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[RenoFox]

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one here who wants to dig something underground, so does anyone know how to keep a dirt tunnel from collapsing?

This is something I'd like to do, exept preferably with cheaper materials than brick:

http://www.e-torch.org/2011/06/hidden-tunnels-bugs-and-biagamy-a-strange-and-true-d-c-story/

[Tellemurius]

Wooden support beams and plywood boards are your friends but expect to buy a bunch, now are you making a shaft entrance or a hole in a wall?

[Pnx]

Be careful about this though, tunnels are very prone to flooding. If you live in an area similar to mine that has flash floods and ground that soaks up and holds water like a sponge, digging tunnels is and insane idea.

[ein]

Dig more tunnels under the tunnels to tunnel water out of the tunnels~

[Montague]

Underground structures are strictly regulated by laws and ordinances. I'd look into your local laws to see what asinine requirements they might want, or you could just end up digging a condemned tunnel and paying fines.

Another note is that most underground construction is basically digging a big hole with an excavator, building/placing a structure in the hole and burying back up. The best way to keep a tunnel from collapsing is to lay down pre-fabricated structures designed for it, like concrete storm pipe sections or those modular bomb-shelter kits. Digging a tunnel into rock or using masonry/ wood supports in a soil tunnel is probably a really bad idea. Digging underground with a pick or shovel is also absurdly hard labor.

[Roboboy33]

Dig more tunnels under the tunnels to tunnel water out of the tunnels~

TUNNELCEPTION

[Agorp Stronden]

Nothing cheaper than brick except the time you use.

Someone make that rhyme and plant it into life advice.

[Heron TSG]

Nothing cheaper than brick except the time you use.

Nothing cheaper than brick
except the time you use.
For a bridge o'er a crick
or a box for refuse.

You can build a house,
destroy a window,
smash a louse,
build tunnels like a pro.

[TheBronzePickle]

There was a guy who hand-dug out a pretty epic tunnel network in his spare time. I forget what his name was, though, and I can't seem to find the story. Maybe you'll have better luck.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure he used concrete as the support.

[Svarte Troner]

DON'T BREACH THE AQUIFER
Am I missing something?

[Haschel]

DON'T BREACH THE AQUIFER SEPTIC TANK MAGMA POWER LINES WATER PIPES OIL RESERVOIR GAS PIPES UNDERWORLD

Actually you should probably aim for the oil reservoir, you'll be rich. Barring that however, yeah, brick or some sort of wooden support beams might help I guess. The kind of soil the tunnels will be in is pretty important in how sturdy and how many supports you might need, as well as the actual shape of the tunnel. The wider the tunnel is, the more support it will require, but if it's taller and not quite so wide it won't be quite as problematic.

[Scaraban]

>.>
<.<
Watching...

[G-Flex]

Underground structures are strictly regulated by laws and ordinances. I'd look into your local laws to see what asinine requirements they might want, or you could just end up digging a condemned tunnel and paying fines.

There's a reason why people don't just dig without consideration. It isn't exactly rare for people to hit underground infrastructure, like pipes and wires. You know how much it costs to replace fiber-optic cable? Too much money!

That, and the possibility of digging under things like streets, digging tunnels that aren't safe, or making it likely that the ground above will collapse. Obviously some things like that won't happen if you're only digging on your own property, but even then, you might hit something. Or just bury yourself alive.


My advice? Don't do it. Soil can be pretty damn loose, so unless you know what you're doing, you run the risk of very bad things happening.

[Starver]

Nothing cheaper than brick except the time you use.

Someone make that rhyme and plant it into life advice.

My first-thought one-line version (not to deprecate the other answer) is...

"Nothing cheaper than brick, except it aint so quick..."


...could use some work.  Also considered "clay blocks, fired" rhyming with "but it makes you tired", but that's worse.

Also, this is the story that immediately came to mind.  (There's loads of similar examples from Australia to the US, according to the regular Google search.  Strangely, I couldn't get the News-searching part of Google to pop up anything relevant, when I tried there first the same search terms, but it's in the general results...)

(Link echoes warnings given by that ninjaing G-Flex)

[Flying Dice]

There was a guy who hand-dug out a pretty epic tunnel network in his spare time. I forget what his name was, though, and I can't seem to find the story. Maybe you'll have better luck.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure he used concrete as the support.

I read Cracked too, and also remember that. 

I think they ended up discovering it because a tunnel he had dug under a street collapsed or something. Plus he tiled it all, IIRC. And wasn't he living in NYC? So a bunch of lessons on what not to do. If I had to recommend one thing, it would be to ALWAYS TELL SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE THAT YOU ARE DOWN IN THE TUNNELS, WHERE THEY ARE, AND WHEN YOU WILL BE BACK. Otherwise all cavein related deaths are on you.