Tunnel boring machine

Imagine you have a big straw and you want to dig a hole through a cake. But instead of using your hands to dig and make a mess, you get a magic machine to help you. That magic machine is like a tunnel boring machine!

A tunnel boring machine is a giant machine that digs tunnels underground. It's like a massive drill bit that can make tunnels through different types of soil, rocks and even mountains. This machine is usually used to make tunnels for trains, subways, roads, and even water pipes.

The tunnel boring machine works by spinning a big cutting head at the front of the machine that goes into the ground. It cuts away the earth as it moves forward and scoops it up with a conveyor belt. Then, behind the cutting head, it pushes in pre-made concrete rings that form a tunnel.

The tunnel boring machine is really big and heavy, like a big train carriage, and it moves really slowly. Workers need to manage the machine from a control room next to it, and make sure that everything is working correctly.

Once the machine has finished digging a tunnel, it can move on to the next job, and the tunnel is ready to be used!