Storebaslt Eastern Railway Tunnel: Designers review of construction works

The paper reviews the design and the present state of the construction of the Storebaelt Eastern Railway Tunnel. After a very brief introduction to the project as a whole, it will concentrate on design changes and the effect of the preferred construction method. This will include changes and innovations in the lining design, aspects of TBM design, the selected construction method and design variants for the cross passages and radical changes to the drainage sump. The effect of measures such as the extensive dewatering scheme (MOSES) and the safety doors for cross passage excavation will be reviewed. In particular the paper will describe the interaction between the design at the time of tender and the Contractor’s proposed variants and temporary works methods developed during the construction phase.