Processing and recycling of tunnel excavation material at the Brenner Base Tunnel

摘要

During the construction of major tunnels large quantities of excavation material are generated, that - if suitably treated and processed - can be recycled as aggregate and be used in the construction of the tunnel itself. This approach generates numerous benefits regarding the costs for material procurement, storage and transport. In addition, reduction of environmental impact and demand for landfill volume can be achieved. The strategy of an extensive material recycling has already been successfully implemented in the construction of the Swiss Lotschberg and Gotthard base tunnel. For this reason there are significant efforts to achieve an equal high level of recycling of tunnel excavation material in the course of the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel. There, tunnel driving of the access tunnel Wolf in Steinach am Brenner is currently ongoing and rocks of the Bundner Schists are being excavated. Building on the results of previous studies, calcareous schists of higher quality from Wolf have been recycled since autumn 2014 using a three-stage rock crushing system followed by a high performing wet-processing of the aggregates at the area of the Padastertal landfill site. The processed material is used primarily as aggregate for shotcrete and structural concrete as well as draining gravel.