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Microtunneling in the Tropics

 

El Salvador Map of Microtunneling Project
Project Location

By Dave Sackett, Senior Consulting Geologist 

As I toured the entry pit area again, watching the microtunnel machine moving subtly forward, the mid-day heat and humidity were nearly debilitating.  Knowing conditions for the microtunnel crew working down in the pit and tunnel entrance were certainly more uncomfortable than my own didn’t make me feel much better.  Surgical masks worn full time were a field requirement as a measure against Covid spread, and they made every breath harder.  We were installing a microtunnel in Acajutla, El Salvador and it was Thanksgiving Day 2020.

As the only American on the project site working alongside Europeans from at least a dozen countries and Latinos from most of Central America, I knew there was not going to be a turkey that night for dinner. But later back at the hotel a delicious, fresh seafood pasta with avocado, tropical fruits, tres leches cake and coconut water did ease that burden. Read More

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