The team consisting of Implenia Sweden, Basler & Hofmann (lead design) and Golder Associates (geotechnics and environment) has been awarded the contract for the construction of the new train station in Varberg, Sweden. This project includes a new, sunken passenger train station, a new freight train station, a tunnel around 3 kilometres in length and the railway technology along the entire 7.5 kilometres of double-track line. The team prevailed over competition from 10 other international tenders. A high rating in planning and draft design was decisive. The project will be carried out as part of an early contractor involvement (ECI) contract, which means that the client, contractors and engineers will develop the project together over the next 18 months. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2024.
The expansion of the railway through Varberg is part of a large-scale project that will see the west-coast line between Gothenburg and Lund modernised and expanded to two tracks along the entire route. Varberg, Sweden, Tunnel, railway technology , double-track line, Varberg Tunnel, railway, freight train station, passenger train station
This year’s Venice Architecture Biennale started with a highlight for Switzerland. For the first time, the Swiss pavilion won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation. Entitled “Svizzera 240: House Tour”, the pavilion explores contemporary Swiss domestic space. Basler & Hofmann is supporting the original exhibition of the young team of architects, Alessandro Bosshard, Li Tavor, Matthew van der Ploeg and Ani Vihervaara. In 2017, the design of the Swiss pavilion was decided by means of a competition for the first time. The winning project was “Svizzera 240: House Tour” by the young team of architects, Alessandro Bosshard, Li Tavor, Matthew van der Ploeg and Ani Vihervaara. The project focuses on “housing”, or to be more precise, domestic space, generally within a room height of 240 cm, and explores the essence of its typically Swiss character. When Alessandro Bosshard presented the project to us, we were impressed – by both the concept and the bold and painstaking approach of the young team. The pleasure of their Golden Lion award is thus all the greater.
Press release by Pro Helvetia To the Pro Helvetia Biennale website
“(Against) the Norm” housing symposium
Basler & Hofmann also supports the “(Against) the Norm” housing symposium of Swiss architecture magazine Archithese, which also engages intensively with standards in Swiss housing and attitudes to design. The symposium will be held in the Swiss Re Next auditorium at Mythenquai 50/60 in Zurich on 21 June 2018, starting at 5 p.m.
To the event page Architecture Biennale, Biennlae Venice, Housetour, Svizzera 240,
On 22 May, construction work will begin on the extension of an office building for Basler & Hofmann in Esslingen in the canton of Zurich. The unusual thing about this construction start is not the building – a two-storey extension with offices and a cafeteria – but the planning and construction process: Basler & Hofmann is implementing the possibilities of building information modelling (BIM) in its own construction project in a way that is still rare in Switzerland. BIM essentially means that all specialist planners work simultaneously in the same program on the same digital model and have a well-coordinated planning process for doing this. The digital model is the only basis for construction – both for the tender and for the construction site. Plans are non-existent, and after completion, the model is used directly for the ongoing management of the building. “This enables us to exploit the full potential offered by the new digital tools,” explains Dominik Courtin, who as Chairman of the Executive Board is also the client for this project. “For the construction industry in Switzerland, this approach is still groundbreaking. We have therefore consciously decided to use our own construction project as a pilot and to experience at first hand how building with BIM changes processes and tasks for the client, architects, planners and entrepreneurs.”
Real-time coordination required
With the start of construction, an intensive planning process will come to an end in which the team has had to learn quickly with and from each other. “If everyone is working in the same model, a two-week planners’ meeting is no longer enough. What you need is new and more closely timed alignment to enable continuous real-time coordination,” says Mathias Kuhn, Digital Planning Process Manager. “With the new digital possibilities, it is more important than ever to talk to each other.”
Planning phases shifted forward
The traditional construction phases, too, are shifted forward if full use is made of the possibilities offered by BIM. If the BIM database is to serve as the basis for the tender, all cost-relevant components must be modelled before the start of construction. Implementation planning must be completed in full before the contract is concluded, and therefore decisions have to be taken much earlier in some cases. “We have gained valuable experience on how to manage this process,” says Mathias Kuhn. The next decisive phase will now begin with the construction work. How does building according to a digital model work without plans? The learning process is far from over, that’s for sure.
Esslingen – Basler & Hofmann’s development laboratory
The Esslingen office has always been Basler & Hofmann’s own development laboratory. The company has time and again set new standards with its own office buildings here: in 1996 with the first Minergie office building in the canton of Zurich; and in 2010 with an almost energy self-sufficient office building whose energy requirements are covered by the sun all year round thanks to an innovative underground storage-tank concept. “Our customer projects benefit enormously from the experience we gain on their behalf in these pilot projects,” explains Dominik Courtin. With the extension building, the company is continuing this tradition, and it will be interesting to see what new insights they gain this time.
