Posted on 12/26/2013 5:02:00 PM PST by Windflier
Bertha, the world's largest tunneling machine, churning through the rock and mud beneath Seattle, has hit a mysterious roadblock—so mysterious, it is only known for now as "the object."
The New York Times reports that the machine—300 feet long and 5 stories tall—has ground to a halt. Built precisely not to be stopped by, well, just about anything, Bertha has apparently met her match. But what exactly is it? "Something unknown, engineers say—and all the more intriguing to many residents for being unknown—has blocked the progress of the biggest-diameter tunnel-boring machine in use on the planet," the NYT writes.
It is something the managers on site "still simply refer to as 'the object.'"
Some hypothesize a colossal ice age boulder or two, locked down in the sediments beneath the city. Others think it might be "buried train engines."
Whether it's ice age super-rocks, buried trains, a lost city—or even a UFO—engineers might have to work "at atmospheric pressures similar to what a diver would experience," the New York Times adds, and even spend "time in a decompression chamber" on their way back up to the surface, to find out.
So what is it? What is "the object" blocking Bertha's path? Just look at the size of the tunnels it's been digging; whatever's in the way has got to be one tough mother.
The smart move would be to stop drilling and plug the tunnel now.
Thanks. If that's the case, an uninformed person such as myself thinks all they need to do is change cutters and resume boring but I know it isn't so simple.
Immovable object meets irresistible force....or something like that. Maybe she's on a union break.
That and as another poster pointed out, a cavern, or underground river
Agreed...
Here’s an article with photos of a large boulder (34’ x 75’) that is on the ground surface about 50 miles north of the tunnel.
A large cavern is very unlikely in the geology where the boring is. And it would not “obstruct” the boring - but they obviously wouldn’t be able to construct the tunnel.
Although it would be REALLY COOL to have to drive into the tunnel, go a mile, then drive across a bridge across the cavern, and then into the tunnel again on the other side! Have a “view point” on the edge of the cavern where you could get out and stretch your legs, and maybe have walkways to go exploring. Sort of a Jules Vern thing!
LOL
You know, there is only so much igneous rock in the earth.
If this is a very large chunk it would be a terrible mistake to break it up. It’s not like we can make more - it will be gone forever.
Save the igneous rock!
We need someone to chain themselves to it and then call the mainstream media.
We can use social networking to raise money!
Dunno. Maybe some serious blasting?
I think it’s a “we need more money” rock.
This is fracking on a grand scale. Isn’t fracking a crime against Gaia in liberalworld?
Some guy on the Bertha site wondered if this will impact the cost. Of course not, Mr. Curious. Everybody knows the Union Goons love to volunteer their time and work for nothing.
This ill-conceived project is going to make Boston’s Big Dig look like lunch money. It’s digging under Elliott Bay (part of Puget Sound) in a known earthquake zone. The last big earthquake Seattle had, the major damage was a block inland from where this tunnel is going. Should they ever accidentally get this fiasco built, I for one will NEVER drive through it!~
If it is a boulder, I’m not sure how that will work. I’m just thinking of myself trying to drill through a hunk of metal with my drill. I can’t do it with a big drill bit (like this boring machine). Even if I had super-duper titanium diamond bits. BUT - perhaps they can drill it with smaller bits to break up the boulder. Explosives would damage the machine (it can’t back up more than a few feet I don’t think).
I was at one place where to break up a huge boulder they drilled a bunch of holes in it, then put clay in the holes, and then they watered it. The clay expanded and broke the boulder! Of course that boulder was on the ground, and had somewhere to expand too.
Whatever it is, they’ll get it figured out. Lots of time and money though. Oh well. The taxpayers have it covered!
And (I assume) people in evil cars and trucks are going to drive through this thing!!!
Now if it was just for "high speed rail" that's OK.
REUNITE GWONDANALAND!
Occam's Razor says this is the most likely answer. I tend to expect these boring machines are capable of going through solid igneous rock, albeit at a much slower rate.
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