Search Results: 'British Tunnelling Society'

Get together, again
28 June, 2023
Summer is for gatherings and celebrations – getting together to share experience and lessons learned, such as at RETC 2023, in Boston in June, and also to celebrate successes and knowledge gained to be of benefit to the future.

Everything between
27 December, 2022
The early days of December see attention turn more to the tunnellers’ patron, St Barbara. This annual day of celebration brings further focus to the eternal desire that projects, whether new or underway, will go well. Success and safety are wished by all.

A tool of conservation
05 April, 2021
Some of you may raise an eyebrow or two at the article on p29 of this month’s issue of T&TI seeing it is an extract from an arts magazine. But I make no apologies for its inclusion in this distinguished tunnelling journal.

Here’s to another 50 years
23 March, 2021
In my current capacity as chairman of the Tunnels and Tunnelling Editorial Advisory Board (EAB), I was pleased to be asked by the Editor George Demetri to write this comment on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the British Tunnelling Society (BTS).

A great big beautiful book
19 November, 2020
New publications are awaited with interest and expectation – at least they should be. We like to hear of new stories, ideas and interpretations. That is why the publication of a book in 2021 which celebrates 50 years of the British Tunnelling Society (BTS) should create more than just a stir in the industry.

Supply malaise continues
26 August, 2020
It has been said that many of the jobs we will need in 20 years’ time have not yet been invented. But you can bet your bottom dollar that we will still need engineers in 20, 40, even 200 years’ time. In fact, increasingly complex technological societies – e.g. ones where the exploitation of underground space continues to expand – will probably need even more engineers than they do today.

All good things
11 May, 2020

Left foot forward
20 January, 2020
After a tumultuous and tiring few years for the British electorate, a towering majority for the Conservative Party makes it very likely that Britain will leave the European Union in short order.

Congress, clients and codes
10 April, 2019
If you are one of the 1,000 or so delegates at the World Tunnel Congress; benvenuto a Napoli. This year it is Europe’s turn to host WTC, with Naples being selected at the 2016 congress in San Francisco as the industry’s chosen gathering point.

Changing everything
22 January, 2019
I recently hosted a breakout session at a conference on ‘disruptive technologies’. These technologies were: the Internet of Things, Robotic Process Automation, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. It was interesting, and will be covered in a subsequent issue. But for tunnelling I can think of one historical change that was far more significant, which has recently been recognised with an award.

Telling tales
22 November, 2018
Every few months I have a meeting with the magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, in which I ask their advice, plan future issues and weather some constructive criticism (this editorial will be reviewed at about 11.30am on 18 January 2019 – not that I am feeling self-conscious).

What’s the risk?
02 November, 2017
This month I am stealing a comment hook from the British Tunnelling Society again. At the October meeting, the evening’s lecture was on the management of risk in tunnelling and major infrastructure projects.

National institution
03 July, 2017
In the UK the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has been running a tunnelling exhibition. It follows on the heels of an exhibition for bridges, which was rumoured to have attracted 15,000 visitors. The challenge given to the engineers of the British Tunnelling Society by the institution was to promote the event enough to beat this goal by the time the exhibit closes in November.

Confidence in conferences
17 April, 2017
Parallel technical sessions seem to irritate conference goers, with particularly awkward setups being remembered and discussed for years after the event.

Tunnel dreams
25 November, 2015
IT'S A HOT Sunday evening in late June. I've got an assignment overdue for work; lectures starting early the following morning, and instead of thinking about either I'm heading to the Warwick University Campus Bar. It's good to be back in further education.

Holding out for a hero
27 July, 2015
As I write this comment the Greek banks have closed. Accounts, and non-internal payments for the majority of account holders have been frozen and queues of people are lining up on the high streets to withdraw no more than EUR 60 (USD 66.88) per day. Some hours from now it is due to repay EUR 1.6bn (USD 1.78bn) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but it has just requested a new two-year EUR 29.1bn aid deal from a bailout mechanism that is in place for Eurozone countries.

Old dogs teach new tricks
13 January, 2015
BY NOW it's an autumn tradition in the UK. The leaves are turning, the daily commute has the added pleasure of the _ u virus, and a study has warned that we face a critical shortage of engineers.

It's later than you think
26 August, 2014
AS the tunnelling community plans to descend upon London for the British Tunnelling Society conference next month, Mayor Boris Johnson has set out a GBP 1.3 trillion (USD 2.2 trillion) development plan that lays down a treasure trove of underground opportunities for the city. The plan outlines the infrastructure developments needed to keep pace with London's growth.

Getting the graduates
25 September, 2013
The summer is exam results season. Universities and colleges compete for the best students. Faculties have a last ditch attempt to persuade prospective students to sign up to their courses. The decision the students make is an important one, the qualifications will be the overriding factor in getting their first job. Choosing the right course is analogous with choosing the right career.

Iron legacy
09 May, 2013
ONE OF Britain’s most formidable political  gures of the last century died last month. Margaret Thatcher’s legacy to the British tunnelling industry is sure to divide opinion in the same way her entire political career has.