Parties involved in the construction project:
Client: Basler & Hofmann AG Overall project management: Basler & Hofmann AG Architecture: Stücheli Architekten AG BIM coordination: Basler & Hofmann AG Specialist planners (structural engineering, foundation engineering, building services, structural physics/acoustics, fire engineering, service piping): Basler & Hofmann AG Facade planning: feroplan engineering ag Building contractor: Marti AG BIM, Building Information Modelling , Esslingen, Mathias Kuhn, Dominik Courtin, Real-time coordination ,Specialist planners , BIM coordination
On 7 May, Basler & Hofmann will be moving its base in the canton of Fribourg from Murten to the city centre of Fribourg. The new office is just five minutes’ walk from the train station. “We want to continue to grow and develop at our Fribourg location, and to offer the complete range of our services. Proximity to the universities, our clients and important cantonal institutions makes this the perfect location for us,” says site manager Eric Jaquier of the decision. Basler & Hofmann has been well established in the canton of Fribourg for many years and has already implemented some outstanding projects. Among the most striking is the redesign of the Fribourg station square, where work is set to get underway from 2020. The list of projects is lengthy, particularly in the area of building services, and ranges from the renovation of the old post office in Fribourg to building the new headquarters of Scott Sports in Givisiez. “In the future, we want to offer an even more comprehensive range of services,” says Eric Jaquier. Fribourg, Eric Jaquier
On 12 April 2018, Bruno Fankhauser will take over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Basler & Hofmann AG, replacing Hansjörg Schenker, who will be stepping down after almost 24 years on the Board. Two new members have also been elected: Thomas Landolt, Managing Director at IBM Switzerland, and Professor Konrad Basler, a senior lecturer at the University of Zurich, who join Christoph Marugg in representing the owner families on the Board. Hansjörg Schenker has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Basler & Hofmann AG for almost 24 years, including 17 as Chairman. The company has enjoyed tremendous success under Hansjörg’s stewardship, developing several new disciplines in house and growing from 200 to over 400 employees, while also opening new locations in Lucerne and Lake Geneva and expanding its operations in Germany and Slovakia. Hansjörg Schenker will hand the reins over to Bruno Fankhauser, who is also a member of the Board of Directors at Leoni AG – a globally active supplier of products, solutions and services in the fields of energy transmission and data management, specialising in the automotive industry. Bruno has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Basler & Hofmann AG since 2013.
Two new members have also been elected to the Board, one of them Thomas Landolt, Managing Director at IBM Switzerland. Thomas studied Information Technology at ETH Zurich. Since 1999, he has held various leadership roles at IBM – a company which has not only successfully transformed itself in a highly competitive environment, but also positioned itself as a key player in issues affecting the corporate world and the public sector.
Professor Konrad Basler, former director of the Institute of Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Zurich, has also joined the Supervisory Board. Together with Christoph Marugg, he will represent the owner families on the Board, ensuring they have a voice in all matters and are able to play an active role in shaping the company’s future.
The Supervisory Board is delighted with this latest expansion, and would like to extend a warm welcome to all new members. Supervisory Board Basler & Hofmann AG, Supervisory Board, Bruno Fankhauser, Christoph Marugg, Konrad Basler, Christine Hehli Hidber, Thomas Landolt, Jürgen Dold
Basler & Hofmann has acquired 80 per cent of shares in Pardeller – a South Tyrolean engineering firm headquartered in Sterzing. The previous owner, civil engineer Hans Pardeller, will retain 20 per cent of the shares and stay on as managing director. The firm, which has four employees, specialises in infrastructure construction. Basler & Hofmann wants to develop and expand this satellite in South Tyrol in the coming years. This move provides Basler & Hofmann with expert teams in infrastructure construction in all German-speaking markets. “In Pardeller we have found a partner that is a great fit for us in terms of workplace culture, and that also has an excellent network in South Tyrol,” says Dominik Courtin, Chairman of the Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann, explaining the reasons for the purchase. Basler & Hofmann already has a number of large infrastructure teams at multiple locations in Switzerland, Germany and Slovakia, who all work together on projects. “With a road infrastructure team that is distributed throughout Europe, we are able to tackle extremely challenging projects throughout the German-speaking region,” Dominik Courtin continues. “Our employees work in a wide range of fields, get insight into other markets, and can discuss their experiences and share knowledge as part of a large community of practice.” The main focus of the cross-national teamwork is transport infrastructure (roads, rail) including tunnels, engineering structures and additional systems for environmental protection. South Tyrol, Pardeller, Sterzing, infrastructure construction, engineering firm Pardeller,
Working in collaboration with merlini●rivier architectes, Basler & Hofmann has won third prize in an open project competition for the construction of a new road and rail bridge across the Rhône near Saint-Triphon in the canton of Vaud. 28 teams took part. As part of the third correction of the Rhône river, the river bed is to be expanded by approximately 40 metres. This means that existing bridge structures across the Rhône will have to be rebuilt – including a road and rail bridge near Saint-Triphon connecting the cantons of Vaud and Valais. The two cantons have announced an open project competition for the replacement of the bridges.
Les Pièces Manquantes
The teams from Basler & Hofmann and merlini●rivier architectes developed a project design, entitled Les Pièces Manquantes, which preserves the existing bridge and its architectural and aesthetic qualities while filling in the missing parts. The draft plan uses the existing bridge exclusively for road and slow traffic, and directs rail traffic to a new bridge. The jury’s response to the concept was very positive. In particular, they were impressed by the combination of an ecologically and economically sustainable solution with a clear architectural statement.
Public exhibition of the project competition: 8 March to 17 March 2018, Théâtre du Crochetan, Monthey Bridge, Bridges, Vaud, Valais, Saint-Triphon, project competition, rail bridge, road bridge, third correction of the Rhône river, correction of the Rhône river,
The Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann AG is growing: As of 1 January 2018, the Advisory Board appointed Roland Keller to the Executive Board as head of the Building Services and Utility Engineering business unit. In autumn 2016, Roland Keller assumed the management of the new Building Services strategic initiative at Basler & Hofmann. Under his direction, the Building Services and Utility Engineering field of business has grown tremendously. Now the time has come to create an independent business unit.
