Elon Musk Says Boring Company Will Sell 'Lego-Like' Kits of Excavated Rock (theverge.com)

Elon Musk says his Boring Company will sell "interlocking bricks" made from the rock that its tunnel-creating machines excavate from the ground. In other words, think Lego, he says, except giant, heavy, and made of Earth. The Verge reports: Musk says that the Boring Company will sell "kits" of bricks, starting with one that makes it easy to build things from "ancient Egypt," like replicas of the pyramids, the Sphinx, or the Temple of Horus. The bricks will be "lifesize," though it's not clear what that actually means. And they'll be bored through the middle, to save some weight, but still rated to withstand California's earthquakes. (As is typical, Musk announced the idea in freewheeling fashion on Twitter.) t's unclear when these bricks, or the kits, will be available or how much they'll cost. The Boring Company is currently only digging short, preliminary tunnels in California and Maryland, so there's presumably not enough to start selling any of this upturned rock just yet. But the small company has big plans for tunnels around the country meant to facilitate debatably futuristic modes of transportation, so there will be plenty of newly removed earth if even half of those ever come to fruition.

Comments

A bet between friends

[Anonymous Coward]

"I reckon I could get people to buy dirt from me"

New boring tech?

[glitch!]

I must have missed an important tech advancement in tunnel boring. I thought his machines were the traditional super long cylinders with a massive grinding head at the front. The result is probably some kind of slurry that is piped out to the surface.

But if he is getting solid blocks, he must have something more advanced that I had assumed. Maybe something that cuts the sides like a mega chainsaw? Or some variation of a wire cutter? In any event, getting large blocks out instead of grinding everything to a powder must be a great advance, and I am curious about that.

Re:New boring tech?

[mveloso]

They're going to pour the slurry into molds and sell it.

It makes sense, because instead of disposing of the earth (which is quite expensive) he's getting people to pay him for it. That's pretty clever any way you slice it.

i can see where this might lead.

[nimbius]

Elon: I'm going to build a rocket that lands itself after its done
press: okay cool!
Elon: I'm building a tunnel digging company because traffic sucks
press: right on!
Elon: I'm selling a flamethrower if you wanna buy it.

press: ..what?
Elon: Also i launched my car into space on a mission to orbit mars
press:..okay...uh...
Elon: im making legos out of the rocks we excavate from my drilling project, then you use them like legos!
press:...seriously?
Fire Department: OK everyone we need you to clear out of Mr. Musks office immediately, theres been a gas leak here for quite some time and we dont yet know the extent of the exposure

Elon, on a stretcher: I'm building a tunnel you know!

Re:Flamethrower delivery time

[jeremyp]

No he means he probably may deliver them at some point.