ABSTRACT
The London & Birmingham Railway was the largest civil engineering project yet attempted in the country. It was also the great exemplar of geotechnical engineering in the new railway age. Its long tunnels and deep cuttings and embankments crossed practically every geological stratum from London clay to carboniferous sandstone, including glacial deposits. Robert Stephenson's railway experience had made him alert to the importance of thorough site investigation prior to the submission of plans and levels to Parliament. The vast quantities of earthwork made it necessary to use exceptional care in deciding on the slopes to be adopted in cuttings, for which purpose the stratification at key localities had to be known. After eight months of surveys, design work and contract preparation, the first three contracts were let in May 1834, covering 20 miles from Camden to King's Langley. As construction proceeded and experience was gained, the slopes at many cuttings and embankments were given less inclination.
