What’s “Boring” about the Brightwater Tunnel
My June 5th commentary about the Kenmore Brightwater Portal generated a lot of questions about the tunnel boring machines that move their way under our very neighborhoods. When I spoke with David Freed and Derek Dugan they explained that the boring machine is, in essence, a moving factory with a cutter at the front end and a series of segments (called gantrys) that house generators, pumps, cables and even a saftey chamber into which the workers can go in case of an emergency. Derek, the principal engineer, mentioned that there are currently hundreds of tunnelling projects underway around the world. He even mentioned that there is a huge tunnelling fratenity worldwide. If you’re interested in seeing more projects world wide go to Herrenknecht’s website. There you will see some amazing projects. Now for those of you who want to know what the machine is doing under Kenmore, here a very interesting animation:
Click on this link to see how the boring machines work: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/best-tunnel-boring-machine-animation-ever/1570065021. The whole process of boring tunnels throughout the world is fascinating to me. When one thinks about it, the ability for large populations to move vehicles, water and wastes through large tunnels is a fundamental infrastructural necessity. So, when you’re driving through Kenmore know that there’s an amazing process going on right under your feet.
