BASF MEYCO Fireshield 1350 fire protection mortar was used on this project   4.2 km tunnel with 8.4 m i.d. segmental lining to connect Malmo centre with southern suburbs proposed by Svedab. Stations at city centre, Triangle Square and Hyllie. Chalk formations with 20 m cover. Cross headings at 500 m intervals. Commencement 1999 for 2002 completion. Prequalification under way. March 1998. Now scheduled for completion in 2005, 6 km-long City tunnel from central station to Hyllie station will be underground, with one third cut and cover and the rest using a TBM. Construction period two years. Will connect mainline trains with the new Oresund link to Copenhagen. Sept 1999. Pre-information announcement in OJEC concerning 5 km-long railway tunnel and buildings contract 2000/S 139-091177 for which the estimated date for initiating award procedures is now 1st December, 2000. More information from bengtove.persson@citytunneln.com or visit www.citytunneln.com August 2000. Invitations to tender expected September, 2001 for construction of 6.6 km-long City Tunnel, of which 4.5 km bored and 2.1 km cut and cover, with two underground stations. VBB and Cowi working on final design for Banverket. Visit www.citytunneln.com and www.cowi.dk 32/01. Invitation to prequalify for construction of $292 million, 6 km-long twin-tube railway tunnels using two EPBs in limestone with up to 2.5 bar water pressure at 12 m to 25 m depth. 1.5 km in cut and cover. Tenders expected May, 2002. Visit www.citytunneln.se 39/01. Tenders invited, deadline 18th February, 2002, for construction of the 2 x 4.5 km City tunnel and the Triangeln station. TBM excavation through limestone with concrete segmental lining plus short cut-and-cover section. Station to be built opening shafts at ground level and milling out a 250 m-long rock cavity. Contract award mid-2003. Time frame for work autumn 2003-spring 2007. Cost of SEK3 billion financed by the National Rail Administration, the Swedish State Railways, the City of Malmö, and the Skí¥ne region. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int, document S 233-160659 or contact Citytunnelprojektet, Malmö, fax +46 40321500, bengtove.persson@citytunneln.com. Visit www.citytunneln.com 50/01. A jv of Cowi and Sweco has the responsibility for feasibility studies, environment assessment and detailed design of the underground parts of the City tunnel. The City tunnel will be a 17 km rail link between Malmö Central Station, the Sound Link and the southerly part of the Swedish district of Skí¥ne. One-third will run through a bored tunnel and two underground stations. Two 7.9 m-diameter tunnel tubes will be built, cross-linked with 13 smaller tunnels for technical installations. The cross-passages will also function as escape routes and provide access for emergency situations. Tender documents are being prepared and will be delivered to contractors in the autumn for bidding. Construction will begin in late 2003. Visit www.citytunnel.malmo.se, www.cowi.dk and www.sweco.es 25/02.The government approved the construction of the City tunnel that will connect Malmö's city centre to the í–resund line. The decision paves the way to the process of selection of contractors. Tender documents have been sent to prequalified contractors. The first contract to be awarded will be the tunnels between Malmö Central Station and Holma and the underground Triangeln Station. Later this year, a contract will be awarded for Malmö Central Station's new subterranean station (Malmö C), north of the present railway station.The 6 km City tunnel will be built in cut-and-cover at each end. The bored portion consists of two parallel single-track tunnels to be driven through water-bearing limestone, approximately 20 m below the surface, using two double shield TBMs. The excavated material will be removed by wagons. Tunnelling will begin at Holma. The TBMs will start from two shafts from the south portals crunching their way north towards Malmö C.The Triangeln station will be a rock cavity some 20 m below ground with two tracks and a 250 m-long platform. Shafts will be opened from ground level and then a large cavity will be mined in the bedrock. Malmö C will have four tracks and two 320 m-long platforms.Construction will start in 2004 for completion in 2009. The cost is estimated at SKr8.8 billion (2001 value). Visit www.citytunneln.com 15/03.The first contracts for the city tunnel were finalised on 11th November, 2004 at a signing ceremony. The Malmoe Citytunnel Group, a consortium made up of Bilfinger Berger, Per Aarsleff and E. Pihl & Sí¸n, has been awarded contract E201 for drilling the tunnels and excavating the rock cavern that will make up the