Abstract This paper gives a brief overview of the 43 papers that were submitted to the ‘Substructure and Underground Space’ theme of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment's (IAEG) 10th International Congress held in Nottingham, UK. The contributions within this theme are truly international, reflecting the global contribution that substructures make with respect to underground space. Papers within this theme have been submitted from 13 countries including Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK and the USA. The papers are diverse in nature, covering the many contributory facets that are encompassed within the theme. The papers discussed here include 13 papers that relate to tunnelling, two papers on piling, 20 papers on minimizing risks related to underground construction, nine papers on numerical modelling and three papers on laboratory testing. In all, more than 20 case studies were described, relating to a wide range of materials (from London Clay to red-bed soft rocks). Where appropriate the paper has been supplemented with additional information gathered during the question and answer sessions undertaken during the afternoon presentations.