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www.bg-21.com

UNDERGROUND WORKS

■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS

APPROPRIATE EXCAVATION METHODS : AN ESSENTIAL PRE-REQUISITE FOR MASTERING THE RISKS OF UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTIONBG can rely upon numerous references in the design and execution of underground works in rock and soil, below or above the groundwater level, at shallow or great depths, implementing the following techniques: TBM (with and without pressure balance), drill and blast, mechanical excavator, hydraulic breaker, micro-TBM, pipe-jacking, raise-drill.

MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR – LOVERESSE TUNNELSmall excavator (44 tons), 190 kW power. Main challenge encountered: hete-rogeneity and tectonisation of the ground (marl and sandstone Molasse).

ROAD HEADER AND HYDRAULIC BREAKER - MONTROUGE STATION ON LINE 4 OF THE PARIS METROExcavator – Soft ground conditions at low depths, proximity of an historic mine (existing galleries) – Main challenge encountered: management of sett-lements at the surface (dense urban environment).

DRILL AND BLAST – CHOINDEZ TUNNELAutomatic jumbo with 3 arms, 170 kW power – Main challenge encountered: controlling water seepage into the tunnel (excavation in a karstic environ-ment).

TBM – SAVERNE TUNNELBimodal type (open TBM and earth pressure balance (EPB) – Nominal dia-meter of 10.07 m, 5400 kW power, 2100 tons weight, maximum confinement pressure of 3 bar (in EPB mode) – Main challenge encountered: crossing of the Vosges fault zone.

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SPECIAL OPERATIONS

ST MAURICE TUNNEL – "LIGHTNING" OPERATIONReprofiling works on a railway tunnel while keeping it in operation. In order to limit the closing of the Simplon railway line to 53 hours over a weekend, a special operation was designed to excavate 1200 m3 of rock by blasting, place 100 anchors as well as 200 m3 of shotcrete within the allocated time frame.

LIGERZ ROAD TUNNEL – EXCAVATION OF TEN CROSS-PASSAGES USING HYDRAULIC SPLITTING AND DRILL AND BLASTCross-passages, including three with vertical shafts, between the safety gallery and the main tunnel which was kept in operation during construc-tion. Excavation partially using drill and blast and hydraulic splitting. Main challenges encountered: mastering the vibrations on the road tunnel as well as the risk of karstic water infiltration.

Publ

ishe

r: BG

Con

sulti

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mun

icat

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Dep

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in A

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7

FULL CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE BG GROUP: www.bg-21.com/contact

OPTIMISED PROJECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTIONAn urban context, a rugged topography, or environmental as well as safety requirements can lead to the execution of underground works. These are often complex and interact with existing constructions. BG benefits from a long-standing experience in the fields of planning, design, execution and operational assistance of this type of works. The Group boasts a renowned expertise of design work, construction methods and project manage-ment applied to underground works, all un-derlain by efficient computing models.

BG has successfully worked on major infras-tructure operations, such as:

■ In the rail sector : The Grand Paris Express, the CEVA rail link, high-speed railway LGC Est Européenne, the Puymorens tunnel, the South Alpine rail corridor, the Simplon railway, the Lyon-Turin railway and the Loetschberg base tunnel.

■ In the road sector : the safety tunnel of Siaix, the Loveresse, Choindez and Cham-bon tunnels, the Galore Creek mine access tunnel (Canada), the underground works of the RER E Eole, the Maurice Lemaire tunnel, the renovation of the Mont-Blanc, Glion and Vieux-Port tunnels, as well as the renovation of several road tunnels on the A8 highway and of the highway system A14-A88 in Paris.

■ Hydropower sector : Nant de Drance Powerhouse caverns, Rhône-Oberwald, Lavey+ and Cleuson-Dixence.

■ Underground nuclear waste storage : the galleries of the underground laboratories of Bure and Mol.

EVOLVING RISK MANAGEMENTOur risk management covers the entire pro-ject from administrative procedures to the reception of the works. The risks are identi-fied, evaluated, prioritised. Then, measures to reduce and mitigate these risks are pro-posed, and will be reevaluated and amended during project life. We also propose modes of contracting that integrate construction-rela-ted as well as geotechnical risks.

