When a major tunneling project commences in an urban area there is often a great deal of attention paid to the tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will be used to create the tunnel. These massive machines capture the attention of the general public and naming competitions are a great way to engage the public in a positive manner. What gets much less attention but is of great importance is what happens to the material that is removed from the earth by the TBM to create the tunnel.
