Mining & Tunnelling

Carnon Contracting was formed in order to market the expertise of South Crofty Mine’s personnel to outside clients.

Because of our mining background we are specialists in the driving of small to medium size tunnels in hard rock for road crossings.

Projects carried out have ranged from the driving of a 2.4m x 2.4m tunnel 800m through a hill in Somerset in order to carry water from the river Exe to the Wimbleball reservoir for times of shortage to the driving of 10 - 20m long tunnels by hand through hard rock near services where blasting or ordinary trenching are not allowed.

We can also manage the safe access of existing tunnels both mining and non-mining using our fully confined space trained personnel.

Previous projects have Included :

• The construction of an 800m long tunnel for South West Water in Somerset as part of the Wimbleball reservoir drought alleviation scheme.
• A 35m long tunnel through varied geological ground at Coombe Martin for Birse Construction. part of South West Water ’s Coombe Martin Marine Discharge Scheme.
• The construction of 2 no 12.5m diameter Internal) segmentally lined shaft/tank for Alfred McAlpine in Camborne and Truro Cornwall.
• The sinking of a 6.5 m (internal) diameter shaft/tank, segmentally lined to a depth of 8m in Lyme Regis for TJ Brent Ltd.
• The mining of a 14m high raise from the Penzance - Newlyn Interceptor Tunnel to ground level through very hard rock within 3 m of a busy road. Subcontract for Trafalgar House Construction as Part of South West Water’s Clean Sweep Programme.
• The safe access and surveying of water extraction tunnels in the chalk of Chatham in Kent for Southern Water and Worley Parsons Komex.