The 2.2 km long Kaisermühlen Tunnel on the A22 Donauufer motorway is the longest motorway tunnel in Vienna. With a daily traffic volume of about 120 000 vehicles (of which 11 % are heavy goods vehicles), it is the most heavily used road tunnel in Austria. After a construction phase of about two years opperator Asfinag has now nearly completed the general refurbishment of all safety equipment (lighting, ventilation and fire protection) of the tunnel.
In Singapore, a Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine (EPB Shield, Ø 5,250 mm) excavated two large drains for the Stamford Diversion Canal. The challenge: winding bottlenecks and an inner-city drive in...
The following companies joined the STUVA during the second half of 2018: Aerzen Rental Deutschland GmbH, Rinteln (Germany) Optimas Solutions – Sofrasar, Sarrequemines (France) Ryll Management,...
In December 2018, the “Recommendations for Fire Service Lifts in underground Stations” were published as the 51st volume in the STUVA “Research + Practice” series. The planners of underground stations...
2545 participants from 20 countries, including 138 companies, 36 start-ups and 200 speakers linked up for three days at the Hypermotion in Frankfurt. The topics centred on disruptive ideas and...
Since 1963, the STUVA has held its tradition-steeped three-day STUVA Conference every two years, featuring all topics and aspects having to do with tunnelling and tunnel operation. The “International...
The Bjørnegård Tunnel has been under construction since early 2015 on the Norwegian E18 motorway between Sandvika and Weyen. Within the scope of linking the E16 from the northwest surrounding area of...
Featuring a length of 16.9 km, the planned second tunnel tube through the Gotthard will prove to be yet another outstanding feat in the Gotthard region. This article from tunnel 1/19 provides a short overview of the project, explains the investigation of the fault zones, outlines the excavation concept for piercing these zones and addresses both material management and the reuse of the excavation material. The article was part of the Swiss Tunnel Congress 2018 lecture programme.
Using the example of the Boßler Tunnel, the importance of careful rock mechanical investigations for the excavation concept of a tunnel is shown. The preliminary exploration revealed that squeezing rock conditions were to be expected in the middle section of the tunnel. In another tunnel section, karstification had to be expected. Towards this background, the tunnel was tendered for construction with conventional means (“shotcrete method”). Along the first 2.8 km, the use of a TBM was permitted. By driving an exploration shaft and gallery combined with accompanying rock mechanical investigations and numerical calculations, it was possible to create the basis for allowing for a TBM-excavation in the entire formation of the Brown Jurassic. In addition, the program for karst exploration was adapted to the requirements of a TBM heading.
The complicated geology presents a challenge to man and machine for the new Stuttgart-Feuerbach rail tunnel, part of the major project Stuttgart 21. Owing to the rock that contains anhydrite, holes for excavation and injections must largely be carried out by the dry drilling method. As a result, modified tunnelling jumbos and vehicles with suction aggregates are deployed. The excavation is partially secured by pipe umbrellas.