When it comes to building services, Basler & Hofmann is represented across Switzerland: Roland Keller’s team (Zurich and Lucerne regions), Michael Enzmann’s team (Bern region) and Eric Jaquier’s team (French-speaking Switzerland region) are working together closely to further develop this promising field. Roland Keller, Executive Board
Basler & Hofmann has once again strengthened its partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and its commitment to research and teaching at the renowned institution with a substantial donation to ETH Zurich Foundation. With the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP), ETH Zurich Foundation offers exceptional students the opportunity to truly fulfil their potential. The donation from Basler & Hofmann is intended to benefit students of civil engineering and those on the new interdisciplinary master’s degree course Integrated Building Systems in particular. “We are delighted that ETH is focusing on the integrated planning of building projects in its new course. This expertise is essential for the future of the construction industry,” commented Dominik Courtin, Chairman of the Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann. The company has a number of links to ETH: each year, scores of students from the university gain their first work experience as interns at Basler & Hofmann or begin their career with the company following their graduation. Many employees are alumni of ETH Zurich, while some of them still teach there today ETH, Forschung ETH, Studieren ETH, Bauingenieurwesen, Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme ESOP, ESOP, ETH Zürich Foundation, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), ETH Zurich Foundation, Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme
Dr. Martin Schmidlin and Dr. Felix Gmünder, both biosafety professionals at Basler & Hofmann and GMP consultants, reported to the Annual Meeting of the Swiss Biosafety Network 2017 about the challenges of designing and operating a BSL-2 or BSL-3 laboratory in a GMP/cleanroom environment. The presentation showed that biosafety regulations and practices as well as biocontainment facility design characteristics can be reconciled with cleanroom and GMP regulations and practices without major difficulties. Entry and exit procedures and donning and doffing of PPE typically cause few areas of conflict. Areas of incompatibility include the location of hand wash basins (required to be near or at the exit of BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs) and directional airflow that should be inward for biosafety labs but outwards for GMP/cleanroom facilities. Using pressure “bubbles” or pressure “sinks” at strategic locations are used to comply with both philosophies.
Presentation (PDF)
To the articel (in German) at IZA magazine
More on our Biosafety Expertise SBN, Swiss Biosafety Network 2017, SBN 2017, Biosafety, Felix Gmünder, Martin Schmidlin
Over the next few years, on the site of the former goods station in West Zurich, an extraordinary building is set to be erected: the new Police and Justice Centre for the canton of Zurich. The foundation stone was laid today at a ceremony attended by government officials, general contractors and the project team. The cantonal police, the prosecution authorities and the prison services all plan to make use of the building as their joint base from the end of 2020. Basler & Hofmann has a comprehensive mandate for this major project, which covers a range of disciplines – from the planning of the foundations and supporting structures, to access for service piping and roads, to environmental construction support and traffic planning. This also encompasses coordination with neighbouring construction projects overseen by SBB, the canton, and the city of Zurich. The building’s dimensions alone are impressive: 280 metres long, 115 metres wide and up to 33 metres tall. An even more complex task proved to be the planning for the many different future uses of the building, which will encompass an office complex with 1,800 work stations, training facilities, a court building, and a prison with 300 spaces. The shell of the building is projected to be complete by mid-2019.
Jürgen Dold was elected to the Supervisory Board of Basler & Hofmann at the company’s annual general meeting on 12 April 2017. He replaces Hans Lauri, who is stepping down after 16 years on the Supervisory Board, during which he helped shape the development of the company. Jürgen Dold has been a member of the Group Management of Hexagon AB, a global information technology group, since 2010, and is Managing Director of Leica Geosystems Ltd in Heerbrugg. The surveyor is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and of the Swissmem Council. The Advisory Board of Basler & Hofmann is delighted to be able to announce the appointment of someone with such experience and expertise in the field of geodata and digitalisation.
The Advisory Board would like to thank Hans Lauri for his many years of service. Hans Lauri has a PhD in Law, and over the years used his wealth of experience to help the company grown and develop into a large Swiss SME.
3 April 2017 – The company roadconsult specialises in recording the condition of municipal and cantonal roads, documenting where maintenance is required and supporting municipal authorities in planning value-preservation measures. Basler & Hofmann has already been working together with roadconsult for a number of years and will now take over the business activities of owner Thomas Egli. Basler & Hofmann will thus be able to provide clients with a complete package of services aimed at preserving the value of road infrastructure: from the analysis of current road conditions and the integration of data into all kinds of geoinformation systems to maintenance, investment and financial planning using the Stratus Infra software. The range of services will also include strategic maintenance planning and the implementation of value-preservation and structural maintenance measures. Thomas Egli founded roadconsult in 1996 and since then has developed a well-founded system for the analysis of the condition of municipal and cantonal roads. This system is based on the 22 defined damage patterns of the SN 640 925b standard. His trike, which is specially equipped for assessing road conditions, has been a constant companion to him and has covered more than 8,000 kilometres over the past decades, enabling him to provide his clients – primarily municipalities – with a precise picture of the condition of their road networks. Basler & Hofmann will take on both the methodology used to assess the roads and the technical equipment of Thomas Egli, who wants to reduce his workload. He will, however, continue to be actively available to the team as an external expert.
