essential
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expertise
TUNNELLING
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For those working on projects that are beneath our feet, life
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is never boring. There are plenty of challenges involved in the
fast-paced and frequently high-pressure world of tunnelling.
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tunnelling is a complicated business and “At the same time, Crossrail aims to leave Tomorrow’s tunnels today
the stakes can be high. Tunnel construction a legacy of a trained workforce so that once One current Atkins project is the Belfast
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works are, by their nature, exposed to relatively construction of what is Europe’s largest civil Sewers Project, a major stormwater
high risks. At the same time, the engineering engineering project is complete, the skills and management project launched by Northern
involved in ensuring underground space is expert knowledge will be available for the Ireland Water in 2003. The scheme will
properly usable and safe is very complex. next generation of major projects.” transform water quality in the River Lagan
Nevertheless, organisations all over the As the Crossrail example illustrates, and its tributaries, and help alleviate flooding
world place increasing value in developing tunnel solutions offer significant benefits in Belfast. Atkins was brought in to undertake
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underground space: with respect to infrastructure sustainability, the project management and planning,
• to solve public transport, road and lifecycle costs and environmental impact. including the preliminary design associated
pedestrian flow problems; At the same time, disruption to the public with the tunnel system.
• to enhance water supply, stormwater and property owners is limited, with most The Belfast Sewers Project is one of the
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and sewage conveyance capacities; tunnel projects being conducted largely largest civil engineering infrastructure projects 21
• for power distribution networks; and unseen and unnoticed. in Ireland. It includes more than 9.4km of new
• for the storage of anything from According to Paul Groves, Tunnelling tunnels ranging from 1.5 to 4m in diameter,
hydrocarbons to explosives. Chair for Atkins, “For our clients, the ability and will cost around £140m to deliver. By the
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For example, the Crossrail project under to deliver tunnel solutions is integral to being time the project is complete, half a million
way in the UK will build major new railway able to solve their wider problems. For us, tonnes of material will have been excavated
connections under central London within being good at tunnelling has given us from the tunnels and access shafts.
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the next 10 years, and tunnelling is at the access to a wide range of large, prestigious Belfast’s 19th-century brick sewers are a
heart of the initiative. projects, most notably in the transportation contrast to the modern sewers found else-
“Over the past two decades, some and water sectors. In fact, we are working where in the city. But there is plenty of useful
of the most complex and challenging on many such tunnel projects around the life left in them, which is why the Belfast
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construction projects in the UK and abroad world – including 13km of tunnels for the Sewers Project is also seeking to renovate
have involved tunnelling. The Channel Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines, and Hong rather than replace these veteran systems.
Tunnel and Jubilee Line Extension, to name Kong’s West Island Line project with station “Overall, the quality of the original sewers
but two, relied on tunnelling expertise,” caverns that span 25 metres.” is excellent,” observes Dr Alan Skates, project
says Douglas Oakervee, executive chairman Groves heads up a network of technical manager with Atkins on the Belfast scheme.
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of Cross London Rail Links (CLRL). The tunnelling experts that runs across the entire “But what has happened is that, with
company was established in 2001 to Atkins operation. increased vehicle loading, many of these
promote and develop efficient, direct rail Indeed, from the inner-city mined station sewer systems have suffered from stress.
links across London. complexes of London’s Crossrail project They were never designed to carry the sorts
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“All projects, and Crossrail is no different, and the tunnels of Bahrain’s chilled water of heavy traffic they now have to endure.”
are judged on their contribution to society. distribution network, to the twin 16km tunnels The new tunnels will help to alleviate
By linking east and west London through of Hong Kong’s Express Rail Link into mainland some of that burden. However, building
22km of twin bore tunnels, for example, China, tunnel engineers from Atkins are very them presents a number of challenges and the
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Crossrail will play an enormous part in busy people. They form one of the world’s complex geology of Northern Ireland is one of
encouraging commuters and leisure travellers largest resources of tunnelling professionals them. “Belfast is built on a mixed bag of mate-
on to the railway and reduce road traffic. centred in the UK, the Middle East and China. rials that were deposited when the glaciers
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