Seattle Light-Rail Tunnel Likely to Break Ground This Year
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Feb. 7 Bertha update: Two factors contributed to tunnel stoppage
WSDOT released an update on February 7 with some conclusions regarding the blockage that has stopped the Alaska Way Viaduct Tunnel Boring Machine, Bertha’s progress since December 6. Now they don’t think it was necessarily the well casing after all.
They cite two factors that contributed to the blockage. First, the cutterhead was clogged with material. You can see an cool short video of a worker unclogging the cutterhead. Not terribly dramatic, but still cool. The second factor was increased temperatures inside the equipment. STP discovered damage to a seal that protects the machine’s main bearing. They are still determining how the repairs will be done.
If you want to follow the chronology of this issue, read below for summaries and links to previous updates from WSDOT. And Check out the videos too! [Source: WSDOT]
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Alleghenny Tunnel Nearing Completion but Hurting for Money
Pittsburgh’s light rail expansion project dubbed the North Shore Connector Project has passed underneath the Allegheny River despite some earlier troubles. The cut and cover tunnel portion is complete, and the TBM bored portion of […]
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Underground Leak Sealing Restores Coal Terminal Operations
Coal handling facilities are tough environments for concrete, especially when long-term water intrusion begins to undermine operations below grade. In this NCFI case study, a coal terminal was dealing with persistent underground leaks in a […]