Posted on 02/01/2014 4:20:44 PM PST by steve86
After spending weeks searching for what might be blocking the Highway 99 tunneling machine, officials say there’s another problem: Bertha is running hot.
Adding to the trouble, project managers say they don’t know why.
High temperatures near the machine’s cutting face prompted contractors to stop mining after the drill advanced a total of 4 feet in test runs Tuesday and Wednesday. And that ended Bertha’s attempt to resume mining after an eight-week layoff. . . .I t took weeks for Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) to pump away enough groundwater to safely allow an 11-day inspection of the front end, which found a concrete chunk and some steel pieces from a pipe Bertha struck Dec. 3, but no major obstacles.
With steel pieces out of the way, the continued overheating suggests a deeper challenge than, say, taking a fork out of the kitchen disposal.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Earlier articles had WSDOT talking to the operators and telling them they thought it was operating at too high of temperatures awhile ago - weeks before it hit the pipe and then a few days later was stopped.
But WSDOT was saying how they can only make comments, as the STP owners are the folks that make the final decisions (and therefore remain liable).
The “bad sensor” thing might be correct, but it reminds me of the failed gas line and explosion we had north of Seattle due to a “bad sensor software”. Had to do with the Y2K changes in software. After so many false alarms going off about a closed valve on a major gasoline pipeline, the operators ignored it. It WAS close, the thing ruptured and blew up, kill two people in a county park.
Sorry for the aside, but I hope if they think it is the sensors they replace them or troubleshoot them. And not try the old “Oh - ignore that, it is just a bad sensor” thing!
I can’t imagine - being stopped for almost a month now (since Dec. 6) and only going 800 feet or so. I wonder what surprises are in store for them the remaining x thousands of feet.
Oops - time flies. Almost TWO months.
Catch me if you can and tame the beast
Should I leave you burning in the heat
Kick the throttle down, I’m on fire
It turns me on to feel the engine’s beat
Take it to the highway on the open road
I want to feel your power
Screaming into overload
She’s running hot, she’s hot
Coming out of nowhere, moving fast
I gotta keep the feeling
Make it last, met me feel your body
I’ll explode, together we will run to overload
Take it to the highway on the open road
I want to feel your power
Screaming into overload
She’s running hot, she’s hot
OK, So, I just checked your “About page”.
1. You are insane.
2. I like it.
3. see #1 and #2.
Normalcy is overrated.
Giving Luke a heart attack.
Running hot! REAL hot!
They ran into the Chinese tunneling machine.
I don’t think it is love though something is in heat. I think Bertha is knocking at the gates of Hell or a Volcano. Either would suit for Seattle.
I have done tunnels under most major cities, Paris. London, Sidney, Chicago, New York Boston and Seattle. I worked with the Japenses(Komatsu) building machines a couple TBMs. I looked at the head, and it looks OK, so I am thinking a design - quality problem with the main bearing and drive system.
I wonder if they designed it to drill bore holes ahead to determine if anything nasty is coming up?
You made me read shibumi’s about page and you are 100% right. Maybe even 110% right.
I hope not. If so, I'm glad I live 30 miles away at 550 feet elevation.
“Todd TREPANIER, tunnel-project administrator”
Something in a name?
Trepanning - ancient mehod of boring a hole in the skull
good find. That explains everything. :)
And, also in the same group of films , Democrats explain obamacare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr_91leJpXo
Jeff should keep his mind on the drilling he is paid to do.
Not the drilling he hopes for.
Has anybody checked the oil? Probably some union guy was supposed to take a can of 3-in-1 oil and squirt a little on the gears but was too busy trying to sign up of CommieCare!
How long before the so called Liberals/Progressives realize that they are, actually, NAZI’s ?
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