Skip to main content

Liebherr's tunnelling twins

Contractor Marti Tunnelbau has carried out work on the A16 road construction project in the Swiss canton of Jura with help from its Liebherr LB28 and LB36 piling rigs.
February 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A Swiss tunneling job was carried out with precision and productivity with help coming from two Liebherr piling rigs as well as other Liebherr machines
Contractor Marti Tunnelbau has carried out work on the A16 road construction project in the Swiss canton of Jura with help from its Liebherr LB28 and LB36 piling rigs.

The two 718 Liebherr drilling rigs were used to install a secant pile wall for slope and foundation pit reinforcement.

The 3.3km Tunnel de Choindez is being built between the border of Jura and Delémont to the east, and the link is due to open in 2016.

Both Liebherr units are working at the 300m-long northern entrance, while two Liebherr crawler cranes (an HS835 and an HS841) as well as a Liebherr R944 crawler excavator are being used for other work at the site.

The tunnel requires the installation of 20,000 linear metres of piles to form a secant drilled pile wall within 9 months. The 1,020 piles vary in length from 13-26m, with diameters of 1m. The soil on site consists of sandstone and marl layers. The machines have conventional Kelly-type shock absorbers with springs and hydraulic dampers to prevent damage to the material and to reduce noise emissions. Exchangeable drive adapters provide compatibility with other Kelly bar dimensions.

Due to their low operating weight of around 95tonnes for the LB28 and 115tonnes for the LB36 as well as the comparatively compact design, the machines were transported to the site quickly while set-up times were also fast. And due to the high performance of the LB rigs and the efficient project management, the job at the Courrendlin site was completed well ahead of the projected deadline.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tsurumi at the centre of €1.7billion tunnel project in Sweden
    June 13, 2012
    Tsurumi has provided six pumps to a major inner city underground tunnel initiative to connect two central islands in Stockholm, Sweden. The LH series high head dewatering pumps being used in Söderström tunnel were added to the project to replace another manufacturer’s pumps following delays. The pumps are positioned 28metres underwater in drilled holes just 200mm wide and are said to be a vital part of the ambitious works, connecting the islands of Södermalm and Riddarholmen. The 300metre long submerged sec
  • Piling job at interchange
    February 17, 2012
    Specialist geotechnical contractors, Bachy Soletanche has started work on a new grade separated interchange on the A41 road in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, for a Balfour Beatty/Birse joint venture.
  • Italy's strategic tunnel link
    August 21, 2012
    The world's largest tunnelling machine is completing Italy's important road connection between Bologna and Florence - Adrian Greeman reports For just under a decade a huge programme of highway construction has been underway in the mountainous region between Bologna and Florence, realigning a section of the A1 highway nearly 70km long. The new section, through major tunnels and across high viaducts, will greatly increase capacity on Italy's most important highway.
  • Quick to install embankment support
    February 17, 2012
    Technology from Tensar played a vital role along the Dishforth-Leeming section of the North Yorkshire A1 improvement work in northern England where new carriageways are being built adjacent to the existing in-use highway.