Tunnels & Caverns: Looking Back at Forty Years in Underground Construction & Estimating

By Harry Hilton

Writing this book, for me, has really been a walk down memory lane the work part of memory lane.

As it is not intended as a technical book per se, I have included a few incidents of on-the-job problems, that I encountered over the years, and how they were handled figured that's the stuff that doesn't get covered in engineering school!
There is also a section on preparing cost estimates for some major projects, such as the Chicago T.A.R.P. contracts and a few pointers on bidding "overseas" projects. The chapter titled "Murphy's Law" is just that "It should not have happened" but it did. A few stories are recounted just as they happened, about totally unexpected incidents that caused delays, cost money, and caused some minor headaches for yours truly.

Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499036459

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Harry Hilton.

ISBN:          Softcover                    978-1-4990-3646-6

                   eBook                          978-1-4990-3645-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 06/28/2014

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CONTENTS

Part 1 Hydro-Electric Power Stations

Part 2 Tunnel Boring Machines & Drill & Blast

Part 3 Specific Project Details

Part 4 Estimating

Part 5 Encounters With Adverse Ground Conditions

Part 6 Pictures & Sketches

Part 7 Murphy’s Law Episodes

Cover Picture

Chicago TARP Project

32 Ft. Jarva T.B.M. Tunnel

Picture by H. J. Hilton

DEDICATION

I wish to dedicate this book to my wife Beverley. Only through her incredible resourcefulness and tenacity in moving, with five young children to the isolated sections of Labrador (two separate occasions) and later to a number of urban areas in Canada and the U.S., were we able to maintain our close family relationship. Of course I should also include sons Barry, Mike & Brendan, and daughters Mary & Eileen, all of whom had so many adjustments to make but learned to be very adaptable !

FOREWORD

The author wishes to point out that this writing does not purport to represent the design aspect of any project (although specific dimensions, capacities, etc. are indicated in many instances). The intent is simply to stimulate the vision of a student (Civil, or Mining Engineering) to the endless possibilities of utilizing Underground Space, particularly in the area of (fuel free) hydro-electric power development and other cavern type projects. It is also hoped that some of the unexpected incidents that are recounted from various projects will be of interest to the tunneling hands of today!

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I also would like to make it clear up front that I am not a Graduate Engineer. I started my working life at age eighteen, as a Trainee Engineer - to use the term of the day - but found that in very short time (about one year) I was on my own on a fairly large project handling all of the Field Engineering - which is primarily the survey /layout, plus making lots of field sketches for Supt./foremen. I did continue with Evening Classes, but with moving from project to project could not maintain a continuity.

However, in many ways I really regret not sticking with the studies. Had I obtained that degree it would have opened doors that I have found were closed to me on occasions. Particularly in this day & age, those papers mean so much!

GLOSSARY OF TUNNEL TERMS

A Couple of Definitions

In the context of this writing, there are two distinct areas of underground excavation:

TUNNELS: Strictly linear, excavated by machine, or by hand.

CAVERNS: Underground chambers, usually excavated by drill & blast methods.

Combinations of the two have been used many times, and in fact the driving force behind the writing of this little book, is the hope of encouraging interest, by students and engineers, in the application of this combination feature. This I truly believe would lead to further design and development of Underground Power Stations, and thereby, expand production of the cleanest and safest form of electrical power available.

The other aspect of this writing is to simply demonstrate some of the day-to-day aspects of life in the field and in the world of Estimating, especially estimating overseas projects - which literally can be a whole different world!

In instances where I have had direct involvement with certain projects, I have included details of construction methods, equipment used, and various problems encountered.

There is a large amount of information on the Internet relative to this entire subject. For example, on researching the history of the Niagara Falls Generating Stations, I discovered, to my surprise, that dating back to the 1800’s a number of various types and sizes of power stations, underground and above ground, were constructed in the Niagara area - both on U.S. and Canadian sides. The history of the area over a period of a hundred years provides fascinating reading and insight. This narrative however, concentrates more on the hands-on aspect of construction.

Part 1

Hydro-Electric Power Stations

Types of Hydro Electric Power Stations

The following definitions are used to clarify the difference (at least from this writer’s viewpoint) between what may be considered conventional power stations and underground power stations.

There are actually two types of conventional hydro-electric power-stations:

1. Utilizing a Natural Waterfall

A site, just downstream of the waterfall is selected and a power station is constructed adjacent to the river. The river is partially diverted a short distance upstream from the waterfall, through man-made penstocks (large pipes in effect), and directed at a point some