground means planning for what you can’t see. That’s why we focus on understanding ground behavior early through investigation — so fewer risks surface later.  

  • Sustainability & Resilience Cover

    Maximizing sustainability and resilience

    Our tunnel and ground engineering teams adopt a decarbonization and net zero mindset to integrate sustainability and resilience in our projects.

  • Digitally enabled delivery

    Driving efficiency by leveraging geo-digital tools

    Data-driven modeling, automation and digital tools that improve certainty, reduce risk and support better decisions throughout delivery. 

Tunnel and Ground Engineering: Common questions answered 

Clear, concise answers to how tunneling, geotechnical and trenchless engineering work in practice.

Get in touch

We deliver road, rail, metro, water, utility and energy tunnels in all  ground conditions by any  tunnel construction method.

Geotechnical risk is managed through robust, phased site analysis, advanced modeling of ground conditions and integrated design to reduce uncertainty and improve constructability.   

Trenchless engineering reduces disruption by installing or rehabilitating underground assets with minimal surface excavation, limiting impacts on traffic, communities and the surrounding environment.

Sustainability is integrated through carbon‑aware design, optimized alignments and geometries, efficient construction methods and digital tools that reduce embodied carbon and improve long‑term performance.

We work across design-build, alliancing and progressive design-build delivery approaches models globally. 

Jacobs provides tunnel planning, feasibility studies, ground investigation, concept and detailed design, construction support and program management across road, rail, water, utility and energy tunnels.

Full lifecycle services for tunnelling and ground engineering

All Services

  • Feasibility Studies & Analysis

    Planning major infrastructure projects with significant geotechnical or underground components.

  • Program Management

    Delivering complex programs with clarity and confidence

  • Construction Management

    From early strategy to on-site delivery, we make projects safer, buildable and more efficient

  • Risk Management

    Identifying, quantifying and mitigating risks to protect program outcomes and enable informed, proactive decisions.

  • Constructability & Construction Logistics

    Assessing the logistics required to support the construction of complex underground infrastructure and reviewing designs for buildability.

  • Alternative Delivery

    Delivering complex projects faster by aligning teams, risk and outcomes from the start

  • Sustainable Design Construction for Underground Infrastructure

    Embedding sustainability and resiliency into our day-to-day design approach.

  • Condition Assessments & Rehabilitation

    Assessing existing underground infrastructure and developing cost-effective methods to rehabilitate and extend service life.

Projects

All Projects

  • Underground delivery at Hinkley Point C

    Supporting tunneling works for a next-generation nuclear power station.

    Discover how our tunneling and ground engineering specialized knowledge supported the safe delivery of critical underground works at Hinkley Point C, one of the U.K.’s largest and most complex energy infrastructure projects.

    Learn more
    Vertical construction shaft viewed from above, showing reinforced walls, lighting, and personnel working at the base.

Meet the team

All People
  • Mark-Johnson
    Mark Johnson
    Global Solutions Director & Vice President, Tunnel & Ground Engineering
  • Studio‑style head‑and‑shoulders portrait of a person wearing rectangular glasses, a dark blazer, and a light pink collared shirt, photographed against a plain white background.
    Anthony Harding
    Global Principal, Tunnel Engineering
  • Studio‑style head‑and‑shoulders portrait of a person wearing a gray suit jacket over a light checkered collared shirt, photographed against a plain light gray background.
    Paul Coney
    Global Principal for Geotechnics
  • Head and shoulders picture of Roger Moore
    Roger Moore
    Global Principal, Geoscience and Engineering Geology
  • Studio‑style head‑and‑shoulders portrait of a person in a light blue checkered button‑down shirt, photographed against a plain gray background.
    Andrew Finney
    Global Principal, New Trenchless Design
  • head and shoulders image of man in grey suit
    Igor Maevski
    Global Principal, Trenchless Engineering
  • Head‑and‑shoulders portrait of a person with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a dark blazer over a light blue checkered shirt, photographed indoors with a softly blurred background.
    Nikolas Karagkounis
    Market Solutions Regional Director, Tunnel & Ground Engineering Regional Lead, Middle East
  • Jacobs
    Colin Parker
    Regional Solutions Director, Tunnel & Ground Engineering, Asia Pacific

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