TUNNELLING HISTORY AND MY OWN INVOLVEMENT

This book is in 2 parts. Part 1, entitled "Tunnelling History", describes: the early tunnels to the industrial revolution; results of the industrial revolution (from the canal age through the Thames tunnel and birth of shield tunnelling, coming of the railways, tunnelling systems and British railway tunnels - 1680 to 1860); the critical 1860-1870 decade; the great advance from 1870 to 1914 (first alpine railway tunnels, subaqueous tunnels before the shield age, underground railways and the fresh phase of shield tunnelling, London deep-level "tube" railway system, first big under-river shields); modern times (the two decades between the wars 1919-1939, World War Two and after the second war up to 1976). Part 2, entitled "Tunnelling Experience", cites examples of tunnelling in soft ground, examines geotechnical processes and problems (start of "process work", grouting, ground-water lowering), settlements and cavities, gives further examples of work in compressed air, and describes tunnelling in chalk and in rock. A chapter deals with tunnelling machines and the channel tunnel, another with site investigations and the channel tunnel, while tunnel linings, thrust bores and mini tunnels are briefly considered.