new Triangeln underground station. The contract is worth SEK2.3 billion, with Bilfinger Berger having 50% and Aarsleff and Pihl 25% each. It comprises two parallel tunnels, about 6 km long, between Malmoe C and Holma, including 13 intersecting tunnels and two access shafts, as well as the Triangeln station. A 4,650 m-long twin tunnel section with an 8.9 m-diameter will be drilled with two separate TBMs. In the south, the bored tunnels will end with a cut-and-cover tunnel from which a 700 m ramp will lead up to the overground lines. The 250 m-long x 28 m-wide x 12 m-high Triangeln underground station will be located about 25 m below ground level, with two tracks. The work is scheduled for commencement in the second quarter of 2005, awaiting issuing of the environmental permit, and the total construction period is 52 months. Visit www.bilfinger.de and www.aarsleff.comNCC International will construct the underground station Malmoe C Nedre, as part of contract E101. The contract comprises the Malmoe Central and Malmoe C Nedre underground stations. The contract is worth SEK1.2 billion. The underground station will be built with open shafts directly north of today's station. A ramp carries the railroad tracks from the freight and stockyard area in the east to a roughly 320 m-long station, and further on to an offshoot that connects to tunnels bored in the west. Work will commence during spring 2005 and is scheduled for completion during 2009. The City tunnel will not be in use before 2011. Visit www.ncc.info and www.citytunneln.com 47/04.Malmoe Citytunnel Group (MCG), the City tunnel contractor, has ordered two Herrenknecht TBMs that are going to bore the two 4.5 km-long tunnels under the centre of Malmoe. The first machine will be delivered in September 2006 and the second a few months later. The cutter head has a 9 m-diameter. Along with the back-up train behind the TBM, the total length is 120 m. They will be assembled in Malmoe, directly in the shaft in Holma. From the start of the boring at the turn of 2006/2007, the work will take approximately two years, which means that they are estimated to reach the shaft under Malmoe Central station during the second half of 2008. The TBMs will install prefabricated concrete segments. Visit www.herrenknecht.comThe City tunnel project is made up of a 6 km-long tunnel under central Malmoe and eleven kilometres of railway above ground. An underground station will be built at Malmoe Central station. New stations will be built at Triangeln and in Hyllie, south of Malmoe. Construction started in March 2005 and is planned to be finished in 2011. The budget of the project is SEK9.45 billion (2001 monetary value). 45/05.

The canton of Bern’s road office awarded in March the construction contract of the east branch of the A5 motorway bypass in Biel to a consortium of Walo Bertschinger, Specogna Bau and Porr Technobau und Umwelt. The east branch of Biel’s four-lane motorway bypass stretches for 4.9 km. It goes from the A5/A16 interchange in Champs-de-Boujean in the north and then takes the 2 x 1.5 km Büttenberg tunnel. After an open air section in Orpond, the motorway then runs though the 2 x 2.5 km Längholz tunnel. In Marais-de-Brügg in the south, an interchange will connect the east branch with the T6 semi-motorway to Lyss and Bern and with the future west branch, still under planning. Visit www.walo.ch, www.specogna.ch and www.ptu.atTo bore both tunnels, the consortium has placed an order with Herrenknecht for a 12.24 m-outer diameter EPB TBM. The internal diameter of the tunnel will be 11 m. The TBM is scheduled to commence boring the Büttenberg tunnel on 1st April, 2009. The machine will work from north to south, commencing with the east tube of the tunnel, then continuing with the east tube of the Langhölz tunnel before being brought back to the north portal of the Büttenberg tunnel to excavate the west bores of both tunnels. After approx. 1.5 km on its way through the Langhölz tunnel, the TBM will work in closed mode because of changing geology. The spoil will be extracted by a conveyor belt. The supplier has not been chosen yet. Visit www.herrenknecht.comPreliminary work is ongoing since July 2007 to install the worksite, build the eight portals using the cut-and-cover method and install 41 horizontal piles, 1.40 m in diameter, leaning on diaphragm walls to shape a sort of crossing bridge under the Biel-Olten line and allow the TBM to cross the line under a 4 m cover without cutting traffic. The first three test piles will be constructed in December. The east branch of Biel’s A5 motorway bypass will open in 2015. Read E-News Weekly 41/2007 & 4/2006. Visit www.a5-biel-bienne.ch 43/07.

