Features Archive

Archive of features from the global tunnels industry

Features By Date

January 2024

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Salisbury crash report
24 January 2024 The findings of a study into the train collisions that left carriages jammed inside a tunnel portal near Salisbury in England, in 2021, have been published by the UK’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

Focus on active management
24 January 2024 Three themes among many at the 10th International Symposium of Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS), held in Norway last April, were focused on active management – of Safety, Emergency and Evacuation in underground transport. But while themes exist as do disciplines and specialisms, there was also a message of whole systems thinking – to appreciate and work with lies beyond your own discipline for the greater, safer, good

Low carbon backfill grout
24 January 2024 Sika is launching a new reduced carbon backfill grout for TBMs, called Sika® Stabilizer-7100 TBM. Mike A. Sposetti, Global Technical Manager (TBM), Underground Construction with Sika Group AG explains the background and provide details

Making Headway on Nepal Headrace
24 January 2024 The Robbins double-shield TBM is making good progress despite tough geology and challenges in the Himalayas on the headrace tunnel for the Sunkoshi Marin multi-purpose project, in Nepal.

Driving slurry rock tunnelling in small diameters
24 January 2024 A discussion on the latest trends and technologies for small-diameter slurry mechanised tunnelling in rock. This article is based on two papers by Herrenknecht engineers – ‘Rock tunnelling in small diameter: latest trends and technologies’9, and ‘Slurry pipe jacking in hard rock: Pushing boundaries for sustainable infrastructure’

Advancing with shields in India
22 January 2024 Terratec machines are busy in India, including successfully advancing on the metro project in Chennai and on Mithi River water quality improvement project in Mumbai

Data focus on rail & metro tunnels
22 January 2024 Courtesy of GlobalData, a sister publication of T&T, we take a look at tunnel-based infrastructure project spend which is dominated by the transport sector, itself led in activity by rail & metro, based on figures from the Q3-2023 analysis

China at successes and WTC 2024 preparations
22 January 2024 The latest ITA Awards held many plaudits for tunnel projects in China, which is shortly to host the next World Tunnel Congress (WTC 2024), in Shenzhen, in mid-April, and will feature many large projects from across the country in addition to presentations by international tunnellers

December 2023

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Segment accessories and you
29 December 2023 For use of accessories with segment lining, Christoph Eberle, Technical Director, Mott MacDonald, discusses assurance in the context of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD)

Crossrail learning legacy – ongoing impact
29 December 2023 The knowledge pool from Crossrail will live on for education on project development and execution, including tunnel excavation and underground station construction works, after Transport for London this year decided to keep the online library of the project (now the Elizabeth line) free and available

Design automation of Kalvebod tunnel settlement assessment
29 December 2023 Design automation is evolving to include the integration of discipline specific software and the use of scripting tools to create workflows that allow the design to start earlier when input parameters are less refined. This means design changes can be easily accommodated, which gives increased value to the client, output quality, consistency, time, and cost savings

Inside the convergence of BIM and digital twins
29 December 2023 Tor Erik Djupos, application engineer with Trimble, discusses the influence and convergence of BIM and Digital Twins for infrastructure assets

Is benchmarking the answer?
29 December 2023 Martin Paver is immersed in project data and its challenges. He heads Projecting Success, a training and advocacy body, focused on ‘Transforming Project Delivery’ through accelerating the construction industry’s engagement with data analytics. A core issue, he contends in the growing era of digital construction, is the debate needed over data gathering, ownership and governance. For T&T, he discusses the approach for data to be an accessible, shared and powerful resource to leverage benefits in project by considering the merits of data trusts

Roger Remington
29 December 2023 Roger Remington made his mark on and was honoured by the UK tunnelling industry for the wide range of projects he steered as client and also procurement changes introduced. This is a celebration of how his contribution was recognised and appreciated, and the legacy that continues to be recalled after Roger died, earlier this year

Untangled and Out
29 December 2023 With so many trenchless projects underway across North America, many challenges are faced – and overcome. T&TNA catches up with one such, but unusual, challenge in Toronto.

Tunnelling progress over the last three decades in China
29 December 2023 While international tunnellers are aware of China’s many tunnel projects there is so much more to know. China can point to numerous project developments both built and under construction as well as technological innovations.

Information modelling in tunnelling
29 December 2023 The matrix of procedures, processes and responsibilities in how to manage information in tunnelling projects in the era of BIM was the focus of guidance published last year by ITA’s Working Group 22. T&T looks at key points and recommendations

BTSYM workshop – waterproofing in tunnels
29 December 2023 Earlier this year, BTSYM held a workshop where young members heard from Sika UK’s Head of Infrastructure, Sarah Langley, on the basics of waterproofing for tunnels. After attended the highly informative event, Avantika Raj, Tunnel Engineer with Dr Sauer & Partners, prepared this report for T&T

No-Dig Show 2024
29 December 2023 Get ready for Rhode Island where Providence is to host NASTT’s No-Dig Show over April 14-18, 2024

November 2023

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Geotechnics, tunnels in HS2 book spotlight
27 November 2023 The latest book on development of the UK’s high-speed rail project, HS2, was published earlier this year by ICE Publishing, constituting Volume 3 in a series and having significant focus on geotechnics and tunnels in its coverage of ‘Infrastructure Design and Engineering’