Brandberg Tunnel: Concepts and Protective Measures forDriving in Asbestos-Containing Rock

The 880 m long Brandberg Tunnel near Winden in Elztal (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) is part of the B294 bypass, which is scheduled for completion by 2024. In the course of excavation work on the Brandberg Tunnel, rock containing asbestos was encountered in March 2020. This resulted in the development of a comprehensive protection concept, which was continuously updated based on the findings. For the planned revision of the German Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS) 517, the legal basis for excavation in rock containing asbestos, the experience gained during the excavation of the Brandberg Tunnel will certainly be included in the new edition. The extremely constructive cooperation of all those involved in the project was the key prerequisite for a fast and at the same time safe excavation, which was completed in May 2021.

1 Introduction

A bypass of the B294 around the villages of Niederwinden and Oberwinden in the Elztal will be built by mid-2024 to relieve the villages of through traffic. The client is the Freiburg Regional Council on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. The tunnel construction is being carried out by the JV Tunnel Brandberg, a consortium of Baresel Tunnelbau GmbH and Heitkamp Construction Swiss GmbH.

The heart of the bypass is the Brandberg Tunnel, which runs mainly through solid rock. During tunnelling, natural asbestos-containing rock was discovered, which resulted in the implementation...

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