amount of borehole information, so the skill have the skills required. Crossrail’s tunnelling
is to take that data and create a model that works will be at the heart of the project. But
can be applied safely and reliably to the Crossrail is not the only proposed tunnelling
project as a whole.” project in the region so we are working with
the various authorities, other employer
Attracting the talent organisations, and the industry, to establish
There is no question that tunnelling has a Tunnelling Academy offering training and
changed, but there remain challenges to be recognised qualifications.”
overcome. In many cases, it’s a question of Martin Knights, president of the
perception versus reality. International Tunnelling Association (ITA),
“Even within the last 10 years, improved agrees that industry and academia must
technology and risk management processes attract the next generation of engineers.
have allowed us to extend the feasibility of “We’re all chasing the same resource
tunnel options into increasingly more difficult pool,” says Knights. “We need to rethink
ground conditions and to handle more university courses, get more graduates into
onerous constraints,” explains Atkins’ Groves. the business and think of a way to engage
“Despite such improvements, the world’s them much earlier.”
insurers still consider tunnelling as risky as It isn’t only new engineering expertise that
deep-sea construction, a product of inherent is needed. Craft skills are also in short supply –
uncertainties with respect to the ground and and time is running out to save some of them.
the sheer cost of recovery works when things “Some of the traditional artisan skills need
go wrong. Atkins tries very hard to help clients, to be recorded and preserved,” Knights
be they financiers, project owners or stresses. “Everybody thinks about the high-
contractors, mitigate risk and to understand tech side of tunnelling, but there are lots of 23
the degree of risk that must be managed.” junctions and interfaces where traditional skills
These views must also be balanced such as close-timbering are needed – and
against the public perception of tunnels and those skills are disappearing.”
tunnelling. Despite millions of daily tunnel Raising the profile of tunnelling remains
the skill of the dRill
users, particularly urban metro tunnels, some a challenge. “There are still some negative,
While the demand for tunnelling expertise
people feel distinctly uncomfortable about old-fashioned images about it,” says Knights.
increases, professionals with the necessary
skills and experience for projects such as
being underground. “But when you inform the public about what
the Channel Tunnel (pictured at left) and
“To compensate, we try and make tunnels you do and they see the gigantic machinery,
the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project in South
not feel like confined spaces. A recent and very they’re agog that the underground world has
Africa (main picture) are becoming more
scarce. Raising the profile of the tunnelling
welcome trend has been to provide pleasant, such a level of sophistication about it.”
profession will be key in filling the gap. airy spaces for passengers, with great emphasis Groves adds that “organisations like the
on fire and life safety design,” says Groves. ITA and Atkins need to get the right message
The same kind of fresh thinking is out when it comes to attracting new talent
which the station is constructed. “It’s basically “It’s an area of rock mechanics called needed to attract new talent to this field. to this field. Tunnelling is an important part of
cut-and-cover construction,” says French. kinematic feasibility,” explains French. “Could With a worldwide boom in urban rail infrastructure around the world. It will
Further up the line, ground conditions are one of these massive wedges of rock be construction and growing pressure on the continue to play a vital role, whether keeping
quite different. “At Sandton, the upper part released when we excavate down? If it could, infrastructure of cities, demand for tunnelling our urban landscape functioning under a
of the profile is soil, but the lower is solid we have to put in rock bolts and tie the whole skills has never been greater. yet engineering growing population or contributing to a low
rock,” says French. “At platform level, where thing back so that doesn’t happen, because numbers are down, leaving the industry carbon economy by helping mass transit
the trains come in, it’s an underground these wedges can weigh as much as a house.” working hard to find new talent. systems get from A to B.
cavern, dug into rock.” Despite the sophisticated modelling “Crossrail is committed to working with “It also offers a brilliant career opportunity.
Creating caverns, shafts and tunnels is a software available to tunnel engineers, government and industry to address the Whether creating railway stations under
specialised business – rock presents a challenge experience still counts for a lot. current shortfall in engineering skills in the Central London that relieve congestion or
because it’s often far from stable. There’s a risk “We sometimes talk about geotechnical UK,” says Crossrail’s Oakervee. “A key part of tunnelling to drain polluted flood waters in
that wedges of rock will slide out of position engineering as a fusion of art and science,” our approach is ensuring that jobs are made Bangkok, we’re making a positive contribution
with potentially disastrous consequences. says French. “Often we have a relatively small available to Londoners – and that Londoners to society, and that feels good.”
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