The New Austrian Tunnelling method (NATM) is a technique used in tunnel excavation and construction. It was developed between 1957 and 1965 in Austria, and was given its name in London in 1962 to distinguish it from the old Austrian tunnelling approach. The main contributors to the development of NATM were Ladislaus von Rabcewicz, Leopold Müller and Franz Pacher. The main idea is to use the geological stress of the surrounding rock mass to stabilize the tunnel itself.
Many have argued that the New Austrian Tunnelling method was not new or Austrian having been previously used elsewhere in Europe and isn't a tunnelling method as much as a philosophy. This aside, NATM has no doubt done much to revolutionise tunnelling and bring it into the 21st century
Read more about New Austrian Tunnelling Method: Principles, Philosophy and Controversial Names, Key Features
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