0886-7798(94)00056--5
Managing the Channel Tunnel--
Lessons Learned
Jack K. Lemley
[Jack Lemley served as ChiefExecu-
tive of ~ n s m a n c h e Link from 1989 to
1993.]
n the multination|fl, multicultural,
I m u l t i - l i n g u a l e n v i r o n m e n t in
which the constru,~on of the Chan-
nel Tunnel took place, m a n y areas of
m a n a g e m e n t bear u p m the mission of
the International Tunnelling Associa-
tion to provide a forum for the global
exchange of information on technologi-
cal, economic, ecological, cultural, and
related matters. The Channel Tunnel
transportation project confirms the
ITA's dedication to the great and grow-
ing interest that has ,developed in the
use of the subsurface, not as a technol-
ogy of last resort, but as an appropriate
resource for the furtherance of h u m a n
goals and aspirations as our planet
grows more crowded lind complex.
The Channel Tunnel, a true trans-
frontier project, has m a n y things to
teach us, particularly in the area of
management, as we continue to foster
the development of our subsurface
resources. In the international
environment in which ~mnstruction took
place, t h r e e project m a n a g e m e n t
impact areas were of prime importance:
1. The culture of the two countries
and of the necessarilLymultinational
workforce.
2. The contract upon which the
projectwas based.
3. The partnering arrangement
through which project management
operated.
In all three areas, communication
was, always,the primary consideration.
A briefprojecthistoryis necessary
to put these three areas in context. In
the beginning, Transmanche Link
Present address: Jack I~ Lemley, Lemley &
Associates, Inc.; 1508N.13th Street, Boise,
Idaho 83702 U.S.A.
Tunnellingand UndergroundSpace Technology,Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 9 - 1 1 , 1995
Copyright ( ~ 1995 Elsevier Scienc,.~ Ltd
Printed in Great Britain. All right., reserved
0886-7798/95 $9,50 + .00
(TML), a consortium of five British and
five French companies, was, in effect,
two separate projects operating at two
separate national sites. For this rea-
son, cross-border or cultural differences
could, at first, be virtually ignored.
However, as the project evolved into a
more coherent and m a t u r e bi-national
organi 7~tion, these differences---differ-
ences in currency, language, culture
and tradition, government attitudes,
community attitudes, law and legal
systems, professional practice, and
m a n y others---finally had to be ad-
dressed. Each difference represented
a genuine obstacle t h a t could stand in
the way of developing a single, seam-
less, successful orgar, ization.
Project Culture
Cultural concerns pervaded every
aspect of the project. Where possible,
these differences were viewed in a posi-
tive manner, as chances to enhance the
quality and progress of the work. In
international work in particular, ma-
jor differences that can negatively af-
fect the work must be clearly defined,
and agreeable operating procedures
must be developed before the work
begins. I f this is not done, then project
management has failed.
Central to these concerns is lan-
guage. Language is much more than
the self-evident problem of communi-
cating technical issues. A nation's
language reflects and embodies that
nation's culture. The waywe saytblngs
embodies the way people think and
feel about them. Legal issues, pur-
chasing techniques, methods of mea-
surement, labor relation negotiations,
just to name a few, come out differ-
ently in different languages, even if
the words themselves have been trans-
lated exactly.
One major concern for TML was
t h a t all French documents of any con-
sequence had to be translated, and all
(~ Pergamon
important meetings had to be either
conducted in English or covered by
simultaneous translation. The Mate-
rials M a n a g e m e n t system contained
parallel product descriptions in both
languages. Quality and safety issues
had to be expressed in language ap-
propriate to culture-bound attitudes.
These are major cost and productivity
issues.
Such differences in professional
practice and procedure do not mean, of
course, that one side is better than the
other--far from it. For example, both
crossover chambers serve the same
function, both were efficiently con-
structed, and both work quite well. In
general terms, the diversity gave TML
a richer source of ideas and permitted
a cross-fertilization of m a n a g e m e n t
techniques to positive effect.
The C o n t r a c t
In major tran~-frontier projects such
as t~h_eChannel ~zhmnel,cultural issues
can profoundly influence the develop-
ment and implementation of the con-
tract. Ideally, there m u s t be only one
contract, it must be developed and writ-
ten in only one language, and it must
be based on only one legal system. It
m u s t also contain clearly defined dis-
pute resolution procedures--proce-
dures with which all parties are famil-
iar and by which they have agreed to
abide.
