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The vertical shaft sinking machine process is basically just an automated form of the old-school manual method of digging a well with men and shovels. Laborers

The vertical shaft sinking machine process is basically just an automated form of the old-school manual method of digging a well with men and shovels. Laborers excavate at the bottom while new bricks are laid incrementally forming the casing at the top. The whole column of bricks slides down as a cylinder whenever progress is made at the bottom. I've long wanted to dig a well that way, it's gotta be surreal to be at the bottom digging away with a little shovel and seeing a towering column of bricks move as one to fill in the progress. It can't be terribly safe :)

jaclaz 7y ago
>The vertical shaft sinking machine process is basically just an automated form of the old-school manual method of digging a well with men and shovels. Yes, and the whole staff seems a lot more theorical than the rest, the approach can only work in a subset of terrains and for relatively short shafts (if you exceed certain lengths or in many terrains the attrition between the shaft walls and terrain will stop the sinking). Usually in tunneling projects ventilation shafts are dug "traditionally" (if rather short) or by "raise boring" (if longish). Some related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oWTk4khvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oWTk4khvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QueB4GCQww https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QueB4GCQww
KaiserPro 7y ago
the "vanilla" TBM is an automated version of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_shield#/media/File:Thames_tunnel_shield.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_shield#/media/File:... just with prepoured concrete blocks instead of bricks.
lstodd 7y ago
Here's an absolutely insane guy's channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCti7FZiCHC5fhvgN_Ns_5ew https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCti7FZiCHC5fhvgN_Ns_5ew He digs wells by hand. Very scary videos.
- goatsi 7y ago
  There we go: https://youtu.be/5-j-EHXhBh8?t=465 https://youtu.be/5-j-EHXhBh8?t=465
  - mannykannot 7y ago
    Whatever you do, keep your fingers and toes out from under the lip of the lining - and have a pump running to keep the water level down, in case you do get snagged.

jaclaz 7y ago

>The vertical shaft sinking machine process is basically just an automated form of the old-school manual method of digging a well with men and shovels. Yes, and the whole staff seems a lot more theorical than the rest, the approach can only work in a subset of terrains and for relatively short shafts (if you exceed certain lengths or in many terrains the attrition between the shaft walls and terrain will stop the sinking). Usually in tunneling projects ventilation shafts are dug "traditionally" (if rather short) or by "raise boring" (if longish). Some related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oWTk4khvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oWTk4khvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QueB4GCQww https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QueB4GCQww

KaiserPro 7y ago

the "vanilla" TBM is an automated version of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_shield#/media/File:Thames_tunnel_shield.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_shield#/media/File:... just with prepoured concrete blocks instead of bricks.

lstodd 7y ago

Here's an absolutely insane guy's channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCti7FZiCHC5fhvgN_Ns_5ew https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCti7FZiCHC5fhvgN_Ns_5ew He digs wells by hand. Very scary videos.

goatsi 7y ago
There we go: https://youtu.be/5-j-EHXhBh8?t=465 https://youtu.be/5-j-EHXhBh8?t=465
- mannykannot 7y ago
  Whatever you do, keep your fingers and toes out from under the lip of the lining - and have a pump running to keep the water level down, in case you do get snagged.