Who would make up the research team for a trans-Atlantic tunnel?

Scott T. Jensen · 2004-10-17T17:00:01+00:00

A while ago on "Extreme Engineering" on TLC, I watched an episode about ahypothetical trans-Atlantic tunnel. Basically, it would float underwater,be anchored by cables, and only tunnel into the ground when touching acoastline and then all the way to the station in a major coastal city. Itwould contain a vacuum inside it and the trains would be moved along atsuper-sonic speeds by repulsion-acceleration magnetism. Here's a link tothe artistic perspectives shown on the show: the windows on these drawings would very likely not be in a realtunnel since the only thing you could see at such speeds would at best be adim blue. Also, putting windows would make the tunnel units even moredifficult to design and build. Or at least, that's my opinion.What I'm wondering is who would make up the engineering team that couldactually design such a tunnel. Let's say you're the project manager forthis colossal undertaking and are given the money to assemble the designteam. Who would be on it?Also, what engineering firms in the world could actually take on such atask? Again, you're the project manager, but this time you're told not toform the design team yourself, but to hire a world-respected engineeringfirm to do it. Who would you recommend the client hire?Lastly, anyone care to take a stab at how much a mile of such a tunnel wouldcost and why you think it would cost that?Scott Jensen

Oct 17, 2004 25 Replies

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David Harper 21 years ago

You mean like every other military or government project? :-)

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Scott T. Jensen 21 years ago

Not anymore than airlines are today. To go on it or send something through it, you or what you're sending would need to go through a security screening process. Just as with airports, it all would depend on the screening process ... which would naturally need to be part of the design of the system.

Scott Jensen

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Jeff Finlayson 21 years ago

No way.. ;)

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Jeff Finlayson 21 years ago

The tunnel would also be vulnerable from outside attack as well. But the logistics of a water wouldn't be easy either..

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Rob Munach 21 years ago

Except you would also have thousands of miles of ocean to patrol as taking out the tunnel from the exterior would likely not be too difficult.

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ms 21 years ago

Depth of the tunnel may discourage terrorists. They probably don't have the capabilities to go too deep.

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