By rosebell
Being deployed by NGE and Webuild to construct the tunnel linking the Bécon-les-Bruyères station to the Saint-Denis–Pleyel hub, the TBM that is due to dig 7km of tunnel for Lot 2 of Line 15 West of the Grand Paris Express is ready to start work and was refurbished by WEM (Webuild Equipment & Machinery).
With more than 100m long and a cutting diameter of 9.86m, the TBM was previously used by the two partners on Line 16, Lot 2 in the French capital.
Installation of almost 23,000 segments, 79% of which are going to be made of fibre-reinforced concrete, and the excavation of around 500,000m3 of excavated materials, 80% of which will be reused, are the contents of this project.
With the aim of disposal and reuse sites, excavated materials will be transported by river to avoiding the equivalent of 64,000 lorry movements on local roads,whereas the use of fibre-reinforced concrete segments halves the amount of steel required, and enhances strength and long-term durability.
Being built in two parts, the first section of this tunnel will be 1.2km and be constructed between the Les Caboeufs service tunnel at Gennevilliers and the Finot service tunnel at Saint-Ouen, while the second, 5.8km section is due to restart from the Les Caboeufs and head to Courbevoie, where the TBM will end its drive at the Parc des Bruyères service tunnel.
As Europe’s largest transport and urban development program, the Grand Paris Express is delivered on behalf of Société des Grands Projets. Forming part of the future Line 15, which will be the longest metro line in France, Lot 2 is known as M2 West. Line 15 will serve 45 municipalities across four administrative districts in the Paris region. Ninety-five per cent of its stations will be connected to the existing transport network, including commuter rail, regional express services, metro lines, trams and buses.
Following deliverey of the southern extension of Metro Line 14 to Orly Airport (4.1km of tunnel) and Line 16, Lot 2 (11km), Line 15 Lot 2 is the third collaboration for NGE and Webuild on the Grand Paris Express.