For Basler & Hofmann, this service perfectly complements the company’s wide-ranging offer for municipalities. The condition data can be georeferenced and thus integrated in any geographic information system of a city or municipality. This means that the people responsible for civil engineering can gain an overview of the condition of the respective road network from their desk and thus plan measures more efficiently. The potential loss in value can be demonstrated by means of a simulation. At the same time, the data can be read directly into Stratus Infra – a piece of software used for maintenance, renovation and financial planning in connection with infrastructures. Using Stratus Infra, all maintenance and renovation work can be scheduled and short-, medium- and long-term financial requirements can be determined or, where necessary, staggered. Basler & Hofmann also provides advice and support in connection with strategic maintenance planning and the planning of specific value-preservation measures.
Contact for further information: Loris Detti Project Manager Phone +41 44 387 14 22 E-Mail: loris.detti@baslerhofmann.ch
On the 19th of January, the Dutch Association of Biosafety Officers (BVF platform) and the Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM) organized an international meeting in Amsterdam to identify and evaluate challenges in evidence-based-biosafety. The programme of the symposium was set up to inform the participants about the current effectivity of containment measures and the extent of incidents, accidents and emergencies.
One of the speakers on the topic "Principles and Effectiveness of Biocontainment Measures" was Felix Gmünder, Senior Expert in Biosafety at Basler & Hofmann.
To his lecture
To COGEM Website
Basler & Hofmann AG is expanding its Executive Board and strengthening its market presence in French-speaking Switzerland: Hans Tschamper is taking over as Lake Geneva Market Segment Director, which is a new position on the Executive Board. He is handing over his previous business division Building Structures and Infrastructure to Daniel Krähenbühl and Armin Gschnitzer. They will head up the newly-formed business divisions of Buildings and Façade Structures, as well as Bridges and Roads. A generational change is taking place in the Environment and Transport Planning division: Jean-Claude Griesser is handing this business division over to Ralf Sigrist and is leaving the Executive Board. He will now use his many years of experience to promote company-wide projects.
Focus on French-speaking Switzerland
Basler & Hofmann has had an office in Lausanne since 2014. Since then, the company has developed a good reputation in the Lake Geneva region, primarily as a planner of railway stations, transport systems and national roads. "The positive response in previous years has encouraged us to expand our range of services in the region and extend our Lausanne office," explains Dominik Courtin, CEO. Hans Tschamper, Lake Geneva Market Segment Director is taking over this task. Together with Eric Jaquier, Murten Branch Manager and Ralph Bächli, who is in charge of railway station building, he is the contact for projects in this region. On the Executive Board, Hans Tschamper as Lake Geneva Market Segment Director, holds responsibility for the company's commitment to the region. Hans Tschamper grew up bilingual and in recent years put down roots in French-speaking Switzerland, both professionally and personally. With immediate effect, his work and activities will be concentrated on Lausanne. With Daniel Krähenbühl and Armin Gschnitzer, two experienced management personalities who are also well known in our sector of industry are taking over the leadership of the two newly created business divisions.
Generational change in the Environment and Transport Planning division
Ralf Sigrist is now responsible on the Executive Board for the Environment and Transport Planning division. A graduate in Environmental Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, he has been part of the Basler & Hofmann management team since 2014. In future, he will continue to further develop our services in the environmental sector in his considered and integrative manner and using a holistic approach.
The Board of Directors and Executive Board would like to sincerely thank the former Managing Director Jean-Claude Griesser for his many years of committed work on the Executive Board. He remains available to the organisation as Corporate Mentor for company-wide assignments.
Organisation chart
Executive Board
By 2025, the railway station in Lausanne will have been completely renovated in order to deal with growing numbers of passengers on the route between Geneva and Lausanne. After winning the Galette – Bâtiment Voyageur lot, which includes the existing station, Basler & Hofmann has now been awarded the contract for a second lot: working with AREP Ville, merlini●rivier architectes and Pragma Partenaires SA, the engineering team will be responsible for the construction of the new underground station square as general planner for the construction project up to the commissioning stage. A large transfer hub will be built below the current station square, connecting three new railway station underpasses with a new metro station and the city’s transport system. Around 1,000 square metres of space for service areas as well as a bike station are also included in this large-scale underground project. Normal operations will continue throughout the construction. The Sous-sol place de la gare lot is closely interconnected with the Galette – Bâtiment Voyageur lot, which includes constructing three new passenger underpasses. “Since we hold responsible positions in both lots, we can ensure that the work is fully coordinated. There are many synergies”, says Ralph Bächli, a leading expert in station construction at Basler & Hofmann.
Given the scale and complexity of the projects, the building owner SBB requires state-of-the-art planning methods to be used. Building information modelling (BIM) will be used for the planning. This produces realistic virtual 3-D models of the proposed completed structure.
In mid-October, Roland Keller, former CEO of Pöyry Switzerland Ltd. and pkag Paul Keller Engineers Ltd., will take on his new role as head of the Building Services strategic initiative at Basler & Hofmann. Roland Keller is a qualified energy technician and production engineer. He has many years of experience successfully running very different companies, both as managing director of an SME and CEO of a listed company, and has a wide network of contacts within the industry. At Basler & Hofmann, he will work together with the existing Building Services team in Zurich in order to expand Building Services into an independent business area in the Zurich, Zug and Lucerne region. With the Building Services teams in Bern and Murten, this will enable Basler & Hofmann to manage projects all the way to Lake Geneva. The company views integrated and technically highly specialised building services planning as key to the buildings of the future. Basler & Hofmann is delighted that such a highly regarded manager has joined the company to work on this strategic project.
