Today, the first parts of the TBM called “Lilia” were delivered to the H41 construction site for the Sill Gorge-Pfons construction lot, located south of Innsbruck. These are primarily single parts of the cutter head of the Tunnel Boring Machine. When assembled, this cutter head will measure about 10 meters in diameter.
All the components, once delivered, will travel to the so-called assembly chamber where they will be built into the machine.
Once the assembly phase is complete, this huge multifunctional machine deep in the heart of the mountain, known as Lilia, will start moving southward this spring from the Ahrental assembly chamber, excavating about 8.1 km of the eastern main tunnel.
We have an entire fleet of these mobile construction sites working their way through the mountain’s heart. Lilia, along with Flavia and Virginia which are excavating the H61 Mules 2-3 construction lot, will play an important supporting role in continuing the excavation work of the Brenner Base Tunnel.
Excavation methods used in the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons lot
There are two ways to excavate a tunnel; using what are known as “traditional” methods, i.e. drilling and blasting, or using mechanised excavation. In this latter case, tunnel boring machines are used, also known as TBMs.
Both these excavation methods are being used in the H41 Sill Gorge-Pfons lot. The main tunnels being excavated northwards up to the breakthrough point with the neighbouring H21 Sill Gorge lot are being dug using drilling and blasting. Tunnel boring machines, on the other hand, are being used to excavate the main tunnels southwards to the town of Navis, where the future H53 Pfons-Brenner lot will start.
