[ckissick]

Yes, I have worked night shift, and in a tunnel no less.

That would be the Crystal Springs lake tap tunnel on the north side of Hwy 92 and the west side of Crystal Springs Reservoir. The tunnel included a 250-foot vertical shaft, 25' in diameter, and a 600 foot tunnel to the lake taps at the bottom of the lake. We tunneled in gravels and other sediments. To prevent cave-ins, and a total collapse when we had only 12 feet of groundcover between us and the lake bottom, we used chemical grouting to control groundwater. It was kinda eery at 3AM.

Stay up as late as you can tonight, and sleep in as late as possible. A quiet, dark room is essential. When I was on night shift, I would stay at my parent's house in the redwoods, where it was as silent as a coffin.

Also, there may be some downtime during tunneling. Sometimes I was able to get a nap when the tunnel face was inaccessible. There might be some mucking cycles when you can rest, but with 2 tunnel faces, they may keep you on your toes.

I'll be at the tunnel tomorrow morning. I guess I'll miss you. Keep an eye on the roof; some of those joints and partings in the shale are as smooth as glass, and just as planar.

What exactly is your job description on this job?