A LARGE ARRAY OF COMPETENCESBG features a large pool of specialists and experts in underground works. Our compe-tences cover normative, technical and judi-ciary aspects, as well as the more specific questions of the design and calculation of sections, the logistics, construction planning and scheduling as well economical questions. We possess strong competences in the fol-lowing specialised areas:

■ Risk Analysis and contractual manage-ment of risk

■ Design and calculation of multidisciplinary works

■ Rehabilitation, extension and modernisa-tion of existing works

■ Numerical modelling of complex works■ Development of road and railway links as

well as infrastructure BIM models■ Construction site logistics (evacuation of

excavation material, ventilation, cooling)■ Reuse of excavation material■ On-site investigations■ Construction site management

BG is also a key partner in the European pro-ject NeTTun, which aims at meeting the major scientific and technical challenges of the fu-ture in the field of underground construction.

MASTERING UNDER-GROUND WORKS FROM PRELIMINARY STUDIES TO EXECUTION ANDOPERATIONMultidisciplinary teams of adaptable specialists and ex-pert engineers, strengthened by a rich corporate culture and oriented toward complete project success.

■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS

SECTORS OF ACTIVITY :

RAIL

ROAD

HYDROPOWER

NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE

CONSULTING SERVICES :

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

OWNER'S ENGINEER

OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE

EXPERTISE :

RISK ANALYSIS

SAFETY UPGRADE

NUMERICAL MODELLING

MONITORING

ARBITRATION

NANT DE DRANCE PUMP STORAGE PLANT Hydropower plant with a 240 000 m3 underground powerhouse (194 m x 54 m x 32 m) – Excavation using drill and blast – Ground conditions: rocks at very great depths. In 2014, the project was awarded the ITA's "Major Tunne-ling Project of the Year" award.

PINCHAT TUNNEL AND CAROUGEBACHET STATION (CEVA RAIL LINK)Single-tube double-track railway tun-nel (length 2 km) with underground train station (234 m) – partial face excavation with excavators of the tunnel, top-down construction of the railway station and the cut-and-cover tunnel – Ground conditions: soils at shallow to medium depths.

RHÔNE-OBERWALD HYDROPOWER PLANTLower adit excavated using drill and blast (length 350 m, section 25 m2) and headrace tunnel excavated using a TBM (length 2'100 m, slope 13%, diameter 3.90 m), in granites and granodiorites.

DESIGN ANDEXECUTION OF NEW WORKS AND REHABILITATION

PUYMORENS TUNNELBidirectional tunnel with a length of 4.8 km. Implementation of safety measures, thermal protection and excavation of shelters. Improvement of smoke evacuation capacity, moni-toring of air circulation by accelera-tors integrated in a framework struc-ture at both tunnel ends, renovation of the technical gallery, the electrical equipment and automatic traffic in-cident detection. Safety studies with 3D numerical simulations.

LYON – TURIN RAILWAY LINK( I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E G M E N T, FRANCE-ITALY)Twin-tube 57-km-long railway tunnel with 171 cross-passages connecting both tubes as well as 3 underground safety stations – Excavation mainly by TBM for the tunnel and by drill and blast for the other constructions – Ground conditions: mainly rocks at very great depths, with soils in the Western and Val Cenischia sectors.

ANDRA UNDERGROUND LABORA-TORY (BURE, FRANCE)Execution of a network of galleries (length ~1 km) for experimental purposes (study of rock mass beha-viour for radioactive waste storage) – Excavation using hydraulic breakers, road headers and with TBM – Ground conditions: argillites at great depths (about 500 m).

OWNER'S ENGINEER AND EXPERTISE

INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL EXPER-TISE IN AFRICAEngineering consultancy for an arbi-tration procedure for an international consortium. Project review (4 twin-tube tunnels with large cross-sec-tion in clayey rocks). Coordination and interpretation of a 3D finite element model for the simulation of the exca-vation and the support. Identification of weaknesses, both in the project and the excavation process.

LINES 15, 16 AND 17 OF THE GRAND PARIS EXPRESSMain owner's engineer of the SGP and project management for the 125 km of new automatic mainly under-ground subway lines, the 50 inter-connected railway stations and the 4 maintenance sites – Simultaneous excavation by over 20 TBMs, railway stations and additional constructions at very great depths.

SOCHI OLYMPIC GAMESTasked by the IOC to follow the construction of all sports-related facilities. Project review of highway and railway links, redesign and redefi-nition of the alignment, monitoring of construction works and proposals to improve construction rate and meet the project deadlines.