In order to deal with growing numbers of passengers on the route between Geneva and Lausanne, the railway station in Lausanne will be completely renovated and expanded by 2025. The engineering consortium 4G, headed by Basler & Hofmann, was awarded the contract for the central lot of the large-scale project, which includes the entire current railway station. Altogether, the expansion will involve the construction of three new passages including service areas below the tracks, widening and extending the platforms, repositioning and elevation of the historical station roof, constructing additional roofs for the platforms and an underpass below the listed station building. The team is responsible for all phases of the construction project including commissioning and for the overall project management. In the invitation to tender, SBB already stressed that the Galette – Bâtiment Voyageur lot was a particularly exceptional mandate, as it involves carrying out a highly complex construction project during normal operations. The construction work must cause as little inconvenience and disturbance as possible for passengers, service providers and local residents. This is an area in which the engineering consortium specialises. The team is therefore delighted to have been awarded this contract: “Railway stations are living transport hubs – any construction work performed at one is like open-heart surgery. And, though we have already carried out similar projects in the past, each new project of this nature is something that challenges and inspires the whole team,” comments overall project manager, Ralph Bächli. Now it is time for the team to roll up their sleeves: completion of the new railway station is planned for 2025.
The 7.8 km long second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel represents a milestone in Norwegian tunnelling;
for the first time a tunnel boring machine (TBM) is used to drive a railway tunnel. With a
diameter of 9.3 m, the selected gripper TBM also has the largest diameter ever bored in Norway.
After a general description of the project, the paper1 describes selected aspects of the TBM
project. The Ulriken Tunnel is part of the “Bergensbanen”, the railway line
between Oslo and Bergen in Norway (Fig. 1). The existing tunnel, which was opened in 1964, is 7.7 km long and is situated between the stations at Årna and Bergen (Fig. 2). Due to the very high load factor of passenger traffic (120 trains a day) and goods traffic (14 trains a day) on the single-track line, and also in order to improve safety, the Norwegian Transport Ministry decided in 2009 to upgrade the line to two tracks including the construction of a second tube for
the Ulriken Tunnel. The excavation of the 7.8 km long second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel
was originally intended to be by drill and blast. In December 2012, shortly before tendering, Norwegian Railways (Jernbaneverket) however decided to pursue the alternative “mechanized tunnelling with TBM” and this was then tendered parallel with drill and blast.
This decision was a great challenge for the intended design team,
consisting of Norconsult AS and Basler & Hofmann AG. The production
of a design for mechanized tunnelling of the second tube ready
for tendering and the preparation of all documents necessary to
tender both alternatives had to be undertaken in a very short time.
After the evaluation of all eleven bids, in May 2014 the decision fell
in favour of the alternative “mechanized tunnelling with TBM” from
the joint venture of Skanska Norge AS and Strabag AG. The contract
volume is about 1.353 billion Norwegian kroner (about 165 million
euros at the time of award). TBM tunnelling is still far from standard practice in Norway; most of
the approximately 5000 km of tunnels in Norway were excavated by
blasting, and TBMs have only been used to bore about 200 km until
now [3]. Most of the previous TBM drives took place in the 1970s and
the 1980s. One of the first uses of a TBM in Norway was in 1972–
1974 for a sewer tunnel (length: 4.3 km, bored diameter: 2.3 m)
in Trondheim. Further projects followed, mostly for water but
also transport tunnels – such as a road tunnel through Fløyfjellet
(Bergen), with a length of 6.9 km and a bored diameter of 7.8 m,
built in the years 1984–1986 [4]. One of the last uses of a
TBM in Norway was to bore a water tunnel (length 10.0 km,
bored diameter 3.5 m) for the Meråker hydropower project in
1991–1992 [5]. It was mainly the lack of suitable projects, but also
a lack of confidence in TBM technology, which led to a temporary
stoppage of TBM use in Norway at the start of the 1990s after
20 years of sporadic but still regular applications.
TBM technology has recently started to regain interest in Norway.
In 2012, a TBM-driven water tunnel (length: 12 km, bored diameter:
7.2 m) was awarded for the Nedre Røssåga hydropower project [6].
In the same year, Norwegian Railways decided that most of the
Follobanen Tunnel (length: 19.7 km, bored diameter: 9.8 m) between
Oslo main station and Ski should be excavated by TBMs [7] [8].
A TBM started to bore the second Ulriken Tunnel with a length of 7.8
km and a bored diameter of 9.3 m in December 2015. Two special
features of this project are that this is the largest diameter yet bored
and the first TBM-driven railway tunnel in Norway The second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel runs south of the existing tube (Fig. 3). The two portals are located in Årna (east portal, Fig. 4a) and
Fløen (Bergen, west portal, Fig. 4b). The design speed for the line is 160 km/h. The vertical alignment is saddle-shaped: along the first 1.9 km from the east, the new tube ascends at a gradient of 8.8 ‰, followed by a descent to Fløen at a gradient of 3.0 ‰.
In addition to the existing tunnel, the following components are
part of the upgraded tunnel system (Fig. 3): a 750 m long twin
track section at the east portal (Årna); a track crossover between
the new and existing tube, also in the eastern part of the tunnel; a
7030 m long single-track section from the west portal (Fløen) and
15 cross passages, which connect the two tubes every 500 m and
house technical equipment. 2.2 Geology and Hydrogeology
The geological map and the geological longitudinal profile of the
Ulriken Tunnel are shown in Fig. 5. The Ulriken Tunnel runs completely
through rock. The rock mass consists of various hard rocks.
