Features Archive
Archive of features from the global tunnels industryFeatures By Date
February 2023
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Vital tunnels for utilities
Utility tunnels are among key underground investments in two major Canadian cities – Toronto and Vancouver
Succeeding in the shadows
Surveying and scanning have been combined to build New Zealand’s first underground railway. Report by Mary Jo Wagner
January 2023
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Shields at the ready
With multiple TBM tunnelling projects constantly in preparation or underway globally, T&T briefly spotlights a few from the last couple of years
Single pass solution for Ecuador sewer
For a pressurised sewer project in Ecuador, long pipe jacking drives with MTBMs were key to constructing a single-pass hybrid lining. Bernard Catalano of Bessac Canada describes the challenge and choices
Two tales of technology
Recent technology successes for Robbins include an award-winning conversion of a TBM diameter while underground, and continuing to see the difference the robust McNally support system delivers for excavations in difficult ground
Approach to multiple drives
Acciona continues to manage multiple TBM tunnelling projects across the globe, employing a strategy that includes its own stock of shields as well as new machines, and significant data gathering and analysis
Istanbul vision for Hizray metro
Hizray is a major metro project of global significance that is planned to be bored mostly by TBM below Istanbul. Prof Dr Pelin Alpkökin, head of the city’s Rail System Directorate describes the large-scale plans
Taking steps to speed forward
Herrenknecht has won a major award for its new TBM continuous tunnelling system, has other advanced systems in operation, and is also developing automation for segment production
Why did that happen – failures below ground
Mike King of MK Tunnelling Limited provided the Harding Memorial Lecture to the British Tunnelling Society in November 2022. This meeting report was prepared by Mike King and a longer version of the paper will soon be made available on the British Tunnelling Society web site
Varied tunneling challenges in BC
Two tunneling projects in British Columbia present Acciona with quite different excavationchallenges – Broadway metro extension, in Vancouver, and BC Hydro’s Site C
Tunneling under operating highways and railways: Part 2
Keivan Rafie and Gary Kramer of Hatch present the second of their two-part look at lessons in planning and constructing tunnel crossings with shallow cover under live transport corridors
Single pass solution for Ecuador sewer
For a pressurised sewer project in Ecuador, long pipe jacking drives with MTBMs were key to constructing a single-pass hybrid lining. Bernard Catalano of Bessac Canada describes the challenge and choices
25 years of BTS/ICE specification for tunnelling
With all the upheavals of 2022 such as the passing of the late Queen, having the third Prime Minister in a single year at the time of writing and the deeply disturbing ongoing multi crisis it is easy to overlook that we celebrate a successful 25 years of the BTS/ICE Specification for Tunnelling in 2022.
December 2022
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Dr Donald Lamont Interview
Highly respected and globally known, Dr Donald Lamont has for decades helped to lead the charge on health and safety in underground environments and working. He talks to Julian Champkin.
Marine shaft construction with outfall tunnel connection
The Musaimeer outfall project in Qatar had many interesting technical aspects and construction challenges. In this feature, the second feature of the project by Gary Peach, and along with Khalid Saif Al-Khayareen, the works needed to build an offshore shaft that would be intercepted by a TBM, then to be buried, are discussed.
Tunnelling Under Operating Highways and Railways: Part 2
Keivan Rafie and Gary Kramer of Hatch present the second of their two-part look at lessons in planning and constructing tunnel crossings with shallow cover under live transport corridors.
Key points in artificial ground freezing techniques
Artificial Ground Freezing (AGF) was the focus of a key presentation earlier this year to ISSMGE’s TC204 symposium, in Cambridge, UK. Geotechnical consultant Vittorio Manassero reviewed and discussed the method in the presentation to delegates.
Ensuring the seals on immersed tunnels
Use of rubber seals to make immersed tunnels watertight was the focus of a talk by Nicas van den Brink of Trelleborg to BTSYM/TAIym in 2020. Points covered are discussed plus a project update.
Driving ahead with waterproofing membranes
Protan has a number of initiatives underway with its membrane technologies to match trends and needs for waterproofing products in tunnels, says underground system sales manager Arndt Hedtkamp.
Mesh in place for permanent drainage
Dolenco Tunnel Systems has developed a drainage system with a mesh of flexible channels to be embedded as a layer during tunnel wall lining