OPTIMISED PROJECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTIONAn urban context, a rugged topography, or environmental as well as safety requirements can lead to the execution of underground works. These are often complex and interact with existing constructions. BG benefits from a long-standing experience in the fields of planning, design, execution and operational assistance of this type of works. The Group boasts a renowned expertise of design work, construction methods and project manage-ment applied to underground works, all un-derlain by efficient computing models.

BG has successfully worked on major infras-tructure operations, such as:

■ In the rail sector : The Grand Paris Express, the CEVA rail link, high-speed railway LGC Est Européenne, the Puymorens tunnel, the South Alpine rail corridor, the Simplon railway, the Lyon-Turin railway and the Loetschberg base tunnel.

■ In the road sector : the safety tunnel of Siaix, the Loveresse, Choindez and Cham-bon tunnels, the Galore Creek mine access tunnel (Canada), the underground works of the RER E Eole, the Maurice Lemaire tunnel, the renovation of the Mont-Blanc, Glion and Vieux-Port tunnels, as well as the renovation of several road tunnels on the A8 highway and of the highway system A14-A88 in Paris.

■ Hydropower sector : Nant de Drance Powerhouse caverns, Rhône-Oberwald, Lavey+ and Cleuson-Dixence.

■ Underground nuclear waste storage : the galleries of the underground laboratories of Bure and Mol.

EVOLVING RISK MANAGEMENTOur risk management covers the entire pro-ject from administrative procedures to the reception of the works. The risks are identi-fied, evaluated, prioritised. Then, measures to reduce and mitigate these risks are pro-posed, and will be reevaluated and amended during project life. We also propose modes of contracting that integrate construction-rela-ted as well as geotechnical risks.

A LARGE ARRAY OF COMPETENCESBG features a large pool of specialists and experts in underground works. Our compe-tences cover normative, technical and judi-ciary aspects, as well as the more specific questions of the design and calculation of sections, the logistics, construction planning and scheduling as well economical questions. We possess strong competences in the fol-lowing specialised areas:

■ Risk Analysis and contractual manage-ment of risk

■ Design and calculation of multidisciplinary works

■ Rehabilitation, extension and modernisa-tion of existing works

■ Numerical modelling of complex works■ Development of road and railway links as

well as infrastructure BIM models■ Construction site logistics (evacuation of

excavation material, ventilation, cooling)■ Reuse of excavation material■ On-site investigations■ Construction site management

BG is also a key partner in the European pro-ject NeTTun, which aims at meeting the major scientific and technical challenges of the fu-ture in the field of underground construction.

MASTERING UNDER-GROUND WORKS FROM PRELIMINARY STUDIES TO EXECUTION ANDOPERATIONMultidisciplinary teams of adaptable specialists and ex-pert engineers, strengthened by a rich corporate culture and oriented toward complete project success.

■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS

SECTORS OF ACTIVITY :

RAIL

ROAD

HYDROPOWER

NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE

CONSULTING SERVICES :

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

OWNER'S ENGINEER

OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE

EXPERTISE :

RISK ANALYSIS

SAFETY UPGRADE

NUMERICAL MODELLING

MONITORING

ARBITRATION

NANT DE DRANCE PUMP STORAGE PLANT Hydropower plant with a 240 000 m3 underground powerhouse (194 m x 54 m x 32 m) – Excavation using drill and blast – Ground conditions: rocks at very great depths. In 2014, the project was awarded the ITA's "Major Tunne-ling Project of the Year" award.

PINCHAT TUNNEL AND CAROUGEBACHET STATION (CEVA RAIL LINK)Single-tube double-track railway tun-nel (length 2 km) with underground train station (234 m) – partial face excavation with excavators of the tunnel, top-down construction of the railway station and the cut-and-cover tunnel – Ground conditions: soils at shallow to medium depths.

RHÔNE-OBERWALD HYDROPOWER PLANTLower adit excavated using drill and blast (length 350 m, section 25 m2) and headrace tunnel excavated using a TBM (length 2'100 m, slope 13%, diameter 3.90 m), in granites and granodiorites.

DESIGN ANDEXECUTION OF NEW WORKS AND REHABILITATION

PUYMORENS TUNNELBidirectional tunnel with a length of 4.8 km. Implementation of safety measures, thermal protection and excavation of shelters. Improvement of smoke evacuation capacity, moni-toring of air circulation by accelera-tors integrated in a framework struc-ture at both tunnel ends, renovation of the technical gallery, the electrical equipment and automatic traffic in-cident detection. Safety studies with 3D numerical simulations.