At the east portal (Årna) are granite, syenite, monzonite, charnockite
and granulite, after which anorthosite and granitic gneiss are encountered.
The middle part consists of Augen gneiss and banded gneiss as well as migmatite, migmatic gneiss, quartzite and quartzitic schist. In the western part are amphibolite, gabbro, greenstone, mica schist and mylonitic gneiss. The rock overburden varies between
a minimum of 5 and maximum of 600 m. The unconfined compression strength fluctuates
between 80 and 250 MPa. The abrasiveness is predominantly categorised as “high” (with a Cerchar Index of up to 5.5 according to the forecast). The jointing
system consists of one to four joint sets and the foliation. The main joint set and the foliation
run parallel, and the joints are spaced at more than 2 m. The expected geological conditions
are generally good although there are many heavily jointed zones. “Very good” to “good” conditions (described according to the Norwegian classification system) are forecast for more than
50 % of the tunnel length, and “adequate” conditions are forecast for another 40 %. The remaining 10 % is classified as “bad” to “very bad”. The rock mass is generally dry
or bears little water; relevant water ingress is only to be expected in heavily jointed zones.
The tunnel is advanced from the east (Årna) to the west (Fløen),
first descending (along the first 1.9 km) and then ascending. About
1 km already has been excavated by drill and blast (Fig. 6), and the
remaining 6.8 km are currently being bored by a Herrenknecht gripper
TBM (Fig. 7). Technical details of the TBM are listed in Table 1.
The decision to excavate the first part of the tunnel by drill and blast
is primarily based on the consideration that cross-sections have to
be excavated with various geometries (see section 2.1) at the east
portal (Årna). Furthermore, the tunnel could progress while the TBM
was on order, and the drill and blast tunnel prepared the section for
assembling and launching the TBM. Preparatory works for tunnelling started in August 2014. Drill and blast excavation had started in November 2014 and lasted until
August 2015. The start of the TBM was celebrated on December 4,
2015, and the breakthrough is scheduled for autumn 2017. Construction
works should be completed by April 2019, followed by the
installation of the rail technology. In 2020 the new tube is planned
to be put into operation. Since it will cause much less vibration than drill and blast, the use
of a TBM is generally favourable for the planned project. This aspect
is not only significant at the portals (both are located in built-up
areas; see Fig. 4) but also in general due to the close spacing of the
new and the existing tunnel tube, for which a vibration threshold
of 15 mm/s has been specified. Since the TBM can work practically
without vibration, this method of tunnelling does not require the
regular short interruptions of services, which would be necessary
for each blast.
Another advantage of TBM tunnelling compared to drill and blast
is the more accurate excavation profile. This is of advantage for the
stability of the excavated cavity as well as for potential water ingress
since the rock mass around the tunnel is loosened less.
The stability of the cavity during the TBM drive is ensured by the
usual support measures: installation of rock bolts (length: 3–4 m,
pattern: 1.5 m x 1.5 m or 2 m x 2 m), 8–20 cm thick steel fibre reinforced
shotcrete (shotcrete reinforced with one or two layers of
mesh has also been specified as an alternative) and steel arches
(profile: TH42 or HEB140) in various combinations depending on
the support class. Altogether five main support classes have been
defined. Fig. 8 shows support class 2, which is expected to be used
most. On the tunnel invert an invert segment is installed (Fig. 9).
Even though tunnelling is completely in rock, the presence of soil
in the project area is also significant due to the potential surface
settlement, which could be caused by the drainage of the rock mass
or soils during tunnelling. In order to avoid impermissible surface
settlement and settlement differences and also for the general protection
of bodies of water at ground level, strict thresholds are set
for water ingress (4–20 l/min/100 m), both for the construction and
the operation phase. The second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel will not
be fully waterproofed, neither during construction nor in operation.
In order to reduce water ingress, the performance of waterproofing
pre-grouting is provided. In sections where the threshold for
water ingress is 4 l/min/100 m (about 15 % of the distance, Fig. 5),
it is planned to perform systematic waterproofing pre-grouting. In
other sections, this will be carried out as required from the results
of probe drilling and observed water ingress. The gripper TBM is equipped to enable the installation of support measures directly behind the cutterhead. It is also possible to install
a 120 ° forepoling canopy in the crown (Fig. 10). Probe drilling is
possible with a maximum length of 50 m ahead of the face. The
pre-grouting will cover a zone 30 m long in front of the face around
the entire profile (360 °). The starting point for the development of the standard profile for
TBM tunnelling was the standard drill and blast profile (Fig. 11a).
This standard profile has a height of 9.2 m and a width of 9.1 m,
giving an excavated cross-sectional area of 76 m². The standard
profile was designed for a ballast track bed and the use of overhead
power (as catenary). The final lining is installed as a single layer
according to the Norwegian construction method and partially
waterproofed. In the course of design work for the TBM alternative, the standard
profile was continually optimised in order to specify the smallest
possible standard profile in the tenders. The final result is shown in
Fig. 11b. The bored diameter is 8.7 m, giving an excavated crosssectional
area of 59 m². The reduction of area compared to drill and
blast by 17 m² (more than 20 % of the original excavated area) was
due, in addition to numerous geometrical optimisations, to the
provision of ballastless track (with a considerable reduction of the
width of the track) and conductor rail (with a considerable reduction
of the required height of the structure gauge). The lining in the
completed state consists of two layers with an inner lining of in-situ
concrete, and is partially waterproofed. The standard profile selected for construction is shown in Fig. 11c and has a bored diameter of 9.3 m. The associated enlargement of
the excavated area to 68 m² is the result of two decisions by the client.
