Continuous gallery construction, in particular for underground mine tunnels

In a multi-section gallery construction for use in a mine tunnel, said gallery construction being of the type comprising a plurality of sheet steel elements disposed in partially overlapping relation to one another to provide a continuous longitudinally extending gallery in the mine tunnel, the improvement wherein each of said steel elements has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm, each said element being of elongated arcuate shape and defining a plurality of spaced corrugations which are oriented in the longitudinal direction of said gallery, each said element having a cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction of said gallery consisting of a smoothly curved convex section the opposing edges of which merge into smoothly curved concave sections, the radii of curvature of said concave sections being substantially less than the radius of curvature of said convex section, adjacent ones of said steel elements overlapping one another in the longitudinal direction of said gallery only at said concave sections whereby said gallery exhibits a longitudinal cross section of smoothly curved wavy configuration consisting of plural convex sections and intervening smaller-radii concave sections, the amplitude (A) and longitudinal width (b) of each said concave section being substantially greater than the amplitude (B) and longitudinal width (a) of each said convex section, and supporting means in separable engagement with at least some of said overlapping concave sections for securing said gallery to a wall of the mine tunnel.