Alp Transit: Crossing Faults 44 and 49

This paper describes the crossing of faults 44 and 49 when constructing the 57 km Gotthard base tunnel of the Alp Transit project. Fault 44 is a permeable fault that triggered significant surface deformations 1,400 m above the tunnel when it was reached by the advancing excavation. The fault runs parallel to the downstream face of the Nalps arch dam. Significant deformations were measured at the dam crown. Fault 49 is sub-vertical and permeable, and runs parallel at the upstream face of the dam. It was necessary to assess the risk when crossing fault 49, as a limit was put on the acceptable dam deformation for structural safety. The simulation model, forecasts and action decided when crossing over the faults are presented, with a brief description of the tunnel, the dam, and the monitoring system.