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Gotthard Base Tunnel: why two single track bores?

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  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 10:37 AM

beaulieu
 
Paul_D_North_Jr

beaulieu: In your post 2 above, did you mean 1,800 meters instead of 800 ? (to get to 1.3 miles)

- Paul North.  

 

 

 

Sorry, my mistake, the deepest point is 2,500 meters which equals 8202 ft or 1.55 miles. The vertical shaft at Sedrun is located in a valley so is much shorter at only 800 meters.

BTW bore diameter of the finished tunnels are 29 ft. Horizontally and 31.4 ft. Vertically. The greater vertical distance is to allow for Cantenary. The bores must have been cylindrical after the TBMs were done. Also there were two zones were drilling and blasting had to be done, the second was north from the Faido side access point

I assume the heat is due to the depth. Like the other long tunnels in Switzerland they are cooled by cold alpine water which is then used for irrigation and heating in Greenhouse complexes. Waste not, want not. The sale of the warm water helps cover costs.

 

What is the source of the water used for cooling? Springs inside the mountain?

When the first tunnels were being bored through the Alps, springs of hot water were found.

Johnny

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 7:24 PM

Found this You Tube video  on the Swiss Tunnel Project.. It runs to about 45 minutes but is well produced and an explanation with maps and engineering information.

See linked @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaTN_R1b00I

 

 


 

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