Firstly, it was decided not to use a conductor rail. The overhead
will, as originally planned, use a catenary since the solution with a
conductor rail is not approved in Norway for the 160 km/h design
speed of the second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel. In addition the lining,
also as originally planned, will be designed with the Norwegian
method of construction (Fig. 12a) and not as two layers with an
in-situ concrete inner lining (Fig. 12b) – despite the clear advantage
of the latter solution (particularly regarding the structural effect and
durability The excavated material also poses a challenge. It is generally known
that muck from a TBM contains more fines than that from a drill and
blast under the same geological conditions. The form of the rock fragments
is also more plate-shaped. These two differences worsen the
starting conditions for recycling or resale of the excavated material
in Norway, where concrete aggregates can be purchased relatively
cheaply. The excavated material in this case will be accepted by
the City of Bergen for intermediate storage and used later to cover
contaminated fjord basins.The initial findings with the TBM drive are positive. So far the excavation has taken place in hard, stable rock (Fig. 13). Following
the customary “learning phase” at the start of the drive with low
TBM utilization, good driving performances have been achieved:
when this report was penned, the best rate of advance amounted
to 23.5 m/day or 80 m/week; the boring rate ranged from 1.2 to
2.5 m/h [25]. The second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel project represents a milestone
in Norwegian tunnelling. For the first time a TBM is being used to
bore a railway tunnel, and with a diameter of 9.3 m the gripper TBM
will have the largest diameter ever bored in Norway. The TBM drive
is scheduled to be finished in autumn 2017 and together with other
projects will contribute to bringing TBM technology back to Norway
after the temporary interruption of TBM applications in the country
at the start of the 1990s. It is also worth mentioning that two major projects in Norway, which
will use TBMs – the second tube of the Ulriken Tunnel described in
this paper and the Follobanen Tunnel [7] [8] – have been greatly
influenced by Swiss consultants. Marco Ramoni
At the end of 2015, Basler & Hofmann AG acquired the architecture firm Arch’lab Architects in Singapore. Arch’lab specialises in renovation, conversion and construction work in the healthcare sector – a growth area in Singapore. With the addition of the biosafety team from Basler & Hofmann Pte. Ltd., the company will be renamed Arch’lab Pte. Ltd. during the course of 2016. Basler & Hofmann Pte. Ltd. will continue to operate as an autonomous company. Arch’lab Architects has a strong reputation in Singapore for hospital and laboratory planning. Its project portfolio consists of health centres, laboratories, hospital conversions and new types of living accommodation for the elderly. The biosafety team from Basler & Hofmann Singapore complements the company’s existing expertise with its own valuable, specialist know-how. This team of 11 people is in a very strong position to serve the growing Singaporean health care market. Collaboration with the Basler & Hofmann parent company, such as in real estate strategy development, will also create opportunities. The new subsidiary is to be managed by Arch’lab Architects’ founder and current managing director, Cheng Teng Choy.
The Basler & Hofmann Pte. Ltd. subsidiary will focus on the construction technology business sector where the team will offer consulting services in the fields of business development and engineering services.
Basler & Hofmann AG has grown continually in recent years, and is now expanding its Executive Board: The Supervisory Board has elected Jürg Müller to serve as a member of the Executive Board as of 1 January 2016. He will become head of the new Airports and Civil Engineering department. The Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann AG now consists of seven members. The new department will encompass two existing specialist areas, Airports and Geomatics, as well as the newly created Urban Civil Engineering specialist area. For his new role, Jürg Müller can draw on a wealth of professional experience: Following his apprenticeship as a draughtsman in civil engineering and subsequent studies in the same area, he was employed as a project engineer and site manager in civil engineering. He joined Basler & Hofmann in 2005 as a project manager. A mandate for Bengaluru International Airport took him to the Indian metropolis for a period of two years, where he was employed as managing director of the Indian subsidiary of Basler & Hofmann Swiss Consulting. Back in Switzerland, he became senior site manager for the northern access route to the Gotthard Base Tunnel, before finally returning to the field of Airports in the role of leading expert. Thanks to his previous professional experience, the 38-year-old engineer has acquired a broad base of expertise in his field of activity, gaining the trust of clients, project partners and employees alike with his objective, holistic approach. The Executive Board is looking forward to this expansion, and would like to extend a warm welcome to Jürg Müller.
The management team for the new business division, led by Jürg Müller, includes Marco Schnyder (head of Airports), Stefan Meile (head of Geomatics) and Marc Fleury, who will head the newly created specialist area of Urban Civil Engineering.
