February 2012
Alan Runacres, a retired Halcrow director has celebrated winning the lifetime achievement award at the 2011 Tunnels and Tunnelling International awards.
Halcrow’s GRANIT testing system was also highly commended in the innovative use of equipment category.
The event was held in December 2011 at the MARITIM proArte Hotel in Berlin, Germany. 2011 saw the launch of these awards which promised to champion the industry's best efforts, greatest achievements and most impressive recoveries.
The lifetime achievement medal was won jointly by Alan Runacres and James Monsees. The judges felt both men had contributed extensively to the tunnelling industry, both in technical accomplishment and as inspiration to future tunnellers.
Alan retired in the spring of 2011 after 45 years with Halcrow. He joined the company as an engineering student in 1966 before graduating in 1971 and becoming a full-time employee.
Tunnels and tunnelling said of Alan: “His CV reads like a who’s who of tunnelling projects of the latter part of the last century and into the new millennium. Alan himself has said there are monuments around the world where parts of his soul are buried”.
He has worked on a global scale, on the delivery of major tunnelling infrastructure from the 1970’s to the present day.
Alan has worked on some of Halcrow’s most successful projects, these included:
- Tottenham Court Road Station Upgrade
- Ahmed Hamdi Road tunnel
- DLR Extensions to City Airport and Woolwich
- Channel Tunnel Rail link
- the Stansted Airport Rail Link Tunnel
- South Central Railway Infrastructure Improvements
- ERGOSE (Greek Railways) Project Management
- High Speed One
In 1991, Alan was made director and began working within the Rail Link Engineering Consortium winning the High Speed One project. He continued working on international projects as project director for projects across the world.
Outside of Halcrow, Alan was the UK representative on the PIARC (Permanent Association of Road Congresses) Road Tunnel Ventilation Sub Committee from 1985 to 1993.
Halcrow’s ground anchor integrity testing (GRANIT) system was highly commended in the Innovative use of equipment category.
GRANIT (GRound ANchor Integrity Testing) is the world’s first rapid, effective, multiple capability, non-destructive anchor integrity testing system for rockbolts and cables used in mining, tunnelling and slope stability. The system can be used on most civil engineering ground anchorage systems.
GRANIT testing involves sending a small impact impulse through the bolt/anchor generated by an electronic solenoid. The vibrational response is captured and then is analysed. The information gathered, once processed, reveals details of the working anchor which may lead to remedial action.
This is done by analysing the data to identify installation issues, reduced support element length, whether the support element's design or safe working load has been exceeded and potential corrosion issues along the bolt. Significant advantages are the portable self contained nature of the field equipment, it’s non-destructive, non-invasive nature and is infinitely repeatable. Its use can lead to potential cost saving, safety benefits, and increase in quality of installation.
The Judges’ commented: “This is a nice bit of kit that has come a long way since the 1990s. While the idea is not very new, its deployment by Halcrow shows its capability and potential. It is a strong contender for the award and deserves to be highly commended”.