The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal
association for geotechnical engineers in the United Kingdom.
The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal
association for geotechnical engineers in the United Kingdom.
The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is pleased to announce that the 2023 BGA Case Histories Award has been awarded to authors Martin Preene and Mike Chrimes for their papers “Groundwater lowering for construction of the Kilsby Tunnel – geological and geotechnical aspects” and “Groundwater lowering for construction of the Kilsby Tunnel – pumping and tunnelling” in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Engineering History and Heritage 174(4) published 2022.
The papers can be accessed via the ICE Virtual Library HERE and HERE.
A total of five entries, all of a very high standard, were received for the award this year, making the selection of the winner by the prizes sub-committee a challenging task.
The judges agreed that the winning pair of papers constitute a thorough review of the Kilsby Tunnel geological conditions using contemporary and modern geological sources, including a detailed historical review in the geology of the area. The potential impact of misunderstanding of quaternary geology is illustrated along with a narration of how this project has impacted the discipline of geology. Of particular interest was the excellent 'back analysis' of Stephenson's 'observational' dewatering method, using Darcy's Law and Terzaghi's effective stress theory that were discovered decades after Kilsby tunnel was constructed through quicksand.
The BGA Case Histories Award is to encourage and recognise the importance of exchange of exemplary geotechnical knowledge and experience of the performance of constructed works. The award is presented for an outstanding contribution to the knowledge and experience of the United Kingdom geotechnical engineering profession through the publication of a well-considered and researched case history or histories, or the publication of recommended practices or design methodologies based on the evaluation of case histories that provide beneficial insights into the geotechnical aspects of constructed works.
A list of previous winners can be found HERE.