Elon Musk is really boring: Hole in SpaceX parking lot is start of a vast underground network - Polidicks

[t]https://electrek.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/2800x-1-e1487247022193.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&strip=all&w=1500&h=0[/t] [QUOTE]There’s a big hole in the middle of the parking lot of SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. CEO Elon Musk already announced that it would be used to test new digging techniques under development by his new ‘Boring Company’ in order to increase tunneling speed. Musk has now elaborated a little more on his plan for the new company and on the first hole in Los Angeles, which he described as the beginning of a ‘vast underground transportation network’ for cars and the hyperloop. ... Musk sees tunnels as a solution to traffic in urban areas and a way to bring transportation into the three-dimensional world – like buildings. He wants tens of tunnel levels underneath cities to compensate for people living and working in buildings tens of stories tall. [/QUOTE] [url]https://electrek.co/2017/02/16/elon-musk-tunnel-spacexs-underground-transportation-network-hyperloop/[/url]

I love this man

[quote]‘vast underground transportation network’ for cars and the hyperloop.[/quote] Why not build a transit system instead of a highway? I can't imagine the air extraction process for hundreds of cars being underground in traffic.

[QUOTE=ZombieDawgs;51830986]Why not build a transit system instead of a highway? I can't imagine the air extraction process for hundreds of cars being underground in traffic.[/QUOTE] Make it only available to EVs :smug:

[quote]He wants tens of tunnel levels underneath cities to compensate for people living and working in buildings tens of stories tall.[/quote]Elon has foreseen that the world will turn into an urban cyberpunk dystopia and is determined to stay one step ahead of the times

A madman with vision literally digging in his own back yard.

So Musk wants to build the Fast Lane from Doctor Who?

So they're starting... by digging in the middle of their parking lot.

[QUOTE=Morgen;51830991]Make it only available to EVs :smug:[/QUOTE] Nicely played, Mr.Musk.

Wow, didn't see this one coming.

[QUOTE=Humin;51831006]So they're starting... by digging in the middle of their parking lot.[/QUOTE] Gotta' start somewhere.

This man is a legend.

oh well any hole's a goal

[QUOTE=Humin;51831006]So they're starting... by digging in the middle of their parking lot.[/QUOTE] You should offer up your own driveway then. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. :cool:

[QUOTE=ZombieDawgs;51830986]Why not build a transit system instead of a highway? I can't imagine the air extraction process for hundreds of cars being underground in traffic.[/QUOTE] LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.

Digging tunnels is [b]really[/b] hard. Sadly it's not as simple as removing the ground under the city and installing the tubing elements to reinforce this pipe. Soil acts as a very viscous liquid, so all of the underground stuff "floats" around. Sometimes the tunnelers can meet soil that simply doesn't permit a tunnel or disruption of which may cause sinkholes elsewhere (due to change in how water is displaced). Would be interesting to see what this company comes up with that hasn't been covered by existing TBM's and companies.

[QUOTE=l337k1ll4;51831180]LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.[/QUOTE] Last time I was in LA I saw a guy puke/shit/piss himself simultaneously while on public transit there, kinda put me off from it.

[QUOTE=l337k1ll4;51831180]LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.[/QUOTE] most American cities are too badly planned out and designed (unless they're places like Boston) for that sort of thing. you'd have to rebuild a lot of American city centres to make it worthwhile for people to take public transport instead of driving their car to get there

spent a lot of time studying in this area in university and while im interested to see what he can do there has already been a *lot* of money spent on tunnel boring machines by large companies. Robbins, hitachi zosen etc are heavily invested in the area for a long time. it isnt that the boundary is not being pushed, it is all the time. Soil and earth are weird though, and as it turns out if really isnt as simple as just adding power to drill faster, or using a new cutter face, or they would already be doing it.

[QUOTE=l337k1ll4;51831180]LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.[/QUOTE] Have you ever heard of NYC?

[QUOTE=Splash Attack;51831259]Have you ever heard of NYC?[/QUOTE] San Francisco area too. Public transportation works like a dream up there.

[QUOTE=l337k1ll4;51831180]LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.[/QUOTE] You kidding? If I could reasonably use public transit to get to work, I'd do it in a heart beat. Helluva lot less stressful than driving. Hell if my GF wasn't so damn terrified of Marta I'd make her ass use it too.

[QUOTE=l337k1ll4;51831180]LA is proof that no matter what you do Americans won't use public transit.[/QUOTE] People don't use public transportation because, generally, it sucks. Austin Texas' light rail literally takes you from the city, into a parking lot in a huge field 2 miles away from anything. Nobody uses public transit because Americans don't know how to make good public transit.

[QUOTE=BlackPhoenix;51831211]Digging tunnels is [b]really[/b] hard. Sadly it's not as simple as removing the ground under the city and installing the tubing elements to reinforce this pipe. Soil acts as a very viscous liquid, so all of the underground stuff "floats" around. Sometimes the tunnelers can meet soil that simply doesn't permit a tunnel or disruption of which may cause sinkholes elsewhere (due to change in how water is displaced). Would be interesting to see what this company comes up with that hasn't been covered by existing TBM's and companies.[/QUOTE] What's the viability of digging down to bedrock and make that for the foundation for the tunnel?

[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;51831001]So Musk wants to build the Fast Lane from Doctor Who?[/QUOTE] I'll be amazed if he manages to find enough giant crabs to stick down there.

Maybe its an underground bunker full of Teslas so no spy satellites can see them selling the cars directly to their customers.

"Science Man Digs Hole - World Hunger Cured" I can't wait, I think. Whatever gets us to Mars faster is okay in my mind. Also new tech is cool too.

Sounds like a pretty boring project if you ask me. :v:

[QUOTE=Alec W;51831290]San Francisco area too. Public transportation works like a dream up there.[/QUOTE] it's actually pretty terrible, but not because of the design... but because we have the oldest operating trains in the country (1970 original trains...), ghost trains which were recently fixed, and random electrical issues. BART is constantly seeing record breaking numbers of up to 500,000 daily riders.

Seems no one's said of it already, but how is he going to deal with the existing infrastructure (ie building foundations), and earthquake protection? Unfortunately the world isn't exactly Minecraft.