B.A.D.G.E.R.

(Better and Definitely Gentler Excavators of Rock)

B.A.D.G.E.R was a new technology developed to help with the excavation of the base of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The area excavated in now the OMNIMAX Theater and museum.

This method was used because of the need for a relatively quiet, non-intrusive way to remove rock. The exsisting theater also required that precise cutting should be used with a low pressure, 35 MPa, abrasive laden waterjet to cut the verticel walls of the theater down to a depth of 4.5 meters, with an accuracy of 5 centimeters.

The rock was removed by a method known as CUSP(CUt and SPlit), which means that the rock with drilled to a depth of 0.6 meters, then split using a DARDA rock splitter until a 450 kilogram, roughly, block would emerge. Removial of the rock exceeded 3.2 cubic meter/hour.