Dr. DrangAug 14, 2025
@ismh86 Surely Nashville’s underground conditions have lots of historical data from previous construction. I’d expect The Boring Company to confirm that data with core samples that go past the depth of the tunnel and are spaced along the path, not a small, shallow pit at one end of the route.
Show threadmackenabAug 14, 2025
@drdrang Did @ismh86 talk about this on a podcast somewhere or something? Because I am here (in Nashville) for it.
Show threadStephen Hackett
@mackenab time to update your browser homepage https://512pixels.net/2025/08/mr-musk-goes-to-nashville/
Mr. Musk Goes to Nashville - 512 Pixels

Another Elon Musk company is doing things in another Tennessee city, as Hannah McDonald reports: Aerial footage from Sky 5 shows a freshly dug pit near the base of the State Capitol, a visible sign of progress on The Boring Company’s controversial underground transportation project in Tennessee. The 10-foot-deep, 20-by-20-foot test pit was dug this […]

512 Pixels
Aug 15, 2025 at 12:53amWeb
Show threadmackenabAug 15, 2025
@ismh86 We should ask the good @drdrang to comment on the supposed “hardness” of the limestone on which Nashville is built. (Hint: It isn’t.)
Show threadDr. DrangAug 15, 2025
@mackenab @ismh86 I refuse to practice geotechnical engineering without a license.
Show threadmackenabAug 15, 2025
@drdrang @ismh86 That’s fair. But the historical data from building in Nashville suggests that “bedrock too hard” is not a common problem encountered here. It’s more like “oops, accidentally changed the underground drainage patterns and caused a sinkhole.”
Show threadmackenabAug 15, 2025
@drdrang @ismh86 Found the article that I was looking for. https://wpln.org/post/nashvilles-geology-has-been-misunderstood-in-tunneling-talks-including-by-a-boring-company-executive/
Nashville’s geology has been misunderstood in tunneling talks -- including by a Boring Company executive

Nashville sits on limestone. This geology creates unique challenges for the city, and it is often neglected -- or misunderstood -- in conversations about

WPLN News
Show threadDr. DrangAug 15, 2025
@mackenab @ismh86 Oh dear.
Show threadLuke KaniesAug 15, 2025

@ismh86 @mackenab extremely hard rock? That shit is all limestone. It falls apart when you breathe on it.

And Tennessee was dumb enough to make its capitol building out of sandstone, which is exactly as sturdy as it sounds.