THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE,WATER &WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES
Iwas then extremely fortunate to be mentored by Sir Harold Harding (HJB), ICE President 1963-64). HJB’s enormous enthusiasm for the practicalities of tunnelling and ground engineering motivated me for the career that I have since been very privileged to enjoy.
4. What has been your most challenging trenchless experience over those years (project/product development)?
The sixtieswere pioneering days in pipe- jacking as it sought to gain acceptance as a recognised alternative to tunnelling and deep piled trench construction. The transition fromaccepted rail, road and watercourse crossings, typically of some 30 metres in length, to acceptance as a method of constructing major underground pipeline projects was one in which Iwas involved very closely. As Rees Seerthrustwe submitted a tender alternative for the compressed air tunnel contract forYork City Council. Our alternativewas based on pipe- jacking fromdeep piled thrust pits at manhole positions with ground stabilisation provided by deepwell vacuum dewatering. Fast forward half a century and in retrospect
our development, in a very short time, of a systemenabling accurate, safe, and very economic construction of a major and technically difficult scheme, that at today’s priceswould be of the order of £10 million in value,was perhapsmy most challenging trenchless experience – although it certainly didn’t feel so at the time. The confidence of youth! TheYork contract sawthe first use of intermediate jacking stations, whichwe had designed specifically for the River Ouse Crossing, which was, at the time the longest pipe-jack ever at 101 metres.We tried introducing laser centre line measurement but bowed to miner resistance/refusal following the screening of Goldfinger and the publicity given to James Bond’s exposure to the steel-melting capabilities of said laser. So back to plumb bobs, piano wire and sawn-off legs on dumpy levels and theodolites.
5. What do you see as being your own greatest personal achievement in the trenchless industry?
No question - Empowerment of the guys doing thework. Any team member of whatever division or company undermy direction has always been authorised to instruct immediate closure ofworks if he felt
FOLLOW US September 2020 | drain TRADER 17
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