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[KEK Inc.]

Looks like a spaceship!

[xonhulu]

That is way cool.

[roadfro]

What is that?

[NE2]

A cutterhead.

[english si]

This thread is boring

[corco]

That would be Washington State putting Japan to work by letting a Japanese company build in Japan the custom cutterhead that will drill the new 99 tunnel through Seattle.

[Steve]

That would be Washington State putting Japan to work by letting a Japanese company build in Japan the custom cutterhead that will drill the new 99 tunnel through Seattle.

Because American companies didn't have the capability to build it. Since my firm is involved with the project, I have been keeping tabs on it, and that was one thing - projects of such a large scale, such as an unprecedent tunnel size, end up having a global reach. If this were to become more commonplace, you would see American firms on the job in the future.

[KEK Inc.]

This thread is boring

Harr harr.

@roadfro:  It's the front of the boring machine that bores tunnels.  There's a model of one in the Mechanical Engineering Building at UW.

Here's an older one from the 20th century.



More modern ones are designed to build the plates on the tunnel wall as it bores.

[Brandon]

This thread is boring

You should be cored for that.  It wasn't gneiss.

[Dougtone]

Now there's a video that explains the tunnel boring process for the Alaskan Way in Seattle.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/09/this-is-how-a-tunnel-boring-machine-will-burrow-a-viaduct-under/

[Steve]

Oh, by the way, @BerthaDigsSR99 on Twitter.

[707]

I have to say, Bertha is by far a technological wonder. Not only does it drill the tunnel for SR 99, but it lays the tunnel wall in place at the exact same time! I saw the cutterhead when travelling north on SR 99 yesterday and I was amazed at what I saw (the view from SR 99 is actually quite good when it comes to seeing the cutterhead). I hope they save this part of Bertha for MOHAI when they are done using it.

[Steve]

I have to say, Bertha is by far a technological wonder. Not only does it drill the tunnel for SR 99, but it lays the tunnel wall in place at the exact same time! I saw the cutterhead when travelling north on SR 99 yesterday and I was amazed at what I saw (the view from SR 99 is actually quite good when it comes to seeing the cutterhead). I hope they save this part of Bertha for MOHAI when they are done using it.

Any idea when they start cutting? I have a feeling Bertha will be underground just before I get there, just to spite me.

[707]

I have to say, Bertha is by far a technological wonder. Not only does it drill the tunnel for SR 99, but it lays the tunnel wall in place at the exact same time! I saw the cutterhead when travelling north on SR 99 yesterday and I was amazed at what I saw (the view from SR 99 is actually quite good when it comes to seeing the cutterhead). I hope they save this part of Bertha for MOHAI when they are done using it.

Any idea when they start cutting? I have a feeling Bertha will be underground just before I get there, just to spite me.

I heard drilling will begin around July, so hopefully that's enough time for you to come and see it. By that point in time, I'll be living in Tucson and unfortunately will miss seeing the drill start operations. 

[cpzilliacus]

Any idea when they start cutting? I have a feeling Bertha will be underground just before I get there, just to spite me.

A colleague of mine has a meeting in Seattle this week and gets a tour of what's happening there.