The target date to begin rescuing the 33 miners trapped in Chile is still Wednesday, but the start of the operation could slide into early Thursday, Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said Monday.
Tests of the hole through which rescuers hope to hoist 33 miners trapped nearly a mile below the surface of the Earth have proved "very promising, very positive," he said Monday. "Not even dust fell inside."
"We are extraordinarily content," Minister of Health Jaime Manalich said.
His prediction came shortly after workers cheering "Viva Chile" completed the installation of steel tubing to reinforce the path that rescuers plan to use to hoist the trapped miners to the surface.
About 96 meters of sheet metal has been put in place to line the tunnel that was bored 2,300-feet deep, according to Jeff Hart, operations manager for Layne Christensen Co., who has been in Chile advising workers on the drilling and casing operations.
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Can you explain how the chillean engineers will line and encase the small diameter shaft with steel tubing without sacrificing width and do this for 2000 feet? What is the tubing attached to ? You guys did a great job explaining technicalities with the horizon oil spill. What happened here ? No more graphics ?
The entire shaft doesn't need to be encased in steel, only certain sections at the beginning the rest is solid rock!
if i recall correctly the hole was drilled large enough, just in case they did end up putting the steel tubing in. It is not as big as you might be expecting though. From what i have heard they are only putting it in at the first 100 feet or so, it might be a little less than that. As for what the tubing is attached too, im not so sure thats a really good question. I assume that they will give more detail once the miners are beginning to be pulled up and out of the mine
Read Hermans sugestion in "On the Radar"it is truly enlightning !
I think the tubing is so the top portion does not chip into the shaft. NASA is calling most of the shots not Chilleans. I hope they have a strong enough cable. One half mile is a long way down. They need to bring the sick ones up first. Not the strong ones. How are the strong ones going to help? This is mostly NASA stuff!
They need to quit with details. For example, they will be given fresh underware, green coveralls w name embroidered. Who cares? Its hot overtheir in daytime.who needs coveralls? Now we have dehydration issue! Are these guys astronauts or cavenauts?
I'm kind of curious if blood pressure and vital signs are affected underground? Is this below sea level. Is there any medical physics nerds that can answer vital signs question?