Active Tunnelling Ltd
GOING UNDERGROUND
Coventry-based Active Tunnelling Ltd is a family business founded in 1994 by brothers John and Oliver Doherty. Starting with a modest collection of equipment, much of it sourced through friends and bargain purchases, the brothers combined their hands-on experience in tunnelling and shaft construction with a determination to build a secure future for their families. From those humble beginnings, Active Tunnelling has grown into a highly successful business with an annual turnover of £40 million. Today, three generations of the Doherty family are actively involved in the company, with John still at the helm and both brothers continuing to play an active role. Operating from extensive offices and workshops in Exhall, Coventry, the company delivers design-and-construct solutions for below- ground construction projects, with particular expertise in complex micro tunnelling, deep shaft construction and laser-guided auger boring. A key factor in the company’s growth has been its commitment to reinvesting profits back into the business. Over the years, this has enabled Active Tunnelling to develop a substantial portfolio of specialist plant and equipment, strengthening its ability to take on technically challenging projects and deliver practical, effective solutions. This focus on innovation, engineering expertise and problem-solving has become central to the Active Tunnelling brand. In 2026, Active Tunnelling is proud to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its innovative Hydraulic Underpinning Segment Erector, known as HUSE. HUSE was developed to address a long-standing practical challenge in the safe and accurate placement of precast concrete segmental rings in deep shafts. The innovation is a hydraulic attachment that connects to an excavator’s quick hitch, allowing precast concrete segments to be manoeuvred into position with exceptional accuracy, control and safety. By improving a traditionally difficult, labour-intensive process, HUSE clearly demonstrates Active Tunnelling’s engineering capability, innovative culture, commitment to quality and strong environmental credentials. Multi-award-winning Active Tunnelling has become a world leader in tunnelling and shaft building techniques
Innovative ethos Active Tunnelling’s innovative ethos has been recognised in recent years by two separate awards by the New Civil Engineer, NCE, in 2019 and 2024. In 2019 Active Tunnelling was awarded the NCE Tunnelling Award for Innovation in Shaft design and construction for its top-down construction solution for a 16m diameter shaft, which was required to reach a depth of 54m, as part of the Thames Tideway Scheme, a major UK infrastructure scheme. The award recognised the innovative development of a system of hydraulically reclining shaft jacking rams, which overcame working area constraints on a site where space was limited by surrounding properties. The hydraulically controlled jacking rams could move both vertically and horizontally, allowing the jacks to be retracted away from the shaft when not in use, freeing up valuable working space around the top of the shaft for follow on excavation activities. The benefit to the project was significant as it provided a 17% reduction in construction time, as well as a reduction in reworking and zero accidents.
Engineering capabilities On the NOC 23 project, Active Tunnelling overcame poor ground conditions and limitations placed on the working alongside a live railway to simultaneously install three piped flood culverts under a live four track railway during a 56-hour staggered railway possession.
This complex project and restricted working environment required Active Tunnelling to progress the three jacked tunnels under the railway in a staggered arrangement, which reflected the release of each track by TRU East. The success of the project came from a design completed by Active Tunnelling, which provided a composite Network Rail Form C, where Active Tunnelling undertook the role of Contractors Responsible Engineer (Design). In this role Active Tunnelling were proactive in fostering teamwork across all disciplines and ensured methodical working methods were adopted which joined the design and construction proposals into one submission which gave Network Rail and TRU East the assurance of project delivery.
“In 2026 Active Tunnelling proudly received the King’s Award for Enterprise for the innovation of a hydraulic underpinning segment erector, known as HUSE”
www. kingsawardsmagazine .com
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