BIM Applications in Design and Construction of the Soft Ground Section at the Bözberg Tunnel

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

1 Starting cut area at the south portal and start of tunnel drive

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

2 3D model of pipe roof umbrella drive and situation at the portal wall

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

Credit/Quelle: SBB

3 Portal wall starting cut in Schinznach with soft ground drive

Credit/Quelle: SBB

4 3D geological model in the southern area (from tunnel portal) with the location and results of probe drilling

5 Face images in the geological 3D model

Credit/Quelle (3): Amberg Engineering AG

6 The geological 3D model of the ground shows typical folding of the Swiss Jura at the south portal. The Quaternary cover layers are faded out in the model

Credit/Quelle (3): Amberg Engineering AG

Credit/Quelle: Implenia Schweiz AG

7 Completely assembled TBM in front of the Schinznach portal before being transported to the starting position at the end of the soft ground section

Credit/Quelle: Implenia Schweiz AG

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

8 Software interface of Blender Game Engine

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

9 Starting position of TBM in the simulation model of the TBM transport through the soft ground section of the tunnel

Credit/Quelle: Amberg Engineering AG

Construction of the new two-track Bözberg rail tunnel is the largest individual project of the SBB on the 4-m corridor along the Gotthard axis between Basle and Chiasso. Switzerland. It is intended to shift goods traffic from roads to rail. The existing tunnel, which is about 140 years old, will be reused as a service and escape tunnel and connected to the new tunnel with cross passages. In order to provide support during design and construction, BIM methods were used for various application cases.

The Project

The 4-m corridor of the SBB will enable all goods containers with a corner height of up to 4 m and a width of up to 2.6 m to be transported along the Gotthard axis from 2020.

The new two-track tunnel at the Bözberg with a length of about 2.7 km will replace the existing tunnel tube, which will then be used as service and escape tunnel. This will be connected to the new tunnel about every 500 m with five cross passages. The cross passages permit rapid evacuation of the new tunnel in case of an incident.

Tunnelling started in autumn 2016 at the south portal in the village of...

DI Dr. techn. KARL GROSSAUER, overall project manager for detail design/Gesamtprojektleiter Ausführungsplanung, IG Bözberg, Amberg Engineering AG, Switzerland/Schweiz (iC Consulenten, Vienna/Wien since/seit 2020)

Dipl.-Geol. JEAN-PIERRE HÜRZELER, geological 3D modelling and integration in BIM/geologische 3D Modellierung und Integration in BIM, Amberg Engineering AG, Switzerland/Schweiz

DI WERNER SCHMID, Tunnelbau, project manager construction/Projektleiter Ausführung Implenia Schweiz AG, Switzerland/Schweiz

DI THOMAS ZIEGER, overall project manager for client/Gesamtprojektleiter Bauherr, SBB, Switzerland/Schweiz