  Joint venture of Ilbau, Cogeis and Scheifele taking delivery of 4.5 m-diameter Herrenknecht shielded hardrock TBM for 5.2 km gas pipeline tunnel through marl and disturbed sandstones, siltstones and mudstones erecting six-piece 3.8 m i.d. dowelled and gasketed precast concrete segmental lining in rings 1.5 m-wide and 250 cm thick. Possibility of gas in sedimentary deposits. Boring to commence July on 15-month schedule. Visit www.herrenknecht.com May 2000.5.3 km extension of gas pipeline between Belgium and Italy in Canton Lucerne awarded to jv with Ilbau as technical leader, value $30 million. Rockmore will supply drilling consumables from its Austrian plant. Visit www.strabag.at and www.rockmore-intl.com October 2000. Consortium of Strabag, Cogeis, Specogna and Scheifele using 4.56 m-diameter Herrenknecht hardrock TBM with trunk conveyor belt on 5.2 km segmentally-lined tube at 5 % gradient in Sörenberg mélange, flysch and globigerina marl. TBM, which has automatic power cut-off if gas is detected, launched August, 2000 on ten month run. 2.2 km completed by end-November. Best week 200 m; best day 38 m in 18 h. Unique compact 26 m-high belt storage tower with 300 m capacity. Visit www.strabag.at and www.herrenknecht.de 02/01.4.56 m-diameter Herrenknecht hardrock TBM averaging 18 m/day working 24/7 with 18 h/day operating, peaking at 36 m/day. Around 4 km of 5.2 km drive completed, all at 5% upgrade. Up to 150 m/week being maintained in Sorenberg melange. Lining with rings of six tapered, gasketed segments 1.5 m wide and 250 mm thick, with internal diameter 3.8 m. TBM ahead of schedule, with completion expected May, 2001. Visit www.strabag.com and www.herrenknecht.com 14/01.

Herrenknecht 9.53 m-diameter TBM equipped with two rockbolting drills ordered by Marti AG for 2.5 km drive at Vigier cement plant commencing in Spring, 2000. Details from www.herrenknecht.com April 2000.

  Wayss and Freytag reports on projects at Kloten airport using its 6.2 m-diameter Herrenknecht EPB in sand, silt, moraine and coarse gravel to install 6 m o.d. x 5.4 m i.d. segmental lining in 490 m-long baggage service tunnel and 1.784 km pedestrian passenger tunnel. Visit www.wayss-freytag.de April 2000. Award of two tunnels to link proposed midfield dock to main terminal: rail passenger transport tunnel 970 m x internal diameter 5.4 m is being constructed by consortium of Zschokke, Locher, Prader, Wayss u Freytag, and Walo Bertschinger using Herrenknecht Mixshield. Visit www.amberg.ch; and three compartment road tunnel, 2 x 667 m x 54 sq m for traffic plus 1 x 38 sq m for baggage, to be built by cut-and-cover beneath airport runway. Completion November, 2002 at total cost of $120 million. December 2000.

Award of 3 km-long tunnel to be constructed by TBM by consortium of Zschokke-Locher/Prader/Murer/CSC/Wayss & Freytag. Visit www.wayss-freytag.de March 2000.   Preconstruction work underway of $60 million, 3.161 km-long x 10.85 m-diameter single tube in molasse and moraine while awaiting delivery of Herrenknecht TBM ex-Thalwil scheduled March, 2001. Completion 2002 for opening of 45 km-long Mattstetten-Rotthrist section end-2004. Visit www.wayssfreytag.de and www.herrenknecht.de December 2000.  The 3,160 m-long Oenzberg tunnel has been holed through on 14th February, 2003 on the Mattstetten-Rothrist section of the Bern-Olten high speed railway in Switzerland. The contracting JV formed by Zschokke-Locher, Prader, Murer, CSC and Wayss & Freytag used a Herrenknecht mixshield TBM equipped with a 12.36 m-diameter cutting head. Tunnelling lasted 17 months. Visit www.herrenknecht.com. Read E-News Weekly # 52. 09/03.