Because of these and other, similar
considerations, it is important in writ-
ing a contract, first to clarify the phi-
losophy under which work wiU be per-
formed, and then to formulate specific
contract documents to satisfy these
philosophical decisions. Contracts
must be produced on the basis of a
mutually developed central philoso-
p h y - - a philosophy generated in con-
sideration for the specific work to be
performed and the cultural milieu in
which it will be undertaken.
 • Such contracts can be written so
that each clause and section sup-
ports the whole.
• Such contracts should not con-
tain built-in conflicts that make
them difficult or impossible to
administer.
• Such contracts should allow for
the "partnering ~ that produces
realistic risk management and
fosterscost-effectivevalue engi-
neering.
For example, on the ChAnnel Tun-
nel the decisionwas made to letFrench
and English engineers work along the
lines with which they were most fa-
miliar,rather than imposing one rigid
set of engineering/construction con-
cepte upon both teams. As long as the
design was cost-effectiveand compat-
iblewith the quality,safety,trAnApor-
tation, and other requirements of the
totalproject,each team was allowed to
proceed using the techniques with
which they were most familiar.
From a legal, contractual stand-
point, the project was extremely com-
plex, involving considerations that
challenged the best legal minds in
British,French and internationallaw.
A primary concern was the governing
law of the contract. I should say con-
tracts, because there were both En-
glish and French versions,neither one
of which took precedence over the
other. The law of the contract was
based on c o m m o n principles of En-
glish and French law. Ifno such com-
m o n principles existed, principles of
international trade law applied.
On the ChAnnel T , nnel project,
there were m a n y dissimilarities be-
tween British and French law. Par-
ticular examples of this are legal ap-
proaches to health and safety, trade
union law, taxation, and crime and
punishment. However, when the tun-
nels were being excavated, the respec-
tive national teams were able to take
their own domestic law with them
across the International Frontier; by
agreement, the national law traveled
with the T-nnel Boring Machines. For
example, the service tunnel broke
through three kilometers inside
French territory. Because of well-
developed procedures, T M L was able
to treat those three kilometers tempo-
rarily as British territory,thus obvi-
ating any conflict of law. After the
breakthrough, of course, regular cus-
toms service was established at the
international boundary.
Dispute Resolution
When there are disputes, both in-
ternal and external to a project, clearly
defined and universally agreed-upon
procedures must be in place. When
the Channel T - n n e l project was es-
tablished, a procedure for alternative
10 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY
dispute resolution was included. The Partnering At All Levels (the
contract documents provided for a per- Empowered Workforce)
m a n e n t five-member disputes review
Effective construction means em-
panel to whom all disputes were re- powered management working
ferred. The president of the panel was through an empowered workforce. Our
a French law professor. The other
contracts must reflect this changing
members were two English and two
work environment. It can no longer be
French engineers. I f a dispute arose,
a case of "us ~ versus "them? The
the president selected two additional
concept of ~partnering ~ is now receiv-
panel members from these four. His
ing the broader attention it deserves.
selection was based on choosing the
Today, heavy construction--and, in
individuals who were most experienced
particular, tunneling and underground
in the specific issue at hand. space---is an environment for think-
The contract procedure was for this
ing people, people who have great un-
panel to h e a r disputes as they oc-
derstanding not only of the nature of
curred and to render a decision within
geophysical conditions, materials man-
90 days on the basis of the rules under
agement, and the overall engineering
which the panel was established. A
of the project; but also of the interre-
unanimous decision by the panel was
lated complex of h u m a n skills required
fully enforceable until and unless it to get the job done properly.
was overturned by binding arbitra-
In terms of technology, we require
tion requested by either p a r t y - - T M L
an understanding of the m a n a g e m e n t
or its Client, Eurot-nnel. Such arbi-
of increasingly sophisticated equip-
tration, as called for in the contract,
m e n t and construction techniques. In
was implemented only after a panel
tunneling, for example, this means an
decision and under the rule of the
understanding of how to achieve the
international Chamber of Commerce
efficient direction of computer-driven,
in Brussels.
laser-guided T~mnel BoringMachines;
The panel was put to serious and
of the logistics required to support
continuing use on the project, and was
workers and operations at the end of a
asked to make some very difficult and
supply line that is kilometers long but
important decisions. It is hard to envi-
only meters wide; of sophisticated,
sion a process that could have worked
interconnected material and schedul-
better. In contracting, time is money,
ing programs; and of the multiplicity
and this mechanism for disputes rese-
of other tools available.
