Strategic Manufacturing Initiative: Manufacturing Underground Space

本研究的目标是通过建立(1)在广泛变化的条件下持续安全推进的系统，(2)大大提高推进速度的系统，(3)增加机械化切割系统的应用范围，开发和实施非常先进的地下挖掘系统。(4)提高了开挖作业的安全性。对连续的、自动化的挖掘过程的研究计划为实质性的进步提供了最大的希望；但是，还将进行其他工作，应用现有的和有前途的技术，使整个挖掘系统参与其中。这项研究的结果可能会将当今个人应对恶劣地下环境的斗争转变为常规的、连续的、自动化的制造过程。从广义上看，这项综合研究工作的目标是将自动化制造技术的优势扩展到新的非结构化隧道领域。

This research has the objective to develop and implement substantially advanced systems for underground excavation through the establishment of (1) systems that advance continuously and safely through widely varying conditions, (2) systems that have substantially increased rates of advance, (3) an increased range of applications for mechanized cutting systems, and (4) increased safety of excavation operations. The research planned on continuous, automated excavation processes offers the greatest promise for substantial advances; however, other effort on the application of available and promising techniques that engage the entire excavation system will also be performed. The results of this research could transform today's individual struggles to cope with the hostile underground environment to routine, continuous, automated manufacturing processes. Broadly viewed, this integrated research effort has the goal to extend the benefits of automated manufacturing technologies into the new, unstructured area of tunneling.