What’s blocking Bertha: a long steel pipe

Seattle Times ^ | 1/3/2014 | Mike Lindblom

[djf]

A buried steel pipe is mostly to blame for stopping the giant tunnel-boring machine Bertha, which has been stuck since Dec. 6 along the Seattle waterfront near South Main Street.

The long pipe was an 8-inch diameter, 115-foot-long “well casing,” used to measure groundwater during studies in 2002 on the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project, project officials said.

Matt Preedy, the deputy project administrator for the state Department of Transportation, said he had no estimates about how much time and money is will take to remove the rest of the pipe, and to repair damaged cutting tools on the face of the machine.

Nor does the team have a strategy yet for how removal should take place. One possible method is to send tunnel-trained divers to work near the cutter face, under extreme pressures that are exerted by groundwater.

snip

[SVTCobra03]

So what happens if you are in your car in the underground tunnel when an earthquake hits?

[Kickass Conservative]

Sounds like a “pass the Bill so you what’s in it” moment.

[Kickass Conservative]

>”So what happens if you are in your car in the underground tunnel when an earthquake hits?”<

No need for a Burial?

[Veto!]

I lived on an island with a view of Seattle when the tunnel -skyway-widened street debate went on. Some of us could actually predict the junk a tunnel would run into, the delays, they astronomical endless costs. Was anyone listening?

HAHAHAHAHA

[Jack Hydrazine]

Psst! What happens in the tunnel stays in the tunnel!

[Ancesthntr]

I was hoping for it to be the barrel of a Mk 20 Bolo. Oh well, just another government $@#€-up.

[faithhopecharity]

Pipe smipe. It’s the secret headquarters of the Borg’s earth colony command. They program obammy ‘s TelePrompTer from down under there ( with a not- a-little help from Satan and Soros and the Muslim brotherhood). All paid for with newly- printed “ stimulus funds”.

[PAR35]

The family will save a lot on burial costs.

[PROCON]

So what happens if you are in your car in the underground tunnel when an earthquake hits?

Liberal Seattle Politician: Next question!

[BenLurkin]

Hope they drive tunnels better than the Russians,,,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY4jmVfBAyQ

[Jack Hydrazine]

As long as no ice forms in the tunnel like the Russian one.

[vox_freedom]

Wonder if the guy in charge of installing this pipe (in 2002) died, so NO ONE now remembers when/where it was installed. Huh?

I'd say, "unbelievable" but this is government. Given there was speculation during the last couple of weeks that it might be a mid-1800's locomotive or other trash from over a hundred years ago, having this obstruction put in, and then a mystery, ELEVEN years ago is crazy. Maybe someone should give the DOT an Excel spreadsheet program so they might now keep track of what they bury and where.
As I said, unbelievable.

[blueunicorn6]

“Dude, they found a ginormous bong in Seattle!”

[stubernx98]

I headed a tunnel boring machine manufacturer in Seattle in the 80’s & 90’s that did the Chunnel between France & UK. Much more difficult tunneling problem in the French side. (you can see a video of it on youtube.

Most TBMS have the capability to bore small holes ahead if you run into obstructions. Go forward until against the object, Then go in pressurize the head, gunite the walls forward, then, manually go in and dismantle the pipe. If done properly could be done in a week.

In an EQ the tunnel lining most likely crack, and fill with water, (maybe they are using a double walled system?)

If they made the area under to old highway into a park area like Portland did next to the Willamette, it would be a real Tourist attraction.

[ThunderSleeps]

I’ve lived in places with tunnels. Traffic invariably backs up at the tunnels for no good reason. Good luck with that.

[Axenolith]

But the pipe (casing) is going to be vertical and I can't imagine that as merely a test well or piezometer it would be more that 30 inches in diameter.

Additionally, I find it hard to believe they would have put any holes in the ground without GPSing the location. I GPS everything unless Caltrans has specifically given me coordinates they have previously generated for whatever I am sticking a hole in...

[Rebel_Ace]

Well, starting with the Mark XXIII Continental Siege Units, dual Hellbores were standard, but neither barrel would extend past the Duralloy Hull, which is what is probably what stopped the TBM's cutters. As long as the activity does not trigger the psychotronic battle reflex circuits, the tunneling crew should be OK.

[Windflier]

Someone is an idiot. Likely the contractor and the state DOT.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that's more accurate.

[21twelve]

Heh. Like I guessed last night:

“holes at 5-foot spacings - and they didn’t hit anything! Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps it IS a vertical pile or something?”

Although I was thinking more of some unknown pile or pipe. Not the kind where you go down to the planning office and they say “Oh. We were wondering when you were going to ask us about Well No. 76028!”

[21twelve]

All monitoring wells have a permit and number and filed with Washington State with the lat./long. and the drill logs. Oops.