Light-Rail Tunneling Project
TBM Makes Hole-through
I worked with Ehsan Alavi, the Lead Tunnel Engineer for the Light-Rail Tunnel Project going on between Northgate and UW district. It is a very impressive project and I was awed by the enormity of this endeavor.
There are 2 tunnels, side by side, one for each direction. You can see the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that Ehsan and I were standing in front of, all the way at the back. Also, the long conveyor at right, that carries the soil all the way back to Northgate for removal.
They will now remove the boring head of the TBM for repair, check all components, and put in new lubricant. The TBM will then bore for another 5000 feet to the final station.
Ehsan insisted on using Lubrication Engineers (LE) premium lubricants for the TBM. He has a history of using LE, because they have proven to meet the extreme demands that are required for a successful completion of his projects.