The Need for a Thames Tunnel - Research Paper Example

Thames Tunnel The Thames Tunnel, a tunnel joining Rotherhithe to Wapping, was the first ever under a river tunnel. It was constructed in London beneath the River Thames. There was no land that could connect the South and north banks of the Thames and to connect the expanding docks on either side of the River. It was designed and constructed between 1825 and 1843 by engineer Marc Brunel. Marc Brunel used a revolutionary tunnel shield to build the tunnel. This tunnel comprised of 36 cells and gave provision for a workman to be engaged independent of others. The device was propelled by a screw, which drove it forward in 4.5in/114mm steps. The tunnel measures 11m (35 feet) wide 6m (20 feet) high and 396 m (1,300 feet) long (Teape 6). It runs a depth of 23 m (75 feet) below the surface of River Thames when measured at high tide. Thames Tunnel The Need for a Tunnel In early 19 century, there was no land that could connect the South and north banks of the Thames and to connect the expanding docks on either side of the River. The port of London the main hub of across the entire British Empire and the business worldwide. Any bridge constructed was supposed to allow ships that had masts over one hundred feet tall to be sailed under them yet there was no available technology if the Tower bridges lifting bascules to early engineers (Will 15). It could not be possible for a horse to pull a cat that was loaded up through a steep hill up to 100 feet into the air at a gentle slope. The approach ramps needed to be very long, which made in impractical. Building the Tunnel This pressing need so Engineer Ralph Dodd develop a tunnel to between Tilbury and Gravesend in 1799 (Teape 6). This first attempt did not succeed. Later (1805-1809) a group of Cornish miners being led by Richard Trevithick made another attempt of digging a tunnel upriver between Limehouse/Wapping and Rotherhithe. The equally encountered difficult conditions and failed. As Cornish miners, they were used to dealing with hard rocks. They needed to modify the methods they used in digging hard rocks to enable them to deal with quicksand and soft clay (Teape 8). There was also the problem of the flooding of the initial pilot tunnel. It was reported that after 1000 feet of the total 1,200 feet became flooded, the Thames Archway project was abandoned. It measures 2 to 3 feet by 5 feet, and was intended to be used for a passenger’s use. The failure of this early project made engineers to come to a conclusion that constructing an underground tunnel was impractical. However, Marc Brunel, the Anglo-French engineer, could not agree to this. In 1814 engineer Marc Brunel proposed a plan to construct a tunnel in St Petersburg under river Neva. This proposal was turned down and a bridge constructed instead. Brunel did not give up the idea. He continued to work on his idea for new technique of tunnelling. In 1918, Thomas Cochrane and Brunel combined efforts to patent the tunnelling shield. This was a revolutionary advancement in the tunnelling technology. In 1823 Brunel came up with a plan to construct a tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe. This was to be dug with the use of a new shield. Private investors such as the Duke of Wellington owned up to finance the project. A theme Tunnel company was later formed in 1824. The project was kick started in 1825. The first phase involved constructing a large shaft on the Rotherhithe’s South bank. This was approximately 46m (150 feet back from the Thame river bank. To dig the shaft, an iron ring 15 m (50 feet) was assembled in a diameter above the ground level. A brick wall 12 m (40 feet) high and 91 cm (3 feet) thick was constructed on top of this (see figure 01). Figure 01 A powerful steam engine was used to surmount it and to drive the pump of the excavation. The entire apparatus weight 1,000 tons. The soil under the sharp lower edge of the ring was manually removed by Brunel’s workers. This caused the entire shaft to gradually sink under its weight. It sliced through the soft ground. At one time during the sinking of the shaft, it was stack underground with the pressure around the earth holding it firmly. There was need for the extra weight to help push the shaft to descent. To descent it further, 50,000 more bricks were temporarily added. It was later revealed that this problem was caused by shaft’s sides being parallel. Years later the Wapping shaft was constructed with a slightly wider bottom. The non-cylindrical tapering design helped prevent the shaft from being stuck. The Rotherhithe shaft had been completed by November 1825. This way, the tunnelling work could start. Brunel’s key construction of the Tunnel was the tunnelling shield put up at Henry Lambeth works. The mode by which the Thames Tunnels was accomplished made it to be regarded as a shield consisting twelve frames that lie close to each other, and divided into three stories or stages. This way, it had 36 chambers of cell with each cell open to the rear and for one workman. It had moveable boards closing its ends (Will 14). The front part of the tunnel was put against the