lution--a process that is both timely
Of equal if not greater importance
and equitable--- worked well.
t h a n this technological expertise is the
In general, the Disputes Review
workforce. A modern construction
Board or Panel is the preferred solu-
workforce requires people who under-
tion to any of the alternatives that I am
stand human nature and how workers
aware of under the altornative dispute
and management respond to an in-
resolution concept. It provides for an
creasingly complex working environ-
early resolution of disputes by informed
ment. It requires an understanding of
people, experts in their fields, at a
how h u m a n beings respond to quality
decision-making level that is very close
and safety issues; an understanding of
to the point of dispute.
how to work in teams, each with its
When a dispute panel is installed at
own team dynamic and approach to the
the beginning of a project, it is able to
w o r k - - teams that are able to interact
develop and maintain an understand-
with other teams that may represent
ing of the status of the work through
different nationalities, different disci-
each of its stages. This information,
plines, and different ways of working.
which comes to the panel through regu-
All of this requires people who can
lar reports provided on overall job
think; make informed, intelligent de-
progress, allows the panel to flag as-
cisions; and act with some autonomy.
pects of the work that may turn into
This new breed of worker has been
disputes. Another advantage to estab-
created by the internal pressure of the
lishing the panel before work starts is
construction environment in the last
the information the panel members
few years and, perhaps because of this
gain through regular site visits.
origin, is being accepted and integrated
Further, the existence of a panel
with difficulty by our industry. We
composed of experts with high qualifi-
need contracts that reflect the exist-
cations and industry standing gener-
ence of this new breed of worker and of
ally has a dampening effect on liti-
t h e c o m p l e x n e e d s of a m o d e r n
gious tendencies of both owner and
multidisciplinary, multinational,
contractor. Both parties usually con-
multicultural workforce.
sider carefully before referring mat-
Contractually, the greatest level of
ters to the panel for formal processing.
certainty can be achieved by empow-
In my experience, the knowledge t h a t
ered professional people working in
these experts will be on the panel
partnership. Only experienced, dedi-
provides an added incentive to resolve
cated, properly reseurced people in or-
differences and to act in a more re-
sponsible fashion. ganizations that know the work and
Volume 10, Number 1, 1995
know the risks can achieve efficient,
cost-effective, and tiTrLelyresults. And
they can do this only if allowed t o - -
t h a t is, only if they ~re empowered to
use their abilities~to the fullest. How-
ever, when professionals work in envi-
ronments where contI~cts mandate all
of their actions, giving them little or no
latitude for decision-m~klng, their re-
suits, in my experience, are generally
less t h a n desirable--and, in extreme
cases, are disastrous for all involved.
Conclusion
Much can be learned.from the Chan-
nel Tunnel, and these, lessons can fur-
ther the ITA's mission to develop un-
derground space t h n m g h innovation
and opportunity, and t2 provide a cred-
ible, comprehensive means ofdissemi-
natinginformation on subsurface uses.
I f a project falls, the l~ots of that fail-
ure will be in the area of cemmunica-
Volume 10, Number 1, 1995
tion, the prime concern of the ITA.
Effective, whole-hearted, clear commu-
nication is fundamental for large trans-
frontier projects in which national and
cultural considerations inevitably play
a large role. It is in this area t h a t
recommendations can be made:
1. First, careful consideration m u s t
be given, in the conceptual stages of
the project and continually as the work
progresses, te cultural matters. Differ-
ences in currency, language, culture
and tradition, government attitudes,
community attitudes, law and legal
systems, professional practice, and
many, m a n y others must be addressed.
Each difference can stand in the way of
developing a single, seamless, success-
ful project organization.
2. Second, the contract must be de-
veloped around these considerations:
there m u s t be one contract, it must be
developed and written in one language,
TUNNELLINGANDUNDERGROUNDSPACETECHNOLOGYU
and it m u s t be based on one legal
system. It must all contain clearly
defined dispute resolution procedures,
procedures with which all parties are
familiar and with which all parties
have agreed to abide.
3. Finally, and central to the whole
concept of communication, an attitude
of partnering must infuse the whole
project. Effective construction means
e m p o w e r e d m a n a g e m e n t working
through an empowered workforce---
management that has an understand-
ing of how workers respond to an in-
creasingly complex working environ-
ment. It requires an understanding of
how h u m a n beings respond to impor-
tant construction issues; and an un-
derstanding of how to work in teams
that represent different nationalities,
different disciplines, and different ways
of working.
The key element is communication.
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