Dante-Garibaldi Section of Line 1 in Naples to Be Ready in 2010-2011Extension of Line 1 of the Naples subway consists mainly of rail tunnels between Piazza Dante station (not included) and the launch shaft in Via Brin. It is 7,725.60 m long, consisting of an even-numbered track stretching 3,845.30 metres and an odd-numbered track of 3,880.30 metres. The geology comprises sands interbedded by stratifications of pumices, cinerite and tuff. The volume of excavation will be 275,500 cubic metres. Tunnelling is taking place on two drives, with two Herrenknecht EPB TBMs that bore and seal the tunnel, at 30 m under the water table. The TBMs, numbered S-238 and S-239, have a diameter of 6,740 mm and are powered by 1,200 kW. The TBM tail plays the role of temporary support, while the final lining consists of precast reinforced concrete segments. Visit www.herrenknecht.comGIA Industri locomotives and muck cars cruise in and out the tunnels. Visit www.gia.seThe twin tunnel is bored under the water table and the stations are built using the cut-and-cover technique. Ground freezing was necessary to excavate Piazza Garibaldi station (main box and connecting tunnels). The tunnel cost excavated by TBM amounts to EUR237 million (1995 currency). Construction has been commissioned to GTB, a consortium whose members are Impregilo, Torno Internazionale, Grassetto, Della Morte, Moccia di Giuseppe Moccia, and Carola. Visit www.impregilo.it/IMPREGILOIST/index.cfm?circuit=Main&name=CaricaOggetto&rnd=0.680638&id=32608 and www.torno.comThe five underground stations (Toledo, Municipio, Università, Duomo and Garibaldi) are built under the water table and the project also includes vent shafts. Work started in June 1999 in all of the five interested areas, except in Garibaldi where construction commenced in December 2000. The first stretch, approx. 1,600 m long, from Via Brin to Piazza Garibaldi was completed in December 2005 and in the following months, the parallel tunnel was also concluded.From 2003 to 2005, Cipa built the shaft and the connecting tunnels at Piazza Garibaldi station. Sinking the 21 m x 46 m start shaft at a depth of 21 metres, in pozzolanic and tuffaceous geology, was carried out in open cut and under cover, by means of excavators of different sizes. For muck extraction, a loader, remote-controlled self-tipping skips and a gantry crane were used. The project's peculiarity was the massive presence of water and sinking of the shaft in more than 20 phases. Cipa also bored the four start tunnels at Piazza Garibaldi station, each 45 m long, featuring a top heading radius of five metres and a 87 sq m excavated cross section. Full-section tunnelling was achieved on four faces at the same time. For excavation in tuff, an excavator equipped with a 170 kW rotary head was employed. For muck disposal, a loader, remote-controlled self-tipping skips and a gantry crane were used. For primary support, ground freezing was implemented. The final lining was performed using thin curved prefabricated concrete panels. View pictures here. Visit www.cipaspa.itJet-grouting was necessary to cross the Rome-Naples highway and the Circumvesuviana railway.The Dante-Garibaldi stretch of Naples' metro line 1 will be completed up to Piazza Garibaldi between 2010 and 2011. This is a five-year delay to the project's completion caused by the continuous archaeological findings and by the presence of groundwater. The critical area is Piazza Municipio where engineers are facing new technical difficulties. A large waterproof tube will have to be created.Of the five stops on the section, Università is the one that is at the best stage. The TBM is expected to reach Toledo station before September 2007.The next stage of the project, connecting the line with the Capodichino airport, is scheduled for 2012. It includes the construction of the artful stops of Capodichino and Santa Maria del Pianto, designed by renowned architect Richard Rogers. The projects for these stops were presented by the architect at Naples' San Carlo theatre and were on show at the 'Metropolis' exhibition at Castel dell'Ovo until February. Click here. For the first of the two stops, the project plans the environmental rehabilitation of a damaged zone, by constructing an access door to the city. Regarding Capodichino station, Richard Rogers - who co-designed the Centre Pompidou in Paris with Renzo Piano and more recently the new terminal 4 at Madrid airport - imagined a large elliptical central shaft as the backbone of the project, which comes alive thanks to the vertical motion of passengers. In both stations, spaced at an interval of 500 metres, the use of light materials is envisaged, with the intensive use of glass to allow natural light to penetrate deep into the internal space of the station. 14/07.