Moles moles digging digging under the WTC

Yesterday was fun. Ditched Statics class to go to WTC site. That was the only way I could get to go. Ah well, missing two HW isn't bad so far I guess.

Got down there on the 45th floor after having been lost for few mins. on the street b/c of the lack of building numbers on the buildings. Then got my free hard hat, protection glasses and bright orange vest to wear. Waited for an hr doing nothing other thank snapping few pics. here and there and chatting with few people from CUNY. Should have gotten there later. I was running on 3 hrs of sleep and looking down was pretty interesting.

Then we went got a little lectures on what they were doing on the site, which was pretty interesting b/c we got a clip of the 4D model of the area. Can't wait for them to finish building the site and see the actual structures.

Then went around down to the digging area saw large cranes and what not. Then went past a #11 reinforcing bars and then realized how big they really are and how heavy they really are. I mean all our class room designs are dealing with #5 right now. But wow, #11.... you can get a good workout just carrying a foot of it.

Learned about slurry wall and then saw few of them, then went to another site where a guy told us this technique they use to get a water from effecting the work where they pour liquid nitrogen into the soil and freeze all the water underneath. I which I could have heard him more but it was kind of noisy and for some reason all the taller people like going to the front which left pretty decent group of us Asians on the back trying to look over their shoulders. I think I was the tallest Asian in our group.

Then there was more walking around until we got to go underground under the subway and below the water table. That was pretty cool. Saw what actually exist underneath the streets we walk on. Old vault walls, wires running, sewage pipes, gas pipes, steam pipes (which I am still not fully sure what the buildings really use it for all the time), water pipes and lots of mud and soil which was fun to walk on.

All in all it was cold, fun and interesting and then when we got back to the 45th floor we got cold lunches. Which I really don't understand why people in the US like cold lunches. Then back uptown to finish the Bus station planning to be handed in by 7pm that night. No computers empty then finally one got empty which no was really using but someone was logged on. Then I got on it when the person logged on came and logged off then realized half of the keyboard was stuck b/c of coffee or something. I wish people would not drink in the lab or at least be careful if they are and if they spilled something let the tech there know so they are take care of it.

Ok that is it for now.