earth, and the workman, after having removed the one board could excavate the earth behind the depth. The board was placed in advance of the cell. It was maintained in place by props. Having proceeded with all the necessary boards, the cells were advanced by two main screws. One screw was at the head of the board. The other screw was at the foot of the board. The other sets of divisions were advanced. The bricklayers was formed at the top, bottom and sides when miners worked at one of the ends of the cell. The twelve frames making up the shield approximately weighed well over seven tons. The tunnelling shield’s major innovation was the support it provided to the unlined ground around and in front it in order to help reduce the possible risk of collapse. Brunel’s workers became sick due to filthy sewage-laden water, which seeped through from the river. The sewage generated methane gas. The work was slowed down, at only 8 to 12 feet (3-4m) a week. The company directors earned some income from the tunnel by collecting some cash from sightseers. They charged one shilling for each adventure. The excavation was also somewhat hazardous. On 18 of May 1827, the tunnel became flooded after the Brunel’s workers had dug 167m 549 feet. This was rectified and the construction was continued. In 1828, the tunnel was once again flooded. Six men were affected and died. However, Isambard survived this floods (Will 8). The six people had had gone to the main stairwell but the emergence exit from the tunnel was closed. Re-opening In the year 1834, marc Brunel managed to raise the required amount of money for construction. Beginning from the year 1835 an old rusted shield was removed and dismantled(Beamish, & Isambard 21). In the year 1836 the shield heavier and improved was assembled then the boring resumed. This was characterised by more floods, the leaks and fires of hydrogen sulphite together with methane gas. The increase delays and increased flooding made the tunnel be a battle of metropolitan humour. The Thames Tunnel had to fit out with roadways, lighting, and spiral staircases between 1841 and 1842 (Will 12). The house of an engine on the Rotherhithe side that is responsible for housing the Brunel museum was constructed to the machinery of the house to drain the tunnel. This tunnel was opened for the public in 1943. Pedestrian Usage Even though it was triumph of civil engineering, the tunnel of Thames failed to be a financial success. The tunnel’s cost of construction was a fortune. About four hundred and fifty four thousand pound was needed to dig and an additional of one hundred and eighty thousand pounds to be fitted far away in the cost estimates. Different proposals of extending the entrance towards the wheeled accommodation hit the wall due to the cost, and this was utilized only through the pedestrians. This was now a major attraction of the tourists receiving over two million tourists each year and paying a penny to go through and become the popular songs. William Allan the American traveller commented that one moves into London without coming close to the tunnel and identified it as an eighth world wonder. After seeing it in the year 1851, he considered himself as a disappointment because of the tunnel but left a clear interior description. The description was similar to that of an underground market place rather than a transport artery. The building blocks that separated the street from the river showed an octagonal marble edifice. It was entered by many great doors, then a rotunda was placed about fifty feet diameter. The floor was positioned in a mosaic manner with white and blue marble. The walls were stuccoed around with the sale of papers stands, books, pamphlets, beer, and confectioners. Some form of watch house was positioned on the rotunda side close to the river. This was for the tax gatherer or the fat publican (Beamish, & Isambard 21). A brass turnstile was also positioned before him hence allowing people to pass after paying some penny to the tax gathered. After entering the door, you start to go lower to the shaft by the help of a flight having lengthy steps of marble that reduce to a huge platform in which the additional step series reduces in an opposite direction. The shaft walls were seen to be circular, hanged with paint and finished in stucco. E downward journey is resumed. One would always reduce his speed few moments on the initial platform listening to the huge organ notes that do occupy the section of it thus limiting the excellent music. The down ward journey is resumed up to when the next story is arrived or rather the marble platform in which one finds other curiosity objects that engage ones attention while one stops for some rest. When one goes down to the bottom section of the eight feet shaft, the walls would meanwhile be studded with numerous pictures, plaster figures, status and C (Beamish, & Isambard 21). Reaching the bottom, one would find himself inside the rotunda that corresponds to the bottom section. This rotunda is similar to that that was seen on the street around the room about fifty feet diameter with a floor of marble. The tunnel has all covers