ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sequential Excavation Method

Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) is like playing a game of Jenga, except instead of pulling out one block at a time, we take away small sections of soil or rock from underground tunnels, one at a time, until we get to where we want to go.

Imagine you want to build a tunnel or access a resource like minerals or oil that is buried deep in the ground. You cannot simply dig straight down because you risk cave-ins, which can be dangerous and costly.

Instead, we use SEM, which is a technique where we excavate a small section of the tunnel, reinforce it with steel or concrete supports, and then repeat the process until we reach our destination.

It is like building a series of rooms or steppingstones underground. We build one room, get it ready, and then move on to the next one.

We take great care to make sure that the soil or rock we remove is supported so that it doesn't collapse and cause tunnel collapse or instability. We also make sure that the excavation process doesn't harm the surrounding environment, such as by causing cracks in the earth or damaging plants or animal habitats.

Overall, SEM is an efficient and safe way to create underground tunnels and access resources without causing harm to the environment or risking injury to workers.