HERRENKNECHT pushing forward at the Brenner Base Tunnel
Photo Credit To Herrenknecht AG

HERRENKNECHT pushing forward at the Brenner Base Tunnel

HERRENKNECHT pushing forward at the Brenner Base Tunnel

The miners in the Brenner Base Tunnel are pushing ahead rapidly with the major rail project.

On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, they achieved a new record while excavating the main tubes in South Tyrol: 860 meters of tunnel bored and lined in one month.

On the Italian construction lot “Mauls 2-3” of the Brenner Base Tunnel, three Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are boring from south to north. They are excavating the two main tubes as well as an exploratory and later service tunnel 12 metres below.

In March 2021, a new record was set by one of these three machines: the Double Shield TBM (Ø 10.65 meters) named “Virginia” covered 860 meters in one month. The contracting joint venture BTC S.c.a.r.l. (Astaldi S.p.A., Ghella S.p.A., P.A.C. S.p.A. and Cogeis S.p.A.) thus achieved a peak advance rate at the Mauls jobsite. For March 2021, the Brenner Base Tunnel project owner, Austrian-Italian BBT SE, announced an average daily advance rate of 27.7 meters for “Virginia”. The daily best performance was 36.75 meters.

Dr. Matthias Flora, Sales and Project Manager at Herrenknecht, congratulated the team on the jobsite: “Our customer BTC’s crews are absolute top professionals in their field. Congratulations and our utmost respect for this achievement!”

By early April 2021, the two machines in the Brenner main tunnels had already covered over 50% of the total distance toward their lot boundary.

In stable geologies, Double Shield TBMs are predestined for good tunnelling performance. As the TBM bores, the excavated tunnel is concurrently lined with concrete segments.

At a total length of 64 kilometres, the Brenner Base Tunnel being built under the direction of Austrian-Italian BBT SE will be the longest underground rail link in the world. It crosses beneath the Alps between Innsbruck in Austria and Franzensfeste (Fortezza) in South Tyrol/Italy as a particularly efficient flat trajectory, that is, with very low gradients.

In spring 2019, the drives in the southern main tubes of the Brenner Base Tunnel began. In March 2021, a Herrenknecht Double Shield TBM excavated a record 860 meters of tunnel at the Mauls 2-3 jobsite.
In spring 2019, the drives in the southern main tubes of the Brenner Base Tunnel began. In March 2021, a Herrenknecht Double Shield TBM excavated a record 860 meters of tunnel at the Mauls 2-3 jobsite.

Project Data

  • Machine type: 2 x Double Shield TBM S-1071 / S-1072 (main tubes)
    • Shield diameter: 10,650mm
    • Drive power: 4,200kW
    • Drive length: 2 x 14,000m
  • Machine type: 1 x Double Shield TBM S-1054 (exploratory tunnel)
    • Shield diameter: 6,800mm
    • Drive power: 2,800kW
    • Drive length: 14,000m
    • Geology: granite gneiss, granodiorite, mica schist, phyllite
    • Client: Brenner Base Tunnel BBT SE
    • Contractor: Consortium H61 Mauls 2–3, BTC S.c.a.r.l. (Astaldi S.p.A., Ghella S.p.A., P.A.C. S.p.A. and Cogeis S.p.A.)
In July 2020, a Herrenknecht Gripper TBM had completed a 16.63 kilometre long section of the exploratory tunnel on the Austrian north side of the Brenner Base Tunnel. Photo: BBT SE/STRABAG/Jan Hetfleisch
In July 2020, a Herrenknecht Gripper TBM had completed a 16.63 kilometre long section of the exploratory tunnel on the Austrian north side of the Brenner Base Tunnel. Photo: BBT SE/STRABAG/Jan Hetfleisch

Post source : Herrenknecht AG

About The Author

Anthony brings a wealth of global experience to his role as Managing Editor of Highways.Today. With an extensive career spanning several decades in the construction industry, Anthony has worked on diverse projects across continents, gaining valuable insights and expertise in highway construction, infrastructure development, and innovative engineering solutions. His international experience equips him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the highways industry.

Related posts