This tunnel boring machine cracks even the hardest rock.
Footage shows the giant “Dorothy” at work.
It is part of “High Speed 2”, a planned high-speed railway line that will connect London with the British midlands.
“Dorothy” was named after Dorothy Hodgkin, who became the first British woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964.
The tunnel boring machine is 125 meters long and weighs 2000 tons.
For the “High Speed 2” project, 10 construction machines of this type are boring a total of 64 miles of tunnel.
“Dorothy” had started drilling under Warwickshire in December 2021.
On July 21, 2022, the tunnel boring machine was able to break through the wall of the receiving section.
Seven months of drilling operations and a distance of around 1600 meters lie behind her.
The tunnel team worked around the clock in shifts.
A total of 790 concrete rings were installed behind “Dorothy” to support the tunnel.
Video shows 2000 ton XXL tunnel boring machine at work
Watch the video: 120 meters long and weighing 2000 tons – this is what a tunnel boring machine looks like at work.