Geological history in just eight minutes
The methods used for tunnel construction depend primarily on the geological conditions, the foundation soil and the overlying soil. The 9.5-kilometre long Filder Tunnel is a good example for explaining the tunnel construction methods used.
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crosses through all the geological layers on the periphery of the valley basin in which Stuttgart lies and, in addition to the new Stuttgart Main Station, is one of the central construction elements in the rail project.
The tunnel is part of the new high-speed line to Ulm, which links Stuttgart with the southern Filder region and the airport. With a maximum up-gradient of 2.5 per cent, the Filder Tunnel covers a difference in altitude of approx. 150 metres over a length of roughly 9.5 kilometres. In future, in the eight minutes it takes them to travel from Stuttgart Main Station to the Filder region, the trains will cross geological layers of gypsum Keuper, marl, sandstone and Filder loam. Thorough soil analyses were conducted to establish the best level for routing the new-build underground line.