SELI Overseas Celebrates 75th Anniversary

SELI Overseas, a Webuild Group company, celebrated its 75th anniversary Dec. 4 on the day of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners and those who work underground. This moment tells a story of innovation and safety in the tunneling sector on a global scale. It began in 1950 with the vision of engineer Carlo Grandori, who brought technology to construction processes, while drastically reducing accidents in tunnel construction.

From then on, SELI Overseas would transform tunnelling into an engineering art, introducing pioneering solutions such as the double-shield tunnel-boring machine (TBM) in the 1970s to tackle the most complex geological conditions – a technology that enabled mechanised excavation in challenging terrains. Today, with more than 846 kilometres of tunnels excavated in 32 countries – for a total of about 100 tunnels on five continents – SELI Overseas stands for technical excellence and continuous innovation for the Webuild Group and for numerous other clients worldwide. Since 2021, the company has been part of the Webuild Group, contributing to a century-long history of successful companies in Italy and worldwide that have combined their expertise to create Webuild today, a global leader in large infrastructure.

SELI Overseas’ expertise has been and continues to be decisive in highly complex urban projects. Cityringen in Copenhagen, and a tunnel with a diameter of more than 13 metres in the densely populated centre of Łódź, Poland, are examples of projects carried out in challenging urban contexts. In Egypt, there is a metro line just steps from the Pyramids of Giza that required bespoke engineering solutions to protect this heritage above ground.

In Italy, SELI Overseas’ know-how is strategic in Webuild’s most important railway construction sites, supporting the Group in managing TBMs with advanced technologies such as Continuous Mining and Dual Mode, which optimise safety and the pace of work. SELI Overseas is also at the forefront of building the Valico Tunnel, part of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa Junction project, which is Italy’s longest underground railway tunnel. With safety protocols, it is overseeing major challenges such as the Sestri/Voltaggio fault line and the presence of natural gas. The company also operates at strategic work sites for the Palermo–Catania–Messina high-capacity railway, and the Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed line, deploying next-generation Dual Mode TBMs to ensure efficiency and sustainability.

Looking ahead, the growing demand for tunneling, driven by the need to develop integrated and sustainable infrastructure in densely populated urban areas, strengthens SELI Overseas’ role internationally in sectors ranging from sustainable mobility to hydraulic projects. Its investments in green TBMs, predictive digital systems, and automation to reduce risks and emissions further confirms its position as a global center of excellence within the Webuild Group.