Theiler & Kalbermatten boring 3.5 km pilot using refurbished Robbins TBM. May 1998.3.1 km x 3.5 m-diameter pilot bore due to get underway early-2000 using hardrock TBM in limestone and marls. Contracting jv comprising Batigroup, Frutiger and Infra 2000, value $9 million. Sept 1999. 4 km of single 75 sq m tubes commencing February, 2000 for tunnels de la Perche and du Banne using Tamrock Titan 3-boom Superdrilling jumbo by jv of Rothpletz & Lienhard, Walo Bertschinger, Courbat and Doyon. Second Tamrock machine employed on rockbolting. More from www.ulrich-ammann.ch November 1999.Open call for tenders, deadline 30th September, 2005 for construction of the 2 x 750 m-long 3.6 m-diameter pilot tunnel of the Neu-Bois tunnel on the A16. A TBM will be used to excavate through limestone. Support with welded wire fabric, anchors, steel arches and plates. This ground investigation bore will then be enlarged by a roadheader machine to build the future tunnel. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=111507-2005, OJ S 112, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont, fax +41 324207301. Visit www.a16.ch. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 16/2005, 13/2004 & 35/2002. 25/05.Open call for tenders, deadline 28th October, 2005 for ground exploration gallery for the Choindez tunnel on section 8 of the trans-Jura motorway A16. Length to be built with traditional method is 605 m, section 15.4 sq m. Length to be driven by a TBM is 2,395 m, excavated diameter 3.6 m. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=132118-2005, OJ S 133, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont, fax +41 324207301. 29/05.Open call for bids, deadline 27th June, 2006 for construction of the 2,901 m-long Bure tunnel (contract 2.602) on section 2 Boncourt-Porrentruy west of the A16 highway, cut-and-cover portals (94 m), 10 cross passages, niches, three vertical shafts, a ventilation station, etc. A pilot tunnel has already been bored. Read E-News Weekly 41/2005, 16/2005, 34/2004, 13/2004, 32/2006 & 35/2002. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=051678-2006, OJ S 49, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont. 12/06.PraderLosinger has launched tunnelling of the Choindez ground exploratory tunnel on section 8 of motorway A16. The first 625 metres will be built using a roadheader, cross section of 15.4 sq m, while the remaining 2,400 metres will be dug by means of a TBM, outer diameter of 3.6 m.The works freshly commenced will allow to know more precisely the geological, hydrological and geotechnical nature of the bedrock through which the main tunnel will run in a few years. The exploratory tunnel has a total length of 3,024 metres for a 3.6 m diameter and will be excavated from its north portal towards Vicques until its south portal. This work phase will end in June 2008. The contract amounts to CHF16.5 million. Then, this pilot bore will be used in particular for ventilation and water drainage during construction of the main tunnel. In the end, it will be used as a safety tunnel. The final design of the Choindez main tunnel, to be driven at about 40 metres east and parallel to the exploratory bore, will be finalised by end 2007. The engineering contract has yet to be awarded.The ground investigation tunnel will be bored using traditional means, i.e. a roadheader on the first 625 metres and a 3.6 m-diameter TBM on the remaining 2,400 metres. A separate bidding process to build the main tunnel will be launched in 2008 or early 2009. The tunnel will be a single bored two-way tunnel. The diameter and exact cross section will be defined later. From north to south, the geology will be Alsacian molasse (625 metres) and Jurassic limestone (2,400 metres). Visit www.praderlosinger.ch 44/06.Construction of the 2 x 750 m Neu-Bois exploratory tunnel has been awarded to a JV of Infra Tunnel (leader), Implenia, LGV Impresa Construzioni, G. Comte, Les Fils de Marc Joliat, R. Seuret, S. Facchinetti and G. Chetelat. The contract amounts to CHF56.9 million. Tunnelling will proceed as follows: construction of a pilot bore by means of a 3.6 m-diameter TBM designed to allow for probe drilling during tunnelling; enlargement of each pilot