Tunnel Boring Machine — Questions and answers
Read the full story
Before modern machines, what made building tunnels through unstable ground so dangerous?
Choices
- A) There were too many rocks to dig through.
- B) The ground was often unstable and could collapse easily. ✓
- C) Engineers didn't have good maps to guide them.
- D) People didn't dream of building tunnels underground yet.
Answer: B) The ground was often unstable and could collapse easily.
From page 1
What small creature gave Marc Isambard Brunel his brilliant idea for a new way to build tunnels?
Choices
- A) A busy ant that dug underground.
- B) A strong beaver that built dams.
- C) A Teredo worm that bored through timber. ✓
- D) A digging mole that made tunnels in the earth.
Answer: C) A Teredo worm that bored through timber.
From page 3
What was the biggest challenge in trying to build a tunnel under the River Thames?
Choices
- A) There were not enough workers to dig the tunnel.
- B) The river's immense pressure and the unstable ground underneath. ✓
- C) Nobody wanted a tunnel connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping.
- D) Finding the right tools to dig through the hard riverbed.
Answer: B) The river's immense pressure and the unstable ground underneath.
From page 4
How did Brunel's tunneling shield help miners work safely?
Choices
- A) It had warm places for them to rest during long shifts.
- B) It was a mobile fortress with protected cells for each miner, stopping collapses. ✓
- C) It allowed them to dig much faster without needing any support.
- D) It lit up the whole tunnel so they could see perfectly.
Answer: B) It was a mobile fortress with protected cells for each miner, stopping collapses.
From page 5
What serious problem kept happening during the building of the Thames Tunnel?
Choices
- A) The workers often ran out of bricks to lay the lining.
- B) The river broke through and flooded the tunnel many times. ✓
- C) People kept stealing their tools from the construction site.
- D) They couldn't find enough engineers to help with the design.
Answer: B) The river broke through and flooded the tunnel many times.
From page 7
What was so amazing about the Thames Tunnel when it was finally finished in 1843?
Choices
- A) It was the longest tunnel ever made in the world.
- B) It was the first tunnel built successfully under a navigable river. ✓
- C) It was the first tunnel to use electricity for lighting.
- D) It connected two different countries for the first time.
Answer: B) It was the first tunnel built successfully under a navigable river.
From page 8
How are modern Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) different from Brunel's earlier tunneling shield?
Choices
- A) TBMs are much smaller and use less power.
- B) TBMs are fully mechanized, doing excavation, spoil removal, and lining automatically. ✓
- C) TBMs can only dig through soft clay and not hard rock.
- D) TBMs require many more people to operate them at once.
Answer: B) TBMs are fully mechanized, doing excavation, spoil removal, and lining automatically.
From page 9
What important things do Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) help build in our modern world?
Choices
- A) Tall skyscrapers and large bridges above ground.
- B) Roads for cars and trucks on the surface.
- C) Subway systems, water pipes, and important utility pathways. ✓
- D) New houses and schools in big cities.
Answer: C) Subway systems, water pipes, and important utility pathways.
From page 10