how do you build a tunnel properly?

gr0wm4g3

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #1

I was wondering....how do you correctly build a tunnel so that the earth doesn't collapse in on it? How do you calculate the pressure that you'll need to support and what should you use to keep it from collapsing?

I plan on building a shaft 10-20 feet deep that leads to a bunker which would be around 12'x12'

 

G

Guest

• Feb 25, 2006

• #2

​

Q: "how do you build a tunnel properly?"
A: "YOU DON'T POST ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET."

 

gr0wm4g3

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #3

I didn't say when genius. For your information I plan on doing this in about 20 years. Good job.

 

G

Guest

• Feb 25, 2006

• #4

oooooh booooooy a tunnel thread..lol

 

S

SoFlaMike

New member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #5

rofl... this is hilarious

 

F

Frozenguy

Active member

Veteran

• Feb 25, 2006

• #6

why dont you ask those that are building them across the california/mexico border??

it was on the news, actually going through these tunnels.. 40 have been identified and they know there are more.. they said over 600k poudns of marijuana has made its way through these tunnels.. its crazy

 

Ganoderma

Hydronaut

Mentor

Veteran

• Feb 25, 2006

• #7

if you know any one who is a miner/mine enginer they could help you out on that question.............

 

Ganoderma

Hydronaut

Mentor

Veteran

• Feb 25, 2006

• #8

Calling all TUNNEL RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

M

Makavellian

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #9

i saw on news about some tunnels from mexico going into the us.. and they said that it WASNT ILLEGAL... lol so go dig up all ya want

 

N

Nugs of Science

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #10

A little engineering ability can help immensely.
NoS

 

gr0wm4g3

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #11

so....does anyone know how to set up the supports?

 

G

Guest

• Feb 25, 2006

• #12

CaptainJack said:

​

Q: "how do you build a tunnel properly?"
A: "YOU DON'T POST ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET."

Click to expand...

 

G

Guest

• Feb 25, 2006

• #13

you'd need to wedge up a beam with some post, at intervals which depend on what material you're tunneling in......

 

T

treble

Active member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #14

where I come from when they build a 2 storey house they use concrete for the 1st floor. thats not the ground floor... its the next one up... in some places the 1st floor is actually on the ground.. could never work that out...but anyway

they use some heavy duty ply....usually some marine ply as a base to the formwork and some screwable struts/braces to support the ply.. not sure what they are called but they are a pole that is in 2 segments with a sizable screw nut about the middle and obviously a threaded section in the middle so the screw nut can extend the brace or retract the brace... make it a tighter fit or loosen it....

the ply holds a pretty hefty weight..., tons in fact... the braces can be had from hire shops and no doubt you can buy them somewhere....

I think the braces are good because the are adjustable which is better in my view than using timber poles as supports....means you dont need to be getting the length rite on the timber supports..... although you can always weg these if they are too short....

the metal pole supports need a square base plate about 1' sq so it can spread the load a bit...

in the tunnel you need to think about spreading the load at the top and the bottom. Obviously you use big sheets of ply for the ceiling and some smaller plates for the support pole bases...

I reckon your better off getting a sea container... burying it and having a concealed access point like a hole in the roof....maybe put a garden shed over it so you can go into the shed then down the access hole.. you can work in the shed when prep'ing cumbersome shite.... pullys an winches for heavy stuff... lotsa options there

without any tunnelling experience I would worry about the structural integrity and getting burried alive....my preference is to get burried dead

treb

 

GotTheBlues

Member

• Feb 25, 2006

• #15

get a map of all the power line, gas lines, and such so you dont have to run into any problems. Even if you do there is a lot of hidden telephone lines and everything that were never correctly mapped out or whatever.

 

gregor_mendel

Active member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #16

Bury a shipping container (wrong size) Use culvert for shaft.

OR

Dig hole, build conrete box, backfill. Use culvert for shaft.

OR

Actually tunneling - never recover the cost unless you have fields of poppies or coca down there.

 

K

kbn727

Member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #17

Please be careful. Tunnels are serious business!!!!

Not sure this is the best place to solicit Opinions regarding this matter.

 

G

G33k Speak

Member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #18

If you have to ask...

You can't do it.

 

clowntown

Active member

Veteran

• Aug 4, 2008

• #19

gregor_mendel said:

Actually tunneling - never recover the cost unless you have fields of poppies or coca down there.

Click to expand...

I have absolutely zero experience with digging tunnels, but common sense seems to dictate that this might be the case. Not to mention the dangers... definitely not a DIY project if you have to ask, IMO...

There was a guy who used to grow in a buried 20' shipping container, I think his name was BudBunker or along those lines. In his later shows he moved out of the "bunker" and above-ground.

Want a short answer? Very carefully!

 

Last edited: Aug 4, 2008

SpacedCWBY

Active member

Veteran

• Aug 4, 2008

• #20

I was thinking about the bunker bud guy the other day. Seems like a great idea until you factor in FLIR. Seems like you'd have to have it pretty far under ground not to heat up the surface of the soil. But those cave growers in TN had it made - that was a bad ass grow show.

One of the worst ways to check out of this world is to be trapped underground not being able to move until you finally suffocate. Won't find me diggin' any holes soon.