bore to the final cross section using a roadheader; and building of cross passages by drilling and blasting. Visit www.infratunnel.ch, www.implenia.com and www.a16.ch 44/06.PraderLosinger will use a Voest Alpine ATM 50 roadheader for the first 625 metres of the 3.6 m-diameter Choindez ground exploratory tunnel on section 8 of motorway A16 and a Herrenknecht TBM (machine S-96), belonging to the company, for the remaining 2.4 km. For both methods, Belloli anchors and Bruno Fratelli steel arches. Concrete to be supplied by Sabag. Mucking-out by two 7.5 cu m GHH MK-A15 dump trucks at the roadheader section. Mucking-out for the TBM section will be undertaken by a muck train. The process is still under study. Construction of the roadheader section commenced on 1st September, 2006 and will end on 30th June, 2007. The TBM section will start afterwards from 1st July, 2007 to 30th June, 2008. Click ch/30. Visit www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com, www.herrenknecht.com, www.belloli.ch, www.belloli-italia.com, www.brunofratelli.com, www.matsabag.ch and www.ghh-fahrzeuge.de 46/06.Work at the Graitery tunnel on the N16, between Roches and Court, began on 6th November. The construction contract of the Graitery tunnel has recently been awarded to GTG (Groupement du Tunnel de Graitery), a consortium led by Marti Tunnelbau and including Parietti et Gindrat, Marti Travaux Spéciaux and Pro Routes. This is a 2,462 m-long two-way tunnel. The alignment runs along the pilot tunnel already built, which will serve as escape tunnel when the main tunnel is in service. The 7.5 m-wide roadway is bordered by two pavements. A ventilation duct in the tunnel crown will extract contaminated air, or smokes in case of fire, from a ventilation plant built at the north portal. The tunnel crosses several calcareous and marly layers. The limestone, about 48% of the volume, will be excavated using drilling and blasting, then crushed. It will be reused at different worksites of the N16. The marls will be excavated using a roadheader. They will not be recycled but trucked to the final disposal site in Chaluet. Preliminary works, awarded to local companies, have already been performed at the two portals since fall 2005. Tunnelling itself will commence with the construction of the access trench to the north portal in Moutier. This access trench will be finished in spring 2007. Excavation of the tunnel from Moutier to Court will then commence. Another attack from Court will be started between 2007 and 2008. The tunnel will break through in 2009 and all excavations will be completed in 2010. Concreting inside the tunnel will begin in 2010, then E&M equipment will be installed until end 2012, the expected date for opening of the tunnel. Visit www.a16.ch and www.martiag.ch 50/06.A JV of Marti Tunnelbau, Parietti et Gindrat, and MTS (Marti Travaux Spéciaux) signed a CHF131.2 million contract to build the 3,059 m Bure tunnel (lot 2.602) on the A16, whereof 2,901 metres will be bored and 158 metres will be built in cut-and-cover at the portals. A TBM will be used. From north to south, the geology consists of 15% of limestone (mid Oxfordian) containing astartes and natices, 40% of marls (mid to upper Oxfordian) containing astartes and 45% limestone (upper Oxfordian and Kimmerridgian) containing lower pterocere, cardium and terebratule. Visit www.martiag.ch, www.parietti-gindrat.ch and www.a16.ch 06/07.Open call for tenders, deadline 23rd July, 2007 for geological, geotechnical, hydrogeological and civil engineering consultancy for the Choindez tunnel. Click ch/30. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=105868-2007, OJ S 86, or contact République et Canton du Jura, Delémont. 21/07.

  Open tender, deadline 12th November, 1999 for construction of 2.5 km tunnel on N4 highway. Fax +41 418752610. Sept 1999.  Contract awarded to joint venture of Zschokke/Locher/Murer/CSC/Rothpletz & Reinhard who will utilise Robbins Herrenknecht TBM ex Bozberg and Murgenthal. Segmentally lined, single tube for bi-directional traffic will commence boring Summer, 2000. TBM has been cleaned and overhauled and is stored near Murgenthal ready for reassembly at site. Visit www.murer.ch April 2000.

