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Geotechnical challenges during the construction of the Albabstieg Tunnel in prediction and construction
Author(s) -
Wunderle Maximilian,
Abele Matthias
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geomechanics and tunnelling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.317
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1865-7389
pISSN - 1865-7362
DOI - 10.1002/geot.201800046
Subject(s) - excavation , geotechnical engineering , rock blasting , drilling and blasting , overburden , foundation (evidence) , drilling , tunnel construction , karst , engineering , geology , mining engineering , civil engineering , paleontology , mechanical engineering , archaeology , history
The construction of the Albabstieg Tunnel on the Wendlingen–Ulm railway line had to overcome several geotechnical challenges. For the filling of the ground replacement body as a foundation for the slab track from recycled tunnel excavation material, it turned out that the Jurassic limestones are only conditionally suitable as a qualified fill material. The aggregates processed on site can only be used as fill material if cement stabilised. Beside the main issue of karst investigation, above ground by means of geophysical methods and underground using a conventional drilling grid, two longer sections of pipe screens had to be constructed: in the area of an unsealed landfill intersected by the tunnel cross‐section and in the area of shallow overburden in the Lehrer Tal. Tunnelling under a residential area with historic cellars had to be accompanied by an intensive monitoring of blasting due to highly variable rock strength. Low‐emission tunnelling could only be achieved with additional measures of blasting optimization. With the interdisciplinary co‐operation between client, geotechnical consultant, designer and contractor, these special challenges were successfully overcome and the construction works were completed within cost and schedule.