Brenner Base Tunnel

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Alpenseminar by Ole Schramme

 

On the 27th of April we had a presentation on the very impressive Brenner Base tunneling project through the Alp Mountains. This project involves the construction of a railway tunnel connecting Innsbruck (Austria) with Franzensfeste (Italy). This forms an important economic transport route linking northern Europe to the Medditeranean. When completed, this will be the longest tunnel in the world, reaching a total length of 53 km. The geology across the profile looks as follows:


Geological overview of the tunnel route, after Bradner et al., 2008


Project planning began in 1978 and is expected to be completed in 2025. The complicated geological makes this a difficult engineering project. From 2001-2005 an extensive geolgical, hydrogeological and geophysical investigation took place. These various geo-technical surveys have now allowed for a very precise view of the Alpine geology expected to be transected by this tunnel:


 Geological overview of the tunnel route, after Bradner et al., 2008


Areas with the most uncertainty and thus risks includes the various fold structures and fault regions. These lcoations often have higher groundwater flow and the presence of weak interlayers, e.g. gypsum bands. The northern part of the tunnel will also transect the earthquake-prone region of the Inn-valley.

For now, we eagerly await 2025 for the chance to ride the Trans-Alpine express!


Location: Jena, Germany

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