Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

New York Underground

nationalgeographic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 87 posts

Re: New York Underground

#71

Post by wtvanhest »

greyboy wrote: post #70
wtvanhest wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up in south florida and have witnessed a bunch of root walls, but It really depends on the tree. Palm trees for examples have deep root structures and small canopies which is how they survive the strong tropical winds.

Correct, there are certain exceptions. I believe the point of this rabbit trail was to correct that notion that root formations are mirrors (or otherwise similar) of the tree trunks/canopies. At least, that's what I was hoping to show.

Yeah, absolutely. Just providing some additional info.

Re: New York Underground

#73

Post by _delirium »

Tashtego wrote: post #50

If you like this, you'll love Kate Ascher's The Works: Anatomy of a City ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Works-Anatomy-Kate-Ascher/dp/01431... ). It's slightly out of date (but much more up to date than the OP!). And if you like that, you'll REALLY love Brian Hayes' Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape ( http://www.amazon.com/Infrastructure-Field-Guide-Industrial-... ). It's porn for people who like…

> try to figure out what the random towers in a chemical plant do

Tangential, but that phrasing reminds me of this article: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3390719

Re: New York Underground

#74

Post by jontas »

msutherl wrote: post #31

So, there are two of those deep underground water tunnels, one which runs down from the Bronx through Manhattan and another that runs from the Bronx through Queens and Brooklyn. These tunnels were completed in 1917 and 1935 respectively. How they managed to do this then is beyond me. Currently a third tunnel is being built and apparently it's "the largest construction project in New York history". The project was beg…

The way the work is done is mind blowing[0].

The divers have to go so deep they need to live in helium tanks for more than a month, to make sure that their blood is sufficiently saturated with the gas. The helium is the only way they can dive deep enough, and yes, it does make their voices high pitched the entire time they are in there.

[0] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/nyregion/23tunnel.html?pag...

Re: New York Underground

#75

Post by [deleted] »

greyboy wrote: post #51
maxerickson wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The roots are generally much closer to the surface than the canopy is to the ground. Like within a meter versus dozens of meters.

Having lived in a very hurricane-prone area of the southeastern US for most of my life, I can verify that tree roots are not a mirror of the above-ground portion.

[deleted]

Re: New York Underground

#76

Post by Spooky23 »

joering2 wrote: post #48
msutherl wrote: post #31

So, there are two of those deep underground water tunnels, one which runs down from the Bronx through Manhattan and another that runs from the Bronx through Queens and Brooklyn. These tunnels were completed in 1917 and 1935 respectively. How they managed to do this then is beyond me. Currently a third tunnel is being built and apparently it's "the largest construction project in New York history". The project was beg…

What are those tunnels and whats the purpose behind them? Also -- why so deep -- 800ft? I think (and may be wrong) digging them shallower would be cheaper. 6B vs f.e. 4B -- that's a lot of cheddar. Also, someone mentioned "garbage" being underground citizen. I think that's wrong. While we have water, electricity and sewage running underground, the fact that garbage is not a part of this rail is really dissapointing.…

There are a few reasons -- upstate portions of the aqueducts are larger and built in trenches. As you approach the metropolitan area or mountainous area, the trench method becomes impractical, so the drill narrower tunnels with a steeper slope to force the water to flow more quickly.

Re: New York Underground

#78

Post by rwhitman »

hkmurakami wrote: post #37
msutherl wrote: post #31

So, there are two of those deep underground water tunnels, one which runs down from the Bronx through Manhattan and another that runs from the Bronx through Queens and Brooklyn. These tunnels were completed in 1917 and 1935 respectively. How they managed to do this then is beyond me. Currently a third tunnel is being built and apparently it's "the largest construction project in New York history". The project was beg…

To me, $6 billion seems really cheap for a project that seems pretty vital to the city's long term health, safety and security. Compare this to the ~$10 billion for the California High Speed Rail project, which doesn't seem nearly as important as this NYC project.

Having lived the last 2 years in NYC and the previous 7 in CA I can say that high speed rail is the more valuable project. The water here is fine, and no one is suffering because there isn't a 3rd tunnel. But the transportation situation in California is archaic and frustrating.

Have you ever been trapped in traffic on the grapevine for 4 hours trying to get to/from LA? Or shelled out $300 for an hour flight to SFO? Its maddening.

I drink water out of the tap here in NYC and it tastes great.

California rail is a crisis, the water supply to NYC is not.

Re: New York Underground

#79

Post by jakeonthemove »

jontas wrote: post #74
msutherl wrote: post #31

So, there are two of those deep underground water tunnels, one which runs down from the Bronx through Manhattan and another that runs from the Bronx through Queens and Brooklyn. These tunnels were completed in 1917 and 1935 respectively. How they managed to do this then is beyond me. Currently a third tunnel is being built and apparently it's "the largest construction project in New York history". The project was beg…

The way the work is done is mind blowing[0]. The divers have to go so deep they need to live in helium tanks for more than a month, to make sure that their blood is sufficiently saturated with the gas. The helium is the only way they can dive deep enough, and yes, it does make their voices high pitched the entire time they are in there. [0] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/nyregion/23tunnel.html?pag...

That's amazing - I wonder how the work is progressing now? I didn't even know you could breathe any inert gas as long as it has enough oxygen in it until I read this article...

Re: New York Underground

#80

Post by jakeonthemove »

thematt wrote: post #14
potatolicious wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Woah. The water mains are 800 feet down? How does that work? How did they even get there?

I'm guessing they probably got there before everything on top was built, but how do they get down there now for repairs and such?

Very hard, apparently, as jontas pointed out: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/nyregion/23tunnel.html?pag...
Post reply on HN