The British Tunnelling Society continues to be active in providing its extensive membership with a range of professional, technical and social activities throughout the year. Monthly meetings are held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in Westminster and are open to non-members. Tunnelling engineers on visits to London are particularly welcome. In addition the BTS continues to produce technical guidance on a range of tunnelling-related topics.
1 During 2009, BTS working groups were drafting guidance on best practice for monitoring of underground construction. were capturing knowledge on timber support techniques. were revising the BTS Specification.
2 The BTS Compressed Air Working Group has agreed to work with ITA WG5 to draft guidelines for good practice in High Pressure Compressed Air work.
3 The BTS continues to assist with an employers’ training forum to deliver National Vocational Qualifications in tunnelling at operative level.
4 BTS has continued to interact with MPs through its Parliamentary Lobby Group.
5 BTS interfaces with other UK professional groups interested in geotechnical matters through membership of the Ground Forum.
6 BTS supports the ICE’s Panel for Historic Engineering Works – Tunnels sub-panel.
7 BTS contributes to the work of various British and CEN standards relating to tunnelling and tunnel machinery.
8 BTS ran two successful training courses in 2010, one on tunnel design and construction and the other on health and safety in tunnelling.
9 BTS has worked with the University of Warwick to help it develop an MSc course in Tunnelling to be offered from Autumn 2011.
London Underground Ltd are undertaking complex conventional tunnelling operations at Tottenham Court Road as part of station upgrade works in connection with the Crossrail project.
Recovery works are underway in the headrace tunnel following the collapse which closed the power station at Glendoe. The work is being done by conventional rock tunnelling techniques.
Various tunnels were being designed or constructed for water, sewerage and cable utility services including construction of sewerage schemes in Preston and Brighton along with 30km of cable tunnels for National Grid.
Major tunnel refurbishment works were completed on Bell Common tunnel on the M25 motorway.
Fitting out of the twin bore A3 road tunnel at Hindhead.
Shaft construction for the Lee Tunnel – a major deep storage and transfer tunnel system in London to reduce storm sewer discharge into the Thames.
The 2nd Tyne Tunnel – a combination of two short sections of SCL tunnel, cut and cover box and immerse tube tunnel was completed.
Contracts were let for two major lengths of bored tunnel for the Crossrail project along with contracts for intermediate stations to be constructed by conventional means.