Don Del Nero, PE, CDT is Sr. Vice President and a Tunnel Engineering Director for WSP. Don is an accomplished chief engineer, design manager, author, presenter, and instructor and has more than 36 years of experience in a wide array of soft ground, weak rock, and hard rock underground projects. His experience includes approximately 100 infrastructure projects and over 100 miles of tunnels in the US and Canada (40+ miles in the Atlanta area) and trenchless pipelines worth over $15 billion in construction value. He is an instructor for the NASTT New Trenchless Installation short course, and annual Breakthroughs in Tunnelling, Microtunneling and Underground Risk Management short courses held in Denver, Colorado. Don also has the honor of recently reviewing (now published) the North American Society for Trenchless Technology New Installation Manuals covering geotechnical investigations, pipe ramming, and pipe jacking. Don specializes in rock TBM’s, cutter metallurgy, risk management, project, design and construction management, DSC claims, risk management tools, including specializing in GBR’s, risk tool contract integration, abrasivity, mining in gravels, cobbles and boulders, and dispute resolution. Don was recently honored by receiving the 2025 Microtunneling Achievement Award for Excellence in Engineering. He has also authored a subchapter on means and methods in the book, “Trenchless Technology: Planning, Equipment, and Methods” by Mohammad Najafi and frequently participates on industry technology panels including at the 2016 UCT conference, 2016 No Dig Show, 2017 No Dig Show, and various panels for magazine articles. Don is currently a PhD candidate at the Colorado School of Mines.
