Drills inside the Alps reach temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius
Deep beneath the Alpine peaks, mechanical teeth grind through granite at temperatures hot enough to melt glass, requiring massive cooling systems to prevent the machinery from liquefying.
To carve the Gotthard Base Tunnel through the heart of the Swiss Alps, engineers had to contend with the crushing weight of two kilometers of solid rock overhead. This immense pressure creates a geothermal furnace where the ambient rock temperature naturally reaches 45 degrees Celsius. However, the real heat is generated by the tunnel boring machines themselves. As their massive cutting heads press against stubborn formations of gneiss and granite, the friction generates localized temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius. Without a constant flow of chilled water and ventilation, these multi-million dollar machines would effectively weld themselves to the mountain.
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