Invitation to tender for 2.65 km-long access tunnel at Mairengo. August 1999.   Faido section has shortfall in dumping capacity and can accommodate only 2 million tonnes. Possible solution is a separate 5 km-long muck transport tunnel to meet the advancing east tube from Bodio. Some spoil will be selected by the geologist at the face for crushing as aggregate. October 1999.Open invitation to tender for lot 452 of Gotthard AlpTransit project involving construction of access galleries and the Faido multi-functional station, deadline 7th December, 2000. Contact Lucerne office, fax +41 412 260600. Visit www.alptransit.ch July 2000.   Award of 14 km-long Faido-Sedrun sections, including Faido emergency station, to TAT consortium of Zschokke Locher, Alpine Mayreder, CSC, Impregilo, and Hochtief. Visit www.zschokke.ch 31/01.   Atlas Copco announced an order for five drill rigs placed by Consorzio TAT (Tunnel AlpTransit), including Zschokke Locher, Alpine Mayreder Bau, Hochtief, CSC, and Impregilo to construct the 16.6 km Bodio and 15.1 km Faido sections of the Gotthard base tunnel. Excavation to start in spring 2002. Atlas Copco will deliver the first part of the order during the first quarter. Visit www.atlascopco.com/rde and www.boomer-rig.com 52/01.  2.65 km-long Faido access completed at 12% downgrade and caverns for multifunctional ststions under excavation using Atlas Copco Rocket Boomer L3C and Cat 966G loaders and 725 dumptrucks. Herrenknecht TBMs from Bodio will pass through Faido and relaunch at 9.3 m-diameter. 27/02.

BASF MEYCO Fireshield 1350 fire protection mortar was used on this project   Invitation to tender for first 1.2 km of 16.5 km section of proposed 56.7 km AlpTransit. August 1999.   Invitation to tender for construction of two access tunnels in soft ground, lengths 410 m and 420 m. Sept 1999.Open invitation to tender for lot 554 of Gotthard AlpTransit project involving construction of two running tunnels between Bodio access drift and Faido multi-functional station, deadline 7th December, 2000. Contact Lucerne office, fax +41 917 439737. Visit www.alptransit.ch July 2000.   Award of Faido-Bodio tunnel section to consortium of Zchokke-Locher, Hochtief, CSC and Mayreder. Visit www.alptransit.ch 27/01.   Atlas Copco announced an order for five drill rigs placed by Consorzio TAT (Tunnel AlpTransit), including Zschokke Locher, Alpine Mayreder Bau, Hochtief, CSC, and Impregilo to construct the 16.6 km Bodio and 15.1 km Faido sections of the Gotthard base tunnel. Excavation to start in spring 2002. Atlas Copco will deliver the first part of the order during the first quarter. Visit www.atlascopco.com/rde and www.boomer-rig.com 52/01.   First 380 m from Bodio portal under construction in cut and cover. 1.2 km-long bypass tunnel to main tunnel alignment completed, together with 1.4 km of east tube and 400 m of west tube to provide launch chambers for two 8.83 m-diameter Herrenknecht TBMs which will start in late-2002 on remaining 15 km-long drives to Faido. 27/02.  Difficult ground conditions in Faido-Polmengo are slowing down the Gotthard base tunnel. Progress is reaching only one metre a day instead of the planned 10 metres, or 30 metres a month instead of 300. A few weeks ago, on the site of the Faido multi-functional station, tunnellers encountered a tricky gneissic area consisting of Leventine gneiss and Lukmanier gneiss. The rock yields under the pressure of the 1,400 m mountain cover above, literally transforming the rock into sand. Special support measures have been adopted to install centimetre after centimetre a kind of steel corset at the tunnel crown. The AlpTransit management reckons that a reliable estimate of the cost overruns and delay will not be possible until the summer. To date, progress at Bodio has reached 14% on the east tube and 9% on the west tube. 15/03.