This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Established | 1971 |
---|---|
Type | Civil Engineering professional association |
Headquarters | One Great George Street London, SW1 |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Fields | Tunnel-related matters |
Membership | 800 individual members (as of 2016) [1] |
Key people | Rod Young (BTS Chairman) Alasdair Fraser (BTSYM Chair) |
Affiliations | Institution of Civil Engineers |
Website | britishtunnelling |
The British Tunnelling Society (BTS) is a professional association established in London, UK, in 1971 by tunnelling professionals, led by Sir Harold Harding. The BTS is a learned society of the Institution of Civil Engineers, its mission being to provide a forum for meetings and discussion on tunnel-related matters.
The BTS took part in the founding of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES) [2] in 1974 and represents the UK on its General Assembly. In 2016, the BTS had 800 members [3] making it one of the largest.[ citation needed ] The current chairman of the BTS, Rod Young, assumed the position in May 2022.
The BTS provides a forum for meetings and discussion on tunnel-related matters, the BTS also publishes industry guidelines and codes of practice; conducts training courses to advance the education of tunnelling professionals; [4] promotes the recruitment of young people to the industry; acknowledges excellence in tunnelling; sponsors and supports industry conferences; and advises Government [5] and the general public on the art and science of tunnelling.[ citation needed ] Additionally, the BTS supports the MSc in Tunnelling and Underground Space [6] at The University of Warwick, by advising on the course structure and facilitating lecturers from industry for many modules.
The BTS organises monthly meeting and the BTS Conference & Exhibition [7] and Harding Memorial Lecture [8] every second year. Named after Sir Harding – the founder of the society.
The official magazine of the BTS is 'Tunnels & Tunnelling International' which is currently published monthly by Progressive Media International. The current editor is Patrick Reynolds.
The BTS awards the James Clarke Medal and Harding Prize annually to recognise the achievements of both eminent and young tunnellers respectively.
Named in honour of Sir Harold Harding, the Harding Prize is awarded annually. [9] The entry to the award consists of an original paper relating to any aspect of tunnelling which the entrant considers to be of interest to others in the tunnelling industry and is open to those aged 33 or younger on 1 January of the same year. The papers are then reviewed by a group of BTS committee members and the writers of selected papers are invited to make an oral presentation to the April BTS meeting. The winner is decided by members of the BTS Committee.
The James Clark Medal is named in honour of James Clark, who worked for Charles Brand and Sons on many well-known tunnels.[ citation needed ] In 1981 his widow, Madeline, bequeathed a sum of money to provide a medal to be awarded annually to a British Tunneller to perpetuate James' memory. The original criteria were: contemporary achievement in tunnelling; or innovation or responsibility for a large project. In the mid-1980s the medal was not awarded, and with Madeline's approval a third criterion was added: a major contribution to the tunnelling industry. The James Clark Medal is the highest honour awarded by The British Tunnelling Society and has been awarded to: [10]
Over the years, The BTS and its Working Groups have published, or collaborated with others to publish, numerous best practice and other guides. These publications include: [11]
The BTS has also actively participated in the production or revision of a number of key standards for the tunnelling industry: [12]
The British Tunnelling Society (BTS) announced the UK's first National Tunnelling Day [13] to take place on Thursday, 3 December 2015. The aim of the day is to generate interest in the great number of world class tunnelling projects currently being undertaken in the UK and to promote the industry (and its many professions) to young people and students of all ages. The day will be an annual event occurring on, or in proximity to, the Feast Day of St. Barbara, traditionally seen as the Patron Saint of Tunnellers in the UK.
The Channel Tunnel, also known as the Chunnel, is a 50.46-kilometre (31.35 mi) underwater railway tunnel that connects Folkestone with Coquelles beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. It is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and the European mainland. At its lowest point, it is 75 metres (246 ft) deep below the sea bed and 115 metres (377 ft) below sea level. At 37.9 kilometres (23.5 mi), it has the longest underwater section of any tunnel in the world and is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. The speed limit for trains through the tunnel is 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). The tunnel is owned and operated by the company Getlink, formerly "Groupe Eurotunnel".
