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With more than six million kilometers of highways and 240,000 kilometers of railways snaking across the United States, life above ground has become increasingly congested. Tunnels provide some of the last available space for cars and trains, water and sewage, even power and communication lines. Today, it's safe to bore through mountains and burrow beneath oceans -- but it was not always this way. In fact, it took engineers thousands of years to perfect the art of digging tunnels.
Before cars and trains, tunnels carried only water.
Roman engineers created the most extensive network of tunnels in the ancient world. They built sloping structures, called aqueducts, to carry water from mountain springs to cities and villages. They carved underground chambers and built elegant arch structures not only to carry fresh water into the city, but to carry wastewater out.
By the 17th century, tunnels were being constructed for canals.
Without roads or railways to transport raw materials from the country to the city, watery highways became the best way to haul freight over great distances.
With trains and cars came a tremendous expansion in tunnel construction.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, the development of railroad and motor vehicle transportation led to bigger, better, and longer tunnels.
Today, not even mountains and oceans stand in the way.
With the latest tunnel construction technology, engineers can bore through mountains, under rivers, and beneath bustling cities. Before carving a tunnel, engineers investigate ground conditions by analyzing soil and rock samples and drilling test holes. There are three steps to a tunnel's success. Based on the setting, tunnels can be divided into three major types:
Soft-ground tunnels...
are typically shallow and are often used as subways, water-supply systems, and sewers. Because the ground is soft, a support structure, called a tunnel shield, must be used at the head of the tunnel to prevent it from collapsing. Check out the forces that act on soft-ground tunnels!
Rock tunnels...
require little or no extra support during construction and are often used as railways or roadways through mountains. Years ago, engineers were forced to blast through mountains with dynamite. Today they rely on enormous rock-chewing contraptions called tunnel boring machines. Check out the forces that act on rock tunnels!
Underwater tunnels...
are particularly tricky to construct, as water must be held back while the tunnel is being built. Early engineers used pressurized excavation chambers to prevent water from gushing into tunnels. Today, prefabricated tunnel segments can be floated into position, sunk, and attached to other sections. Check out the forces that act on underwater tunnels! Now that you know more about the history of tunnels, try digging your own in the Tunnel Challenge! |
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