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[lastofthelight]

Just wondering. I won't DO this, because I'm not insane, but I'm wondering what one WOULD do. I have a friend with 100 acres of land. Now, I stare at his barren, empty ground and patches of trees and I wonder....what if I had seven dwarves? How would one build an underground room? Just dig a hole then line it with plywood? What would one have to do to just dig tunnels and rooms underground to keep them from collapsing? How hard would it be?

I won't try it because I'd die in a collapse, of course...but what WOULD you do?

[TheDeadlyShoe]

It would depend on the ground. Any self respecting dwarf only digs tunnels in rock, of course. So first you'd need to sink a shaft down however far that is

[lastofthelight]

Alas, only a temperate broadleaf forest biome is available, so the initial digging would be in dirt. Poor dwarves.


.... though actually, your right. There IS always rock, eventually. Lets assume however that the initial dwarf tunnels are in the surface layers. We have to uh...have Plump helmet plots, after all. Right!

Apparently SOMEONE has done it, so its possible: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/05/29/tunnel-digging-as-a-hobby/

[Hippoman]

Do it.

[lastofthelight]

'How to Dig a Tunnel the Right Way!' http://www.rotteneggsx.com/r3/show/se/139655.html

A Yahoo Question;

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090624121706AASg7oh


I think the main problem would be how to properly support it so one wouldn't kill themselves. Are these people hammering in wood/rebar lengthwise, or just putting it along the side? If I did this, I'd totally count as an honorary dwarf.


I'm so not doing this. I like living.

[Hippoman]

People do it all the time. Look at coal mines.

[SkyRender]

Digging a tunnel or cave isn't really that difficult or dangerous.  The technique is well-established, and you can take extra measures to ensure safety with layers of concrete to support soil levels.  The old "wood support" technique is a simple fix that's been used to support mineshafts for untold centuries.  It has a pretty high rate of success; mineshafts don't usually collapse on their own, it tends to take an explosion, an earthquake, or some other disruptive force to jar the supports loose.  With concrete, it's even harder to cave them in.

 The biggest danger, just like in Dwarf Fortress, is aquifers.  Don't ever try to dig a cave near the ground level of an ocean or river, you'll hit water pretty fast.

[CanadianWolverine]

Here is what I learned about excavations from carpentry, this link pretty much covers it:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=KKeipCXitkMC&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=carpentry+shoring&source=bl&ots=4hJakLywCv&sig=JzcK83Fe2oaWtqS1kiD_gu0phUg&hl=en&ei=07gcS-H6OILmswOv_4SvBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Since you are probably interested in doing more than a foxhole or trench, you are going to need to support the weight above your head. I highly suggest using an arch to displace the weight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch#Construction

And if you are really interested in going hole hog, make a cylinder aka pipe like they did in London during WWII: http://underground-history.co.uk/shelters.php

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you are going deep, better have good air circulation or you are going to get screwed far worse than a collapse.

Another good link: http://www.howstuffworks.com/tunnel.htm/printable

When I dig, I use a level, a tripod level with measuring stick, a plumb, a measuring tape, a compass, a tarp, a wheel barrel, a shovel, a pick, a sledge hammer, a pry bar, sturdy tear resistant clothes, steel toed CSA approved boots, gloves, a high visibility vest, a safety helmet, safety glasses, and good communication with the other workers. New construction gets the ramp method, repair work on existing construction gets the shored up trench, and any digging underneath something must have temporary supports on a secure footing. I haven't dug a tunnel before but imagine it would be done on an individual basis from the top down using a temporary shoring template till you had your permanent supporting pressure treated solid wood (some laminates are strong enough for beams if no cuts to the material are made but joints will always be a weak point and IMHO should not be used in anything load bearing), reinforced masonry or reinforced concrete in place and solidified - larger projects would probably be done with a tunneling machine these days most likely.

[Sir Finkus]

I've always wanted an awesome underground home/fortress.  Oh well, when I'm rich and famous I'll buy an old mine or something and live in it.

[lastofthelight]

You know, all this makes me wonder. If all you need to tunnel is some wood or stone or cement for structural support, and a shovel - why arn't we all living underground?

[Naero]

Because all you need to live above ground is some wood or stone, and a hammer. Less chance of suffocating in your sleep due to ventilation getting blocked is an added bonus.

[Astramancer]

They do live underground in Coober Pedy (Australia).  It's actually kind of hard to find a decent page showing it,  but image searches come up with all sorts of neat pictures.

http://www.offbeatearth.com/coober-pedy-underground-desert-cave/

[Flaede]

You know, all this makes me wonder. If all you need to tunnel is some wood or stone or cement for structural support, and a shovel - why arn't we all living underground?

Its feasability really depends on where you live, what kind of soil you have, where the water table is, and lord knows what all else. also - airflow. also - it is frikkin' expensive, and usually takes way more than just "a shovel". also - windows.

[Bloogonis]

You know, all this makes me wonder. If all you need to tunnel is some wood or stone or cement for structural support, and a shovel - why arn't we all living underground?

Its feasability really depends on where you live, what kind of soil you have, where the water table is, and lord knows what all else. also - airflow. also - it is frikkin' expensive, and usually takes way more than just "a shovel". also - windows.

also mold. our lungs dont take kindly to prolonged exposure and it grows pretty darn well underground. and depending on where you are, radon might be a problem.

[Captain Xenon]

interesting. well, from a practical perspective you must first know the location of any water or power lines underground, as well as what the zoning for the area allows. Do read up on the local geology, information which shouldn't be too hard to find. know how far down the water table is, and plan for what the next heavy rain will do to it. looking at 100-year flood levels is probably a good idea.

all that said, i have recently dug a couple of square-yard holes myself (guess they count as channels in dwarf-terms). these were in my mothers yard, so that she could plant almond trees. once i got past the topsoil, the rocky well-packed clay and sand below really needed a pickaxe to make any real progress, which taught me a very important lesson- you cannot dig a hole smaller than your pickaxe is long.