Sector Updates

New proposal to establish an ISO Technical Committee on Civil and structural design of tunnels (TS/P 334)

A proposal to establish a new ISO technical committee on “Civil and structural design of tunnels" has been submitted by Standards Australia.

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The scope of the proposal is the following:

This committee standardises the civil and structural design of tunnels and associated underground structures in soil and rock where they are integral to tunnel infrastructure. It covers tunnel-specific design interfaces including geotechnical design inputs, groundwater design actions and responses, ground reinforcement, structural linings, durability, ground-structure interaction, and the assessment and retrofitting of existing tunnels. Special cases such as immersed tunnels, cross passages forming part of tunnel systems, and underground stations may be considered only where the work concerns tunnel-specific civil and structural design and does not duplicate the remit of existing ISO or IEC committees. The committee is intended to provide a coherent framework for tunnel infrastructure performance, safety, durability, resilience and functionality, while recognising applicable existing standards for materials, systems, operations and environmental matters.

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The proposed tunnel design committee presents an opportunity for Australian expertise in major infrastructure projects to influence global standards development.

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Voting on this proposal closes on 21 August 2026.

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If you have any questions related to the update above or wish to provide feedback, please contact us at intsect@standards.org.au

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New proposal for a new ISO technical committee on Construction Management (TS/P 336)

A proposal for a new ISO technical committee on “Construction Management " has been submitted by INSO (Iran).

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The scope of the proposal is the following:

Standardisation in the field of construction management, with particular emphasis on the execution phase of built environment projects, including:

- Planning, coordination, and control of construction execution processes and site-based activities

- Management of resources required for construction execution, including workforce, equipment, materials, and information flows, strictly from an organizational and managerial perspective

- Operational management practices for on-site delivery, including performance measurement and monitoring

- Coordination of execution-phase activities with relevant design outputs, quality, safety, environmental, and lifecycle considerations, without addressing design development, design governance, or technical specification activities

- Management practices supporting health, safety, and environmental (HSE) performance during construction execution

- Practical application of digital tools and information technologies to support construction execution management processes, without defining information models, data structures, interoperability protocols, or digital technical specifications

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The work of this committee is limited to management frameworks and execution-phase coordination practices. It does not address the technical performance, design, specification, or safety requirements of products, materials, machinery, electrotechnical systems, or digital infrastructure. On-site assembly, installation, and coordination of prefabricated components are included in this scope. Off site manufacturing and factory production processes for prefabricated building systems remain outside the scope of this committee and are the responsibility of ISO/TC 59/SC 19 (Prefabricated Building). The deliverables of this committee are intended as voluntary management guidance and shall not establish regulatory, legal, professional qualification, certification, or technical product requirements.

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Voting on this proposal closes on 1 October 2026.

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If you have any questions related to the update above or wish to provide feedback, please contact us at intsect@standards.org.au