The Boring Company (TBC) has started tests on Prufrock 4 in Bastrop, Texas. Prufrock 4 is the latest iteration of TBC’s tunnel boring machine (TBM), meaning it should be closer to beating Gary the Snail.
According to The Boring Company, Prufrock 4 produced 4.7 million pounds of thrust, weighing 797,000 pounds. The company aims to triple Prufrock’s tunneling speed while improving its cooling systems.
Prufrock-4 has begun testing in Boring Factory in Bastrop, TX.
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) August 12, 2024
Prufrock-4 is 308 feet long (~1 football field), weighs 797,000 pounds (~150 SUVs), and produces up to 4.7 million pounds of thrust (~90% of Falcon Heavy liftoff thrust). pic.twitter.com/OazYHOpvc2
The Boring Company has thought of a few design features that would get Prufrock up to speed:
- The company installs the TBM’s precast segments simultaneously for continuous mining, meaning Prufrock will not need to stop every 5 feet.
- Prufrock machines are designed to launch into the surface and porpoise out of the ground.
- TBC uses rubber-wheeled segment trucks instead of traditional rail-based locomotives, eliminating installation and maintenance.
The Boring Company has been chugging along bit by bit for the past few years. In June, Prufrock 3 finished digging a tunnel to Giga Texas. Prufrock 3 was escorted out of Giga Texas on a Tesla Cybertruck Tests on Prufrock 4 is another step forward for the company.
The Boring Company is hiring in Texas. It has 55 positions open in Texas, calling for engineers, technicians, laborers, and more,
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