Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

ADVENTURES IN THE ALPS

2001; Ascential; Volume: 34; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

0017-4653

Samuel F. Turner,

Tunneling and Rock Mechanics

Described as one of the most challenging tunnelling schemes in the world, the Alptransit rail upgrade includes the Lotschberg Tunnel project in Switzerland. Being constructed by Balfour Beatty, the tunnel will run from Fruitigen to Raron and will provide a faster route for passengers and freight through the Alps by rail. It will also reduce heavy road traffic and connect Switzerland to the European high-speed rail network. Two of the tunnel drives will be by tunnel boring machine and the shortest by drill and blast. Geologically, the area is suitable for tunnelling as the rock is a mixture of granite, granodionite and limestone. Sprayed concrete forms an initial tunnel lining with a permanent 250mm concrete lining cast in-situ along the whole 10km length once tunnelling is completed.