The World Tunnel Congress is coming to Montréal this May, and Yamamoto Rock Splitter will be there. If you’re attending WTC 2026, here’s everything you need to know — and where to find us on the show floor.
What Is the World Tunnelling Congress 2026?
The World Tunnel Congress (WTC) is the flagship annual event of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA). It is the largest and most influential gathering in the global tunnelling industry, bringing together engineers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and researchers from around the world.
Where: Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
When: May 15–21, 2026
Hosted by the Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC), the 2026 edition marks the return of WTC to Canada for the first time since Vancouver in 2010. Over 2,000 professionals from more than 50 countries are expected to attend, making it one of the most significant industry gatherings of the year.
The week-long programme includes keynote presentations, technical sessions, workshops, the ITA General Assembly, and a major industry exhibition where companies showcase the equipment, technologies, and services shaping modern tunnelling.
Key Theme and Focus of WTC 2026
The theme of WTC 2026 is “Connecting Communities Through Underground Infrastructure.”
It reflects the growing role that underground construction plays in solving some of today’s most pressing infrastructure challenges — urban congestion, sustainable development, transport connectivity, and the efficient delivery of utilities and energy networks across cities and regions.
The congress is designed for the full spectrum of the industry where attendees will learn about tunnelling methods, geotechnical engineering, construction safety, digitalization, and infrastructure maintenance, offering a direct window into where the industry is heading and what technologies are gaining ground on major projects worldwide.
Yamamoto’s Role at World Tunnelling Congress 2026
Yamamoto Rock Splitter will be exhibiting at Booth C1403 at Palais des congrès de Montréal.
The centrepiece of our exhibit is a full-size HRB-1700 hydraulic rock splitter — the larger of our two models — on static display. This is a rare opportunity to see this formidable piece of equipment up close, assess its scale, and speak directly with the team about how it performs in real tunnelling and excavation applications.
The HRB-1700 is built for heavy-duty hard rock excavation. It delivers a splitting force of 34 MN (3,550 ton ), operates with a drilling diameter of 127 mm (5 in) and a drilling depth of 2,500 mm (9 ft), and can achieve extraction volumes of up to 45m³ (60 yard³) per hour. It is designed for use with excavators of 20 tonnes or more, making it well suited for the scale of projects that typically come through a World Tunnel Congress audience.
For challenging horizontal application, our smaller hydraulic rock splitter, HRB-1000, works perfectly with our arm-system (YTB-1120). The rotator in the telescopic boom controls the splitting direction, allowing side-angling for easy insertion of the wedge without having to move the undercarriage.
For anyone who has read the specs but never seen one in person, the exhibition floor is the place to change that.
Yamamoto’s Collaboration with EquipHD
Yamamoto Rock Splitter works with a network of regional distributors to ensure contractors and project teams can access the right equipment and support close to where they need it.
For Eastern Canada, our distribution partner EquipHD, based in Saint-Eustache, QC, will be exhibiting with us at WTC. With their extensive industry experience, EquipHD handles sales, service, and technical support for Yamamoto products across the region, and is well placed to support the kinds of infrastructure projects that are active throughout Eastern Canada.
If you are based in Eastern Canada and want to explore the rock splitter for an upcoming tunnelling, quarrying, or urban excavation project, EquipHD is your first point of contact. You can reach them at equiphd.ca or by calling 1 (888) 598-5343.
Why WTC 2026 Matters for the Global Tunnelling Industry
The 2026 congress comes at a time when underground construction is being called on more than ever — to expand metro networks, build water infrastructure, deliver urban decarbonisation projects, and route critical utilities without disrupting city surfaces. The conversations happening in Montréal this May will directly shape how those projects are approached and delivered over the next decade.
“To us, WTC is not a trade show in the traditional sense, it is where the tunnelling community comes together to take stock of where the industry stands and where it is going,” said Jonas Stahlbage, Managing Director, Yamamoto Rock Splitter International. “This year, for the first time, we are bringing the HRB-1700 to the floor so people can see it for themselves and we are ready to have open conversations about where hydraulic rock splitting is making a real difference on projects around the world.”
Where to Find Yamamoto at WTC 2026 and How to Get in Touch
Booth: C1403, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Dates: May 15–21, 2026
On display: Yamamoto HRB-1700 Rock Splitter (static display)
Come by the booth to see the HRB-1700 in person and speak with our team. Whether you are evaluating the rock excavation for a specific project, comparing it against current methods, or just want to understand how it works, we are happy to walk you through it.
For enquiries before or after the event:
Website: www.yamamotorocksplitter.com
Email: info@yamamotorocksplitter.com
For sales and support in Eastern Canada:
EquipHD: equiphd.ca; 1 (888) 598-5343
We look forward to seeing you in Montréal.