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Tunnelling Methods
Tunnelling Methods
Classical Methods
Among the classical methods are the
Belgian, English, German, Austrian,
Italian and American systems. These
methods had much in common with
early mining methods and were used
until last half of the 19th century.
Excavation was done by hand or simple
drilling equipment.
Supports were predominantly timber,
and transportation of muck was done on
cars on narrow gauge tracks and
powered by steam.
Progress was typically in multiple stages
i.e. progress in one drift, then support,
then drift in another drift, and so on.
The lining would be of brickwork.
These craft-based methods are no
longer applicable, although some of
their principles have been used in
combination up to present day.
Nevertheless some of the worlds great
tunnels were built with these methods.
The first sizeable tunnel in soft ground was the Tronquoy tunnel on the
St Quentin canal in France in 1803, where the method of construction,
based on the use of successive headings to construct sections of the
arch starting from the footing, was a forerunner to the German system
described above.
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