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges.
The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, it has no general admission charge; there are admission charges for most side-gallery temporary exhibitions, usually supplemented by many loaned works from other museums.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, while the rest are located in more than 150 other countries. The ICE aims to support the civil engineering profession by offering professional qualification, promoting education, maintaining professional ethics, and liaising with industry, academia and government. Under its commercial arm, it delivers training, recruitment, publishing and contract services. As a professional body, ICE aims to support and promote professional learning, managing professional ethics and safeguarding the status of engineers, and representing the interests of the profession in dealings with government, etc. It sets standards for membership of the body; works with industry and academia to progress engineering standards and advises on education and training curricula.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom.
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, and Companions of the society can use the post-nominal letters MRAeS, FRAeS, or CRAeS, respectively.
The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) is the UK's chartered professional body for mathematicians and one of the UK's learned societies for mathematics.
Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides higher education in art and design, architecture, history of art, and music disciplines for over three thousand students and is at the forefront of research and research-led teaching in the creative arts, humanities, and creative technologies. ECA comprises five subject areas: School of Art, Reid School of Music, School of Design, School of History of Art, and Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA). ECA is mainly located in the Old Town of Edinburgh, overlooking the Grassmarket; the Lauriston Place campus is located in the University of Edinburgh's Central Area Campus, not far from George Square.
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the professional body representing planners in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It promotes and develops policy affecting planning and the built environment. Founded in 1914, the institute was granted a royal charter in 1959. In 2018 it reported that it had over 25,000 members.
The Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) is awarded to British horticulturists resident in the United Kingdom whom the Royal Horticultural Society Council considers deserving of special honour by the Society.
The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) is a professional body for designers. It is the only Royal Chartered body of experienced designers. Its membership is multi-disciplinary – representing designers in all design, disciplines including Interior Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, Fashion and Textile Design.
The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the art and science of photography, and in 1853 received royal patronage from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Sir Alan Howard Cottrell, FRS was an English metallurgist and physicist. He was also former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government and vice-chancellor of Cambridge University 1977–1979.
Robert James Mair, Baron Mair, is a geotechnical engineer and Emeritus Sir Kirby Laing Professor of Civil Engineering and director of research at the University of Cambridge. He is Head of the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC). He was Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, from 2001 to 2011 and a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, from 1998 to 2001. In 2014 he was elected a vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers and on 1 November 2017 became the Institution's president for 2017–18, its 200th anniversary year. He was appointed an independent crossbencher in the House of Lords in 2015 and is currently a member of its Select Committee on Science and Technology.
Sir Harold John Boyer Harding was a British civil engineer. Harding was educated at Christ's Hospital and the City and Guilds College, interrupting his studies 1918–19 with a one-year period spent as a cadet in the Officers' Training Corps. Following graduation Harding worked for Mowlem where he specialised in tunnelling work for London Underground including the reconstruction of Piccadilly Circus tube station and the expansion of the Central line. In the 1930s he and Mowlem were instrumental in introducing geotechnical processes to the UK.
The Telford Medal is a prize awarded by the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for a paper or series of papers. It was introduced in 1835 following a bequest made by Thomas Telford, the ICE's first president. It can be awarded in gold, silver or bronze; the Telford Gold Medal is the highest award the institution can bestow.
Sir Alan Marshall Muir Wood was a British civil engineer.
John Vernon Bartlett was a British civil engineer, particularly associated with developments in tunnelling technologies. He was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers from November 1982 to November 1983, and received various industry honours including the Telford and Sir Frank Whittle Medals.
The Society for Radiological Protection is the leading UK professional body promoting learning and skills in the field of Radiological Protection. The Society was formed in 1963, and received its Royal Charter in 2007. It has the overall objectives of improving public knowledge and maintaining professional standards in that field. It is the largest society of its kind in Europe, and second largest in the world.