Tunnels

Abstract

Throughout human history, tunnel construction has straddled the practical and spiritual (mystical), attaining a status somewhere between science and art. Ancient civilizations independently developed methods for excavating underground structures, and that practice has continued and evolved throughout the ages, right up to the present day, fulfilling many different functions and adapting to meet civilizations’ requirements as accelerating population growth demanded. These days, the ever-increasing use of underground space – be it for mining, utilities and communications tunnels, road and rail tunnels, underground mass transportation (metro) systems, underground storage, or (commercial, residential, recreational, and mixed use) subterranean structures – is placing a great strain on the tunneling industry’s global resources and has created the need for a wider understanding of the practical uses of this complex construction method.

This chapter explores the practice related to tunnels as facilities, serving many different purposes; the evolving methods used to construct them; and the necessary planning and subsurface discovery works required to manage the design and risks associated with these unique structures, which never fail to captivate the attention of both engineers and constructors alike.