This is an interesting video of crews changing cutterhead teeth on the Bertha TBM beneath downtown Seattle. [Source: WSDOT YouTube Channel. Image: YouTube]
Video: Changing cutting tools on Bertha TBM
Miscellaneous
Insights on the tunnel design industry and a profile of Brierly Associates
The August 2011 issue of Tunnel Boring Magazine contains a profile on Brierley Associates, an engineering firm specializing in tunnel design based in the Denver, Colorado area. The article provides some nice insight into the […]
Project Related
Contractors battle to extract TBM after silt breaches tunnel
A TBM is stuck on a 2.85m diameter stormwater tunnel in Lancashire, UK. The tunnel is planned to be 3.5-km long, but has been stalled since November when the silt intrusion stopped the tunnel boring […]
Articles
Bertha – The World’s Largest Tunnel Boring Machine
Perhaps you’ve heard of Bertha, the World’s Largest Tunnel Boring Machine or TBM? She’s currently working her way underneath Downtown Seattle, excavating the Alaska Way Bored Tunnel to replace the aging Alaska Way Viaduct. This $2 Billion megaproject is an incredible feat of engineering on so many levels. I was in Seattle in September for the Association of Engineering Geologists annual meeting, and was fortunate enough to attend a field trip to see the launch pit and Bertha before she began her tunnel drive. It was an unforgettable experience for this engineer! In this article I give an overview of the project and Bertha herself, discuss some of the geotechnical features, and share my photos and video. Check it out!