Domains
Railways;Tunnel & Underground
Client
BBT – Brenner Base Tunne
Time frame
Construction cost
€102'000'000
Services
- Construction management
Services in JV with partners
The Project
The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is the high-speed rail link between Italy and Austria. It will cross the Alps along the new European rail corridor called Scandinavia-Mediterranean and will be a paramount corridor for the European economy and mobility. With a length of more than 55 km (64 km including the existing Innsbruck railway bypass), this is one of the longest tunnels in the world. The BBT project comprises two twin single-track tunnels and an exploratory tunnel located 12 metres below the main tunnels. The latter will be connected by cross-passages every 333 metres. The system is completed by 3 underground emergency stops 20 km apart and 4 access tunnels. In total, the project comprises more than 220 km of tunnels, and crosses various alpine geological units with very heterogeneous conditions and high overburden till 1700 m, which posed particular technical and design challenges. 50% of the total excavation will be done by TBM and 50% by conventional methods. At the south portal the tunnel undercrosses the Isarco River using the ground freezing technique. ARX is playing a major role in the project, participating of the main construction lots both in Austria and Italy.
Tunneling a mountain to connect two cultures
Different languages, different mindsets, different documentation, different customs. Italy and Austria overcame these challenges and more to create the Brenner Base Tunnel. In 2012—before teleconferences—the success of this project relied heavily on creating teams motivated to unite, identifying the best local skills, and relying on trusted long-standing partners. As an important part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor between Helsinki and Valletta, this tunnel probes between the Alpine and African tectonic plates, presenting complex technical issues. Using expertise gained during the planning of the Monte Ceneri Base Tunnel, ARX used all technical solutions to ensure trains run safely and quickly. The results have made the difficulties worth tackling. Excavating under a river through freezing the ground was rewarded with a tunnel that will continue to unite people, cultures, and economies for centuries. The skill, passion, and solidarity of the multi-cultural teams on this project ensured its success.
Working on the Brenner Base Tunnel project gave me the opportunity to play an active role in an important transnational infrastructure project
The special geological challenges, the application of modern engineering techniques, and the complexity of the interfaces not only provided professional development opportunities, but also enabled enriching interpersonal encounters and the exchange of expertise on an international Team.
