World Tunnel Congress 2013 Geneva Underground – the way to the future!

31 May 2013

31 May 2013, Geneva

In the last decade TBM technology underwent tremendous steps to cope with the increasing level of project requirements like the demand for large tunnel diameters to allow for full-size highways without lane size limitations. The more the tunnel diameter increases the more the tunnelling systems complexity increases. Very large diameter TBMs pose additional challenges in operation as well as in supervision and quality control. The large volumes and heavy weights moved inside a powerful XXL-TBM do not allow for loosing attentiveness in operation and monitoring. This paper will discuss the customised solutions for monitoring what is currently the largest tunnelling operation in the world, the Sparvo Project in Italy where a 15,7 m EPB-TBM is being used. The project poses some additional challenges like the presence of large gas volumes in the ground as well as mixed face conditions and other geotechnical challenges. The paper will further present the experiences of the first 2,5 km long tunnel excavation in the twin tube project.

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