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Wienerwald Tunnel

The Wienerwald Tunnel represents an integral part of the new Vienna-St. Pölten route. The Wienerwald Tunnel project is split up into the following 3 sections:

  • 2 single-track tunnel tubes some 10,770 m in length constructed by mechanised means
  • a 2,356 m long twin-track tunnel built by conventional means
  • redevelopment of residual waste, earthworks, roadworks, sewer and concrete construction.

During the course of the approx. 13 km long tunnel the overburden above the tunnel roof varies between 6 and 190 m. The route passes through layers of siltstone, mudstone and sandstone. Furthermore, layers of marl and marlstone have to be penetrated. Ingressing water of up to 0,5 l/s must be reckoned with. The longest of the 3 sections comprises two 10,770 m long, parallel single-track tunnel tubes that are to be excavated by 2 tunnel boring machines possessing a 10.69 m shield diameter. The drive is on the rise with a gradient of 0.3 %. The primary support is provided by unbolted, non-sealed expansion segments, which are 35 cm thick and 2.25 m wide. The shield gap in the invert is filled with mortar and with pearl gravel in the roof zone. Once the water impermeable reinforced concrete base invert and an umbrella seal are produced, the permanent lining in the form of a 35 cm thick unreinforced concrete shell is to be created. ln addition, a 490 m long muck heading with a 31.6 % gradient and a 14.8 m² cross-section, 25 cross-passages and an emergency exit shaft have to be produced. The section being built by the conventional method (shotcreting) consists of the 2,356 m long twin-track tunnel with enlargement area as well as 3 headings, 2 shafts and an emergency exit shaft. Side wall headings were driven at the start of the section to minimise the risk of Settlement. Supporting will be completed in the form of gaskets and a reinforced concrete inner lining. The entire excavated material from the shield section is subsequently to be used as fill for the railway embankment along a roughly 10 km long open stretch as well as being deposited in a municipal waste landfill that will first be decontaminated. Altogether, around 2 million m³ of excavated material will be treated.

 

  • Country: Austria
  • Region: Vienna
  • Tunnel utilization: Traffic
  • Type of utilization: Main-line rail
  • Client: Österreichische Bundesbahnen AG (ÖBB), lnfrastructure Construction
  • Consulting Engineer: Eisenbahn-Hochleistungsstrecken Aktiengesellschaft, HL-AG; Segment Planning: Bilfinger Berger AG
  • Contractor: PorrTunnelbau GmbH, PorrTechnobau und Umwelt AG, Bilfinger Berger AG, BB Bauges. m.b.H., Wien
  • Main construction method: Trenchless
  • Type of excavation: Shield machine (SM)
  • Lining: Reinforced concrete segments
  • No. of tubes: 2
  • Tunnel total length: 2 x 10,770 m mechanised drive; 2,356 m conventional drive
  • Cross-section: 88.75 m² for the mechanised drive up to 250 m² for conventional drive
  • Contract Volume: € 340 million
  • Construction start/end: 2004 to 2009