Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland
The world’s longest railway tunnel – well-secured with BASF products
The Gotthard Base Tunnel will be the world’s longest railway tunnel: It will make its way through 57 kilometers of rock in the Swiss Alps. Such an extraordinary project requires innovative solutions ensuring quick and efficient reaction to changing geological conditions.
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Our solution |
- Extending the tunnel through areas with diverse geological conditions
- Swift adaptation of concrete formulations to changing conditions
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- MEYCO® mobile spraying units for shotcrete application
- Optimal concrete properties through Rheobuild®, Glenium® and Meyco admixtures
- Machinery and admixtures from a single supplier for efficient solutions
- Permanent availability of a BASF service team
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Securing rock quickly and efficiently
To protect the tunnel from the earth above it, the rock is secured with shotcrete while the tunnel boring machine advances. The shotcrete contains Rheobuild or Glenium plasticizers that make it easy to pump and ensure efficient application. To ensure quick setting of the concrete after application to the walls, Meyco SA 160 alkali-free set accelerating admixture is used. This initial securing prevents water from seeping in and rocks from dropping, which increases also safety for the workers.
From a single supplier
The equipment for shotcrete application as well as Rheobuild, Glenium and Meyco admixtures are supplied by BASF exclusively. This provides the customer with a single contact for all the project’s challenges. In order to react to the constantly changing requirements as quickly as possible, a concrete laboratory has been set up on site, in which the freshly-mixed concrete’s characteristics are analyzed periodically. The BASF team is on stand-by around the clock, seven days a week.