Exploring the Tunnels at WPI

newspeak staff photo / ed cameron

This is a view down one of the tunnels. The electrical, telephone, data, and steam pipes are run between the buildings.

Last week, Newspeak was fortunate to have Ron Klocek, Manager of Maintenance Operations and Grounds, take some of us on a tour of the steam tunnel system which runs under some of the campus.

The tunnels are about seven feet high passageways which run between Riley Hall, Higgins Labs, Alumni Gymnasium, and Harrington Auditorium. One line connects Riley to Alumni. At a four-way intersection are branches that lead to Higgins and Harrington. Their purpose is to allow workers easy access to the steam, electric, and data lines which run through them.

The steam lines are used to heat the buildings. They originate from the Power House, where they go under Higgins Labs and out through the tunnel. At the intersection, there are large valves which allow Plant Services to turn on or off the steam going to a particular part of the campus. On the day of our tour, Harrington's heat was not on, but Riley's was. You could feel the difference, despite the heavily insulated steam lines, between the respective tunnels. The pressure of the steam is so high - over 100 pounds per sqaure inch - that a break in a pipe could act like a knife and slice right through someone who happens to walk by a break.

The steam heats the tunnels so much that in the winter, during a light snowfall, you can actually see the tunnels. In fact, you can see quite a few steam lines around campus (for example, between Riley and Daniels), but these are not tunnels - these are steam lines which are buried under the road. The only tunnels, said Klocek, are the ones that we were walking around. The tunnels seemed to be a very convenient way to maintain the vital connections that link buildings together. They are so convenient, and seem so cost-effective in the long run, that even Klocek couldn't say why WPI didn't have similar tunnels going to other buildings.

The reason why Newspeak decided to go into the tunnels is to show everyone what they are like. They aren't these really cool secret tunnels that go everywhere on campus; they are a simple network, connecting only four buildings, and are obviously made for service use only. They are too narrow to be used as underground connectors during snow storms and other bad weather. And they don't really possess all of the glamour and mystery that many would like to believe. Nevertheless, they are an interesting part of the campus, and are certainly very helpful for the Plant Services crew.

[Newspeak would like to extend thanks to Ron Klocek, who took the time to bring us into the tunnels and put up with our obnoxious questions]

newspeak staff photo / ed cameron

Here we have some of the many valves and gauges which were discoverd in the previously unexplored and mysterious steam tunnels by our intrepid team of investigators on their daring expedition into the bowels of our campus. Exciting, isn't it?

Newspeak staff photo / ed cameron

These are the some of the high pressure steam lines located underneath campus. These would be the pipes which burst in a typical action movie, of course.