HyperbaricStore guide
Tunnel Boring and Hyperbarics
Here at The Hyperbaric Store, we work with tunnelling companies to help fulfill their hyperbaric needs. Below, we will describe how this works, the services we provide, and invite you to contact us if you have any questions.
Tunnel boring and the use of hyperbaric systems to assist workers
The global tunneling industry requires great support from hyperbarics. In many cases tunneling is done at such a depth that atmospheric pressure comes into play, and safety measures must be implemented through the use of various hyperbaric systems. These systems provide support by performing hyperbaric interventions.
At the surface, there is a medical lock. On the other side of the medical lock, there is a hyperbaric shuttle, which is a pressurized chamber that can travel from the medical lock down into the tunnel all the way to the tunnel boring machine where the workers are located. Once the Tunnel Boring Machine has been reached, there is the third hyperbaric component, a set of manlocks. The manlocks are used to access the work area inside the TBM. Typically, one manlock can hold six workers.
There are several modes of communication that help those at surface communicate with those down below in the manlocks
There is a phone, and there are typically at least two video feeds with lights, and controls for the cameras and lights. This way the supervisor above can see and direct the work happening below, in real time. There are also radio systems with loudspeakers and intercom systems built into each one of the chambers and a loudspeaker up above. This setup allows for direct supervision and direction from above to the workers below in the chambers.
If extended periods of work are necessary, workers can live for up to 28 days under pressure.