LYON – TURIN RAILWAY LINK( I N T E R N AT I O N A L S E G M E N T, FRANCE-ITALY)Twin-tube 57-km-long railway tunnel with 171 cross-passages connecting both tubes as well as 3 underground safety stations – Excavation mainly by TBM for the tunnel and by drill and blast for the other constructions – Ground conditions: mainly rocks at very great depths, with soils in the Western and Val Cenischia sectors.

ANDRA UNDERGROUND LABORA-TORY (BURE, FRANCE)Execution of a network of galleries (length ~1 km) for experimental purposes (study of rock mass beha-viour for radioactive waste storage) – Excavation using hydraulic breakers, road headers and with TBM – Ground conditions: argillites at great depths (about 500 m).

OWNER'S ENGINEER AND EXPERTISE

INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL EXPER-TISE IN AFRICAEngineering consultancy for an arbi-tration procedure for an international consortium. Project review (4 twin-tube tunnels with large cross-sec-tion in clayey rocks). Coordination and interpretation of a 3D finite element model for the simulation of the exca-vation and the support. Identification of weaknesses, both in the project and the excavation process.

LINES 15, 16 AND 17 OF THE GRAND PARIS EXPRESSMain owner's engineer of the SGP and project management for the 125 km of new automatic mainly under-ground subway lines, the 50 inter-connected railway stations and the 4 maintenance sites – Simultaneous excavation by over 20 TBMs, railway stations and additional constructions at very great depths.

SOCHI OLYMPIC GAMESTasked by the IOC to follow the construction of all sports-related facilities. Project review of highway and railway links, redesign and redefi-nition of the alignment, monitoring of construction works and proposals to improve construction rate and meet the project deadlines.

© D

omin

ique

Fei

ntre

nie

www.bg-21.com

UNDERGROUND WORKS

■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS■ INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS

APPROPRIATE EXCAVATION METHODS : AN ESSENTIAL PRE-REQUISITE FOR MASTERING THE RISKS OF UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTIONBG can rely upon numerous references in the design and execution of underground works in rock and soil, below or above the groundwater level, at shallow or great depths, implementing the following techniques: TBM (with and without pressure balance), drill and blast, mechanical excavator, hydraulic breaker, micro-TBM, pipe-jacking, raise-drill.

MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR – LOVERESSE TUNNELSmall excavator (44 tons), 190 kW power. Main challenge encountered: hete-rogeneity and tectonisation of the ground (marl and sandstone Molasse).

ROAD HEADER AND HYDRAULIC BREAKER - MONTROUGE STATION ON LINE 4 OF THE PARIS METROExcavator – Soft ground conditions at low depths, proximity of an historic mine (existing galleries) – Main challenge encountered: management of sett-lements at the surface (dense urban environment).

DRILL AND BLAST – CHOINDEZ TUNNELAutomatic jumbo with 3 arms, 170 kW power – Main challenge encountered: controlling water seepage into the tunnel (excavation in a karstic environ-ment).

TBM – SAVERNE TUNNELBimodal type (open TBM and earth pressure balance (EPB) – Nominal dia-meter of 10.07 m, 5400 kW power, 2100 tons weight, maximum confinement pressure of 3 bar (in EPB mode) – Main challenge encountered: crossing of the Vosges fault zone.

Loet

schb

erg

base

tun

nel r

ailw

ay (1

st p

hase

of

real

isat

ion)

; Pho

to: ©

BLS

AG

SPECIAL OPERATIONS

ST MAURICE TUNNEL – "LIGHTNING" OPERATIONReprofiling works on a railway tunnel while keeping it in operation. In order to limit the closing of the Simplon railway line to 53 hours over a weekend, a special operation was designed to excavate 1200 m3 of rock by blasting, place 100 anchors as well as 200 m3 of shotcrete within the allocated time frame.

LIGERZ ROAD TUNNEL – EXCAVATION OF TEN CROSS-PASSAGES USING HYDRAULIC SPLITTING AND DRILL AND BLASTCross-passages, including three with vertical shafts, between the safety gallery and the main tunnel which was kept in operation during construc-tion. Excavation partially using drill and blast and hydraulic splitting. Main challenges encountered: mastering the vibrations on the road tunnel as well as the risk of karstic water infiltration.

Publ

ishe

r: BG

Con

sulti

ng E

ngin

eers

, Com

mun

icat

ion

Dep

artm

ent,

Prin

ted

in A

ugus

t 201

7

FULL CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE BG GROUP: www.bg-21.com/contact