ABSTRACT
The Brenner Base Tunnel requires the construction of a full-fledged tunnel system to allow for a high-functioning operational phase with the highest safety standards. The excavated cavities vary, therefore, from simple single-track tunnels to TBM assembly chambers, as well as ventilation chambers with vertical shafts, but also the over- and underpassing of pre-existing infrastructure. Three underground emergency stops are located along the route, with a central tunnel between the two main tunnels and connected to the main tunnels at regular, brief intervals. Now that over 170 km of tunnels have been excavated, we would like to describe the actual issues encountered in excavating adjacent tunnels and their mutual interactions.
