Flavia — the TBM used to excavate 14.3 km of the west main tunnel on the Italian side of the BBT project — began its journey in April 2019.
The project involved more than just excavation — over 65,000 tubbing rings were installed along the tunnel during Flavia’s journey.
Two TBMs had already reached the state border before Flavia. Serena, the TBM that excavated most of the exploratory tunnel on the Italian side, reached the Brenner Pass in November 2021. Virginia, Flavia's ‘twin’, arrived at the Brenner Pass in March 2023. Finally, Flavia: together, the three machines moving towards the Brenner Pass have excavated nearly 43 km of tunnel.
For the two members of BBT SE’s Board of Directors, Gilberto Cardola and Martin Gradnitzer, this is another milestone in the history of the BBT project: "With the arrival of TBM Flavia at the Brenner Pass, TBM excavation work on the Italian side of the project has now been completed. First and foremost, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the TBM operators, whose professionalism and strong team spirit were crucial in ensuring the machine reached the state border safely. We also wish to sincerely thank the designers, engineers, geologists, and all BBT SE employees — your expertise and dedication were instrumental in reaching this important milestone".
Alessandro Marottoli, Director of Proceedings for lot Mules 2-3, confirms: "The determination of the TBM operators and all professionals involved has enabled us to complete another major undertaking. After Serena and Virginia, Flavia has also reached her destination".
"In April 2023, approximately 3.5 km from the Brenner, the Flavia TBM came to a halt. Due to the high overburden of more than 1,200 metres and the low strength of the fractured rock, the surrounding rock mass exerted pressure on the TBM, preventing it from advancing for several months. After several attempts, the TBM was finally able to resume its journey. Following an eventful journey, we are now witnessing a truly remarkable achievement", explains Stefan Skuk, geologist at BBT SE.
Key data of the TBM Flavia
- Cutting head diameter: 10.71m
- Cutting head power: 4200 kW
- Torque of the cutting head: 27,000 kNm
- Total weight (TBM incl. main drive): approx. 2750 tons
- Cutting head weight: 260 tons
- Total lenght (TBM incl. main drive): approx. 200 m
- Number of transports: approx. 170
- Number of individual components (TBM incl. main drive): approx. 80,000
