In hard rock mining and quarrying, this is achieved through a controlled process of drilling and blasting. A blast hole drill rig is a specialised piece of equipment that creates a series of holes in a specific pattern, depth, and diameter across a section of rock known as a “bench.”
[pdf] Incorporated in Australia in 1990, Terratec is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of Tunnel Boring Machines, Raise Boring Machines and other custom-engineered products for the tunnelling and mining industries, encompassing all ground conditions and boring diameters from 0.6m to 15m.
[pdf] The was developed by Sir to excavate the in 1825. However, this was only the invention of the shield concept and did not involve the construction of a complete tunnel boring machine, the digging still having to be accomplished by the then standard excavation methods.
[pdf] 
