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Tunnel rock recycling

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File:Plant processing tunnel rock.jpg
Processing plant at Amsteg in Switzerland. Processing tunnel rock from the Gotthard basis tunnel

Tunnel rock recycling or utilization is a method to utilize the rock excavated from tunneling into other needed areas besides as a landfill. Concrete contains 50-80 % aggregates from sand and gravel and could potentially benefit from using aggregates produced from excavated tunnel rock.

Todays road and railway tunnels are normally covered by concrete in the lining and portal. If the excavated rock was to be utilized as concrete aggregate it would be beneficial both economically and environmentally. It would be more value generating compared to use the excavated rock as landfill or filling up old quarries. Additionally, would the need to transport be significantly reduced as the utilization of the rock could be placed outside the tunnel portal with a processing facility and a concrete bathing plant. The investment cost of this facility would be repaid as the project could potentially be self-supplied on concrete. [1]

By 2018 its confirmed that 7 tunnel projects has accomplished to utilize tunnel rock into concrete on an industrial level, either as shotcrete or concrete elements in TBM tunneling, se list below.

Project Country Year Km Million tons(metric) Utilization[%] Diameter(mm) Reference
Zugwald Switzerland NA- 1998 9.5 1.2 16% >16 [2]
Gotthard base tunnel Switzerland 1999-2016 57.1 28.7 23% >0 [3]
Koralm KAT2 Austira 2013-2023 21 8.6 17% >16 [4]
Follo line Norway 2016-2021 19.5 9 10%* >20 [5],[6]
Lötschberg Switzerland 1999-2007 34.6 16 29.1% >0 [7]
Linthal Switzerland 2010-2015 3.7 1 100% >0 [8]
Nant de Drance Switzerland 2008-2016 5.5 1.14 25% >0 [9]


References

  1. ^ https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/handle/11250/2454109
  2. ^ Materialbewirtschaftung Zugwald-Tunnel 1987. 2001, Amberg Ingenieurbüro
  3. ^ H. Ehrbar, L. R. Gruber and A. Sala, Tunnelling the Gotthard, Chapter 8. 2016, Esslingen, Switzerland: Swiss tunneling society
  4. ^ H. Wagner, The successful application of different excavation methods on the example of the Koralm tunnel lots KAT1 & KAT2. Austrian Federal Railways.
  5. ^ http://agjv.no/no/component/content/article?id=6:innovation.
  6. ^ https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/id/321874/Follobanen_st%C3%B8rst%20urban%20utfordrende%20raskere.pdf
  7. ^ A. Delisio, J. Zhao and E. H.H, Analysis and prediction of TBM performance in blocky rock conditions at the Lötschberg Base Tunnel. 2012.
  8. ^ B. Raderbauer and A. Wyss, Tunnel excavation material as resource for underground power plants and concrete dam constructions. 2014
  9. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nant_de_Drance_Hydropower_Plant