EUROTUNNEL

The tunnel that will link England and France, boring 23 miles beneath the English Channel, has been called the most ambitious civil engineering project ever undertaken. It is nearly as astonishing culturally and financially as it is physically, but Bender concentrates here almost exclusively on the impressive logistics and construction techniques (e.g., a 1300-ton tunnel-boring machine, 29 feet in diameter and 49 feet long, removes 3531 cubic feet of rock every 12 minutes). The first of three tunnels will be joined late this year: completion is scheduled for 1993. Crisp, informative photos and drawings clearly show how this massive project is being carried out, giving budding engineers ample opportunity to pore over carefully indicated details that extend the information in the text. Originally published in Britain, but with most spelling and usage Americanized. Two pages of technology experiments; glossary; index. Excellent.