Unit 2. History of Tunneling
Vocabulary.
Mirror - отображать
advance - достижение
timber support - деревянные опоры
closed-face - с закрытым забоем
shield-driven - щитовая проходка
utilize - использовать
additive - добавка
sophisticated - сложный
ancient - древний
mankind - человечество
dug - выкопанный
cave - пещера
shelter - кров
to protect - защищать
enemy - враг
to store - хранить
tool - инструмент
tomb - могила
"cut-and-cover" - с проходкой открытым способом
diverted - отводить в сторону
trench - траншея
river bed - русло реки
bone - кость
antler - олений рог
flint - кремень
raw materials - сырье
to haul - тащить
freight - груз
tremendous - огромный
expansion - расширение
notable - заметный
compressed-air drill - пневматическая дрель
beneath - ниже
rapid transit system - система скоростного транспорта
network -сеть
non-level crossing -
deep - глубокий
provide - обеспечивать
bore - бурить
bustling – шумный
The evolution of tunneling technology closely mirrors the various worldwide advances in tunneling technology and methods. Tunnels have progressed from hand-excavated tunnels with timber supports to innovative high- technology, closed-face shield-driven tunnels utilizing chemical additives for soil stabilization, sophisticated computer systems to monitor machine operation characteristics and so on.
In the ancient age, mankind dug tunnel and caves for shelter for protecting dangerous enemies and/or to store foods that had been gathered with hunting and/or fishing. Later, mankind had developed metal tools for excavation of the underground. Early excavations have been discovered in Caucasia, near Black Sea, which date back to about 3,500 B.C.
The origin of tunnel building is disputed. The Egyptians built tunnels as entrances to tombs. The Babylonians built a tunnel under the Euphrates using what is now called the "cut-and-cover" method; the river was diverted, a wide trench was dug across its bed, and a brick tube was constructed in it and covered up. The ancient Greeks and Romans built tunnels for carrying water and for mining purposes; some of the Roman tunnels are still in use. Almost every Great civilization, such as Aztec, Inca, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian, had constructed tunnels on the history. The tools used in tunneling were the tools of age: Bone, antler, flint and wood to early human, bronze, iron and steel as civilization advance.
The art of tunnelling was first developed by miners. By the 17th century, tunnels were being constructed for canals. Without roads or railways to transport raw materials from the country to the city, watery highways became the best way to haul freight over great distances. Overseas, railway tunnels had been built soon after trains were introduced. With trains and cars came a tremendous expansion in tunnels construction. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the development of railroad and motor vehicle transportation led to bigger, better, and longer tunnels.
One of the first notable tunnels in Great Britain was part of the Grand Trunk Canal. It was nearly 2 mi (3.2 km) long and was completed in 1777. The Mont Cénis Tunnel, a railroad tunnel in the French Alps that opened in 1871 and is now 8.5 mi (13.7 km) long, was probably the first tunnel built using compressed-air drills. The first rail tunnel in the United States was built in 1833, and in the United Kingdom a tunnel on the Sheffield–Manchester line opened in 1845.
The longest canal tunnel is the Standedge Tunnel in the United Kingdom, over three miles (5 km) long. In the United Kingdom a pedestrian tunnel or other underpass beneath a road is called a subway. This term was used in the United States, but now refers to underground rapid transit systems. The central part of a rapid transit network is usually built in tunnels. To allow non-level crossings, some lines run in deeper tunnels than others. Rail Stations with much traffic usually provide pedestrian tunnels from one platform to another, though others use bridges.
The Channel Tunnel between France and England is one of the longest tunnels in the world. It is 50 kilometers long. The longest tunnel in the world, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, is being dug in Switzerland.
In general, today, not even mountains and oceans stand in the way. With the latest tunnel construction technology, engineers can bore through mountains, under rivers, and beneath bustling cities.