Rural Rail Tunnel

1km rail tunnel named after the nearby village of White Ball built by Brunel (opened 1844 on the Great Western Main Line). Victorian brick-arch lining, which has deteriorated over the years including weathering and chemical reaction from the sulphurous steam trains. A refurbishment scheme was required to make it fit for purpose which was planned through various phases. The early phases of the project involved installation of the RAM Arch System and wire mesh to prevent loose bricks from falling on to the tracks. In latter phases of the refurb - the subject of the CAT3 check - sprayed concrete applied to cover the RAM Arch system coupled with rock bolts with butterfly plates were used to hold the concrete lining.

The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is a 64km long railway tunnel connecting Austria and Italy. Once completed, it will be the world's longest rail link underground. In addition to the two main tubes, the project comprises a complex set up of exploration adits, crosscuts, emergency stops and additional access tunnels, excavated by TBM and SCL methods. Dr. Sauer & Partners provided tender support services for the 18km lot H51 Pfons-Brenner and was responsible for creating the bid documents as well as conducting QA/QC services. The documents covered issues such as TBM choice, annular gap filling, reuse of excavated rock, rail delivery of construction materials, construction logistics and pre-excavation grouting.

The Pajares Rail Tunnel is part of the new Leon-Asturias High Speed Rail Line, and with a length of 25.7km one of the longest tunnels in the world. The project encompasses twin 10m dia. TBM hard rock tunnels, bifurcation chambers, cross passages, and emergency stops. The tunnel is lined with a pre-cast segmental lining made from high-strength with a thickness from 50 to 60cm. The connection between the access tunnel and the main tunnel requires the construction of a large-span Bifurcation Chamber and a short mined tunnel.

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway between London Euston, the English Midlands, North West England, Yorkshire, and there are plans to extend the line to North East England and the Central Belt of Scotland. The project is currently split to two phases, namely a first phase between London and Birmingham, then a second branched phase to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe and Manchester Airport, furthe to Leeds via the East Midlands Hu and Sheffield. 

Krieberg Tunnel L= 2.994 m