The Ulriken tunnel is located on the highly frequented Bergen–Oslo railway freight route. Capacity on this line is now set to increase. Initially, the stretch between Bergen and Årna will be extended with a second tunnel tube. This is the first time a tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be used to build a rail tunnel in Norway. The gripper TBM, which has a diameter of 9.3 metres, was put into operation on 4 December 2015, the day dedicated to St Barbara, the patron saint of miners. Excavations for the 7.8-kilometre-long single-track rail tunnel should be complete by the end of May 2017. It will be linked to the existing tunnel tube by 15 cross cuts. Basler & Hofmann is managing the project together with the largest Norwegian engineering company, Norconsult, and was also responsible for the invitation to tender with a TBM. This option was chosen thanks to its numerous advantages: The TBM will place less pressure on the neighbouring tunnel tube, which is over 40 years old, and will also reduce noise and high-vibration explosions in the locality. Furthermore, the use of a TBM proved to be more cost-effective.
Basler & Hofmann is also working on railway technology for the Ulriken tunnel, and, among other duties, is responsible for the slab track and noise and vibration protection through the use of a mass-spring system.
The CEO of Basler & Hofmann AG, Dominik Courtin, has been honoured with the European CEO Award of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), the largest British industry association, in the "Medium firm" category. The prize was awarded on the occasion of this year's European CEO Conference of ACE in London on 12 November 2015. Dominik Courtin is delighted about the award, but at the same time wants to put things into perspective: "Outstanding performances are only possible in an outstanding team. Therefore, I see this award as recognition of our entire management team." The Association acknowledges outstanding CEOs of engineering companies from all over Europe with this prize, which is awarded annually. The jury is made up of representatives from European industry associations, including Switzerland's "usic". Potential prizewinners are nominated by management executives from our branch of industry. Apart from such criteria as financial success, innovation and commitment to the industry, the aspect of "leadership" has particular importance here.
More about the Award
On 15 September 2015, the Annual General Meeting of Basler & Hofmann AG voted solicitor Christine Hehli Hidber onto its Board of Directors. The qualified lawyer strengthens the current four-person board under the Chairmanship of Hansjörg Schenker. Christine Hehli Hidber is a partner and deputy CEO of the Binder law firm in Baden. Her area of specialist expertise is commercial law with the emphasis on company law, corporate governance, banking and contract law. Before she was an independent lawyer, Christine Hehli Hidber held the position of Head Corporate Legal with a high-street bank. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Law School of the University of St. Gallen and amongst other things is on the board of directors of a housing cooperative as well as of a healthcare company.
Thanks to her proven expertise, Christine Hehli Hidber represents the ideal way of enhancing the legal skills of the Board of Directors. With her extensive socio-political commitment, in particular also in relation to SMEs, for Basler & Hofmann she is a valuable contact person in relation to various issues that concern the company. The Board of Directors of Basler & Hofmann extends a warm welcome to Christine Hehli Hidber and looks forward to many years of excellent collaboration.
The Zurich Cross-City Link was twice a winner at the Building Awards 2015 in Lucerne. The "Löwenstrasse Station" project was selected as the overall winner, as well as taking first prize in the "Foundation, civil and infrastructure engineering" category. The Building Awards are given for outstanding engineering services. The prizes were awarded for the first time on 18 June at the KKL [Culture & Congress Centre, Lucerne]. With Löwenstrasse Station, which lies at the heart of the Zurich Cross-City Link, the ZALO engineering consortium (comprising Basler & Hofmann and Pöyry Switzerland Ltd) has created a structure of the century. Completing a complex building project of this type within cost and on time is a masterpiece of the art of the engineer. The "Zurich CCL/Löwenstrasse station" project was therefore honoured with two prizes at the KKL. Peter Kübler of Basler & Hofmann and Martin Bachmann of Pöyry Switzerland Ltd were therefore able to accept both the "Overall winner" prize and first prize in the "Foundation, civil and infrastructure engineering" category.
The Kaufleuten restaurant in Zurich has been renovated and the operator has had the new smoke exhaust system tested according to fire authority requirements. For this acceptance test, Basler & Hofmann used the Izar hot smoke test system for the first time in a building with normal business still in progress. Everything operated perfectly.
Fast and uncomplicated test procedure
The fire safety team of Basler & Hofmann developed the patent-protected Izar mobile test system in order to simulate real fire situations. Izar was used in the Zurich Kaufleuten restaurant to test the new smoke exhaust system – for the first time with business still carrying on. Assembly of the system took precisely one hour – as planned: Izar increased the air temperature to the required level of 60 degrees Celsius at a height of 7 metres. The fog machine produced a white fluid which made the smoke layering easy to see. It «flew» from it like a magic carpet after activation of the smoke exhaust system. The test was concluded after 15 minutes. Neither assembly nor disassembly got in the way of day-to-day business in the Kaufleuten (backdrop assembly in the Club Room).
Accurate simulation of fire progression
200 kilowatts of convective heat were generated in the Kaufleuten. Which is not much, because Izar can produce much more: a single burner module generates 1.25 MW of convective heat, which corresponds to a natural fire of almost 2 MW. You can increase the output almost at will by adding further modules. This also makes it possible to accurately simulate fires in large buildings with a high concentration of people, such as shopping centres, stadia, ice rinks, lobby areas, hospitals, airports and tunnels.
Environmentally-friendly and safe
The procedure is also non-hazardous: the gas is mixed with precisely the right quantity of air so that the two materials burn in stoichiometric equilibrium. The blue flames radiate practically no heat, are completely non-hazardous for people and buildings and fulfil the stringent requirements of the Swiss Environmental Protection Act.
To Expertise Fire protection
To Expertise Real fire testing with Izar Fast and uncomplicated test procedure
The fire safety team of Basler & Hofmann developed the patent-protected Izar mobile test system in order to simulate