Unique Challenges of the Brienz Drainage Tunnel
Published: Monday, Aug 14th 2023, 15:40
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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A unique engineering project is underway in the Swiss village of Brienz/Brinzauls to prevent the village from sliding into the valley below. The project is the first of its kind in the world, as it involves both the mountain above the village and the unstable ground beneath it. The mountain above the village had already released a large amount of debris in June, but 70 million cubic meters of rock are still in motion. The unstable ground beneath the village is moving at a rate of 1.6 meters per year. In order to stop the movement of the mountain and the ground, a 2.3 kilometer long drainage tunnel is being built. The tunnel will be equipped with 100 drainage boreholes, and the project is estimated to cost 40 million Swiss francs. The Swiss government and the canton of Graubünden will each cover 45% of the cost, with the remaining 10% being shared by the local utility companies, the Rhätische Bahn, the Bündner Tiefbauamt, and the municipality of Albula/Alvra. If the project is successful, it will slow down the movement of the mountain and the ground beneath the village, allowing it to remain habitable for generations to come.nnnnnnnn
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