close to the walls in which the different contrivances get the money out of Egyptians fortune tellers, necromancers, or dancing monkeys. The room is brilliant and lit with gas (Beamish, & Isambard 21). Thames Tunnel has beautiful Arches that extends towards the opposite river side. The Arches have a roadstead, which is about twenty two feet high, fourteen feet wide and has some pathways for the pedestrian cans which are about three feet wide. The Tunnel looks well ventilated since the air is not damp. The arch partition, running the entire length of the tunnel is transverse into arches that lead through the roadsteds. These could be about fifty and are finished to form up toy and fancy shops in a manner that is rich. The polished centres of marble counters the linings of tapestry do glide the shelves, together with the mirrors which make it to look doubled. The ladies having the fashionable dressed and faces filled with all smiles wait patiently inside to allow to give room for the gentlemen to go through without providing them the chance of purchasing some pretty items for remembrance of the Tunnel the gas burners are used to light the Arch making it as bright as the sun and the avenues are normally crowded with men moving through, children and women looking at the structure, looking at the Tunnel structure or the fancy toys and wears arranged around the arch. It may not be possible to go through with no curiosity. The tunnel is made up the arched corridor of interminable length, lighted with jets intervals that are regular. These are individuals who spend their whole life in the Tunnel. The corridor has little alcoves and the shop stalls that are kept principally by women seen in the dusk selling the multifarious trumpery (Will 10). Use as a railway The tunnel investor oversaw the purchase of the tunnel in the year 1865 by the Railway of East London Company. This was one consortium having six mainline railways that sought to use the tunnel to give a link of the rail for the passengers and the goods Wapping. The generous headroom of the tunnel was as a result of the architect’s original accommodating intention of having the horse drawn accommodation carriages that give sufficient loading gauges for use by the train. The tunnel was first used by a train in the year 1869. During the year 1884, the construction of the tunnel was disused to the north river side purposely to function as a station. East London railway was absorbed later to the underground London, and became the East London Line. The railway was still used for goods and services in the year 1962 (Beamish, & Isambard 21). At this time, the Tunnel was the only old piece of the underground infrastructure. There were some plans to construct an intersection of the East Line London and the Jubilee extension Line at Canada Water tube station. Even as the construction will need the some temporal closure of the Line, it would take the chance to perform some long term maintenance in the Tunnel The method of repair that was proposed for this tunnel involved sealing all the existing leaks using concrete. After the agreement, to have a small section left out at one end of the tunnel not treated, and a sympathetic treatment of the other tunnel, the work advanced and the path reopened at some later stage than the anticipated 1998. The tunnel was closed once more from the year 2007 to allow the track laying and the signalling for the extension of the East London line. The work led to the tunnel and was part of the over ground London. After the reopening in the year 2010 it was utilized by trains in the mainline. Influence The Thanes Tunnel construction showed that it was possible to construct the underwater tunnel. This is true even considering some prior scepticism of different engineers. Different new underwater tunnels were constructed in the UK after that decade. These included the Tower Subway, River Severn, Severn Tunnel, Mersey railway, James Henry Greathead, and River Mersey. The historical relevance of the Thames Tunnel was identified in the year 1995 after the listing of the structure as a grade 11 in the architectural recognition relevance (Beamish, & Isambard 21). The stairs displayed a plague descending towards the Rotherhithe platforms before the first temporal closure. This plague was removed in order to maintain safety for the period of work. The plague is currently being reinstated on the walls of the tunnel and can be observed from the staircases of the passenger into the platform of the station. Work Cited Teape, H. Thames Tunnel Company. Thames Tunnel Company, incorporated 1824. Harvard University. 2007 Richard Beamish, & Marc Isambard Brunel. Notice Concerning the Thames Tunnel. The Institution, Thames Tunnel Company. The origin, progress and present state of the Thames tunnel and the advantage likely to accrue from it, both to the proprietors and to the public. London: E. Wilson, 2007. Will, Howie. Thames Tunnel to Channel Tunnel: 150 Years of Civil Engineering : Selected Papers from the Journal of the Institution of Civil Engineers Published to Celebrate Its 150th Anniversary. London: Thomas Telford, 1987. 2008. Read More