For centuries, humans has excavated tunnels in the earth for a myriad of uses. Engineering is an incredibly beautiful field, but at the same time it can be dangerous and threat the life of many people. In October 21st 1994, the tunnel under Heathrow airport failed causing delays of other works for the Heathrow Express Rail Link and for the Jubilee Line extension project on which the same tunnelling method was used as well as the cancellation of hundreds of flights in Britain's busiest airport. The construction of the tunnel was assigned to Balfour Beatty international group which was fined £1.2M in February 1999 as damage of the disaster, under the Health and safety legislation. The collapse, fortunately did not involve passengers or workers …show more content…
In both small and big projects it is vital the management of each phase from the design to the construction itself. Especially in big scale projects, such as the one this essay is based on, the management of how different companies work together in order to avoid accidents. Another key factor is the supervision of the worksite, in order to make sure each construction phases is running smoothly and if something happens, skilled people can help solving problems. It must be kept in mind that in any project companies are not allowed to save money if health and safety precautions are not applied and if the quality of materials does not match with those in the design specifications. Balfour Beatty decided to use the New Austrian Tunnelling Method because engineers identified a 25% of decrease in costs, and this can be considered the biggest mistake the company did. In order to avoid tunnel failure it is important to study the site in which the tunnel will be constructed. In this case, the soil under Heathrow Airport is the London clay, which is weak. Also, the company employed only one engineering geologist who could have misunderstood the interpretation of some
Over the next couple of years, a number of designs were proposed for the tunnel. The first proposal was presented by a firm called Jacobs and Davies. This plan called for a bi-level tunnel. The upper level would carry slower vehicles and the lower level would be used for express vehicles. An engineer named George Goethals who would later become the chief engineer of the Port Authority made the second proposal. His plan was a bi-level design in which each level would carry opposing lanes of traffic, two lanes in each direction.2 Both of these designs were not taken to the next step. The proposal of Clifford Milburn Holland (see Figure 1) was adopted as the design of the tunnel. Figure 1. Picture of Clifford Milburn Holland. http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/hthist.HTM
In both the short story Through the Tunnel, by Doris Lessing, and the article The Right to Fail, by William Zinsser, the theme of failure and success is explored through the character of Jerry, and Zinsser’s viewpoint on the flaws of America’s social system on failure and success. The short coming-of-age story follows a young boy named Jerry who is driven by a group of teenagers to be able to go through an underwater tunnel. American critic and writer, Zinsser, provides his readers with his own definition on what it means to fail, and the value of failing versus success. In Through the Tunnel, Jerry, and his actions resemble the definition and characteristics of failure and/or success, as described by Zinsser in the article. Throughout the
The construction of a building or buildings is a complex process which includes numerous parties and various different activities. Large projects need the cooperation of many organizations including clients, architects, engineers, financiers, builders and subcontractors while even small projects are beyond the extent of a single organization to complete in isolation. The domain knowledge of involved parties are different and effective completion of the project requires intense cooperation during design, manufacture and maintenance/management of the system.
According to Coop et al. (2007), the Heathrow Terminal 5 mega project had to incorporate huge runway reconstruction component for improved traffic handling. Using modern technology, the construction required advanced assessment of the runway foundation to ensure lasting engineering works. Perhaps the most outstanding innovation noted by the authors refers to the investigation of runway stability attributes, through elaborate tests ...
The Channel Tunnel is an undersea rail tunnel that connects Britain and France. It was conceived as early as 1802, but its construction began in 1986 and ended in 2004. Construction of project used labor from both countries. A total of 15,000 skilled and unskilled laborers worked to complete the project. The Channel consists of two main train tunnels and a third one in the middle used for maintenance and emergency services operations. It connects the town of Coquilles in France to Kent in the Britain.
The Lincoln tunnel was possible thanks to tunneling shield technology. This was used to be able to dig under a body of water. Marc Isambard Brunel and Thomas Cochrane built this
The Central Artery Tunnel Project, more commonly known as the Big Dig, is said to be the largest, most complex and technologically challenging highway project in American history. It is the culmination of decades of planning and forethought and is hoped to alleviate the traffic congestion that has plagued the Boston area since the invention of the automobile. The project incorporates a major underground highway system, a revolutionary cable-stayed bridge, and a series of impressive tunnel crossings, each a considerable feat on their own, all constructed in the midst of a bustling city.
This paper focuses on the contribution and significance of geometry on the construction industry. According to Business Dictionary, “Construction Industry is a sector of national economy engaged in preparation of land and construction, alteration, and repair of buildings, structures, and other real property.” Therefore, emphasis will be placed on land preparation and construction of a building. At the end of the paper it would be apparent that...
The foremost purpose of a civil engineering project is probably to serve human, to whom engineers have to responsible. Not only have they to be mindful of the users’ safety of the infrastructure, but they need to minimize the threat and disturbance to neighbors during the construction period of the project.
Other projects which are constructed simultaneously with the tunnel include the connecting pathways, Hendon Park footbridge, ventilation buildings at tunnel portals, noise barriers and new sport facilities at Alan Wood Reserve.
Bolton, Andrew. "The Official Explanation of Last Year's Charles De Gaulle Airport Collapse Still Has Some Significant Gaps." Civil Engineering and Construction News, Engineering Jobs and News on Major Infrastructure Projects from New Civil Engineer (NCE). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
In conclusion, civil engineers have a responsibility to deal with current issues in a professional and ethical manner for the benefit of society. The topics discusses included: high energy consumption of buildings, the need for efficient water resources, transportation planning, poor infrastructures doomed to failure, the need to have higher standards to become a licensed professional engineer, how globalization has affected all engineers, and the need to have more professional use advance engineering informatics. All these subjects were pondered about how these challenges can be overcome are there effective methods that engineers can apply today. Unfortunately, not all problems are easy to handle.
Over the course of human history, infrastructure has been a major part of civilization as we know it. Infrastructure has always been a decisive factor in what defines a civilization. Today all around the world infrastructure is either failing or is in need of technological improvement. The National Academy of Engineers (NAE) put out 14 Engineering Grand Challenges in 2008, and one of those challenges was to restore and improve infrastructure in urban environments. Restoration and improvement to every structure would be a huge task to finish in just a few years, but those who are involved know this is an undertaking that will last as long as there is infrastructure around.
In this area of civil engineering, geotechnical engineers will perform a site investigation where the condition of the soil is studied before a structure is built. They extract soil samples and run tests on the soil to determine the properties and strength of the soil. After the properties and strength of soil is known, the design of the structure can be
The world is always expanding and growing. Since the beginning of time, people have relied on buildings and roads to support them in some way. Whether they are complex or simple, they are necessary in everyday life. Society’s constant need for growth is what makes civil engineering a unique career path. The world would be under-developed and it would be difficult for today’s society to function without the technology and knowledge in this industry. When researching the career of civil engineering, it is important to detail the history, skills, and education and positive and negative aspects of the profession.