Far left:
Rod and Marianne Young celebrating at the BTS Annual Dinner 2024 CREDIT: BTS/MATT CHUNG
Left:
Becoming BTS Chair in 2022 - the baton is passed from Kate Cooksey
Microtunnelling When I commenced my two years as Chair, one of my primary objectives was to enhance the understanding of microtunnelling within the broader tunnelling industry. While my career has been predominantly focused on microtunnelling, and although we have the Pipe Jacking Association (PJA) for that sector, I have consistently felt that the BTS should also serve as a platform for smaller diameter tunnelling. Over the two years as Chair, enhanced efforts on
this aspect have resulted in increased awareness that microtunnelling is an integral part of the industry. At the most recent BTS Conference (Oct 2024,
London), we dedicated an entire section, comprising an hour of presentations from three micro-tunnellers who are members of the BTS. The plan for future events is to include another section on some form of small-bore tunnelling during the next BTS Conference. We have organised presentations on the subject at BTS Thursday technical evenings at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), in London, and we are planning presentations at some of the conferences for BTS younger members with the intention of fostering ideas for future generations. There are numerous informal connections between
individuals who may belong to both the Pipe Jacking Association (PJA) and the BTS. I attend their meetings, and they attend ours. However, there are also numerous formal links: a small-bore tunnels group has emerged within the International Tunnelling Association (ITA- AITES), which is a fortunate coincidence. I am pleased
that the significance of this development has been recognised by others.
Regional connections Another imperative for the BTS is to foster stronger connections with other regions of the country. Not all tunnels are constructed in the Southeast, and not all tunnellers reside near London. As a mining engineer from Newcastle, I have
consistently been a member of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers (NEIMME). In April 2024, I delivered a presentation to them on undertrack crossings, and I will be presenting another one in February 2025, this time on the Rutland tunnel which conveys river water to the Rutland Water reservoir. Recently, we conducted an inspection of the tunnel, and the intricacies of its operation were thoroughly captivating. For further information, please visit Newcastle in February.*
Importance of In-person Meetings Attendance at BTS Thursday evenings has significantly increased since the pandemic. While we continue to stream the talks through YouTube, a substantial number of members have returned to attending in person. This in-person interaction offers numerous benefits, including informal discussions, problem-solving, and the opportunity to connect with fellow tunnellers face-to- face. One notable evening saw an attendance of more than160 people, which is a substantial increase from the average of around 110 attendees.
Left: Presentation to
Christopher Hewett, 2024 Harding Prize Winner
February 2025 | 11
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