Technical specifications

Scope of work 
Conversion of the dead-end station at Zaventem Airport, Brussels, into a through station;
connection of the station to the new high-speed railway line from
Brussels to Antwerp by means of approx. 5,600 m of tunnel

  • 2 TBM-driven tunnels
  • Length: approx. 1.1 km each,
  • Internal diameter 7.30 m
  • Approx. 1.1 km of tunnel built using the top-down method
  • Approx. 2.3 km of cut and cover tunnel
  • Construction of additional accesses and exits for the E19 motorway
  • Refurbishment of an existing motorway bridge ad addition of a new bridge for cyclists
  • Construction of a fly-over

Construction method

  • TBM tunnelling using a Mixshield (slurry shield)
  • Shield diameter: 8.27 m
  • Segmental lining, 25 cm thick
  • Top-down method
  • Cut and cover method

Geology
Sand with beds of sandstone in the rock area

General data

Project 
Diabolo Project
single-track railway tunnel

Client

  • Northern Diabolo nv
    (PPP company for the railway tunnel)
  • Via-Zaventem nv
    (PPP company for the road construction part)

Contractor
Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG
in a joint venture

Construction period 
October 2007 to February 2012

Construction costs
€ 333 million

Utilisation
Infrastructure
Type
Railway tunnel, single-track
Length
2 * 5,600 m
Construction Method
TBM tunneling using a Mixshield (slurry shield)

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