Data on road tunnels is considered from worldwide as well as regional viewpoints, highlighting where the concentrations of value pipelines sit, and how they compare to the rest of the transport sector, and others. The relative balance of funding in the regions is also interesting, with public funding mode still dominant, despite widespread economic challenges. This spotlight on roads tunnels is made possible from deep analysis by GlobalData.
The engineering practicalities of inducing and maintaining the frozen state of groundwater, through artificial ground freezing (AGF), is discussed for establishing plugs in suitable, saturated soils. The technique may not be commonly used but it has its place, and also challenges, for tunnellers and these were the topic of a BTS evening lecture earlier this year.
Energy storage with underground dimensions is examined in two ways for rock tunnelling, in separate features: one hears from a concept in the US to use salt domes as part of energy storage systems; the other looks at some of the tunnelling work involved in turning a disused gold mine in Australia into a new pumped storage facility. The focus on rock comes also in a review of ITAtech’s guide on ground support for TBM tunnels.
In two Insight articles: we hear of the technological trends over recent decades and ensuing business development of Gomez International; and, the many ways underground space has been used historically by society and public, and is being prepared to do so in future, is also a focus, with a feature article from a key member of ITACUS.
At year end, we share T&TI’s annual listing of published articles.
Time, too, is on our mind for other reasons. We celebrate the life and work of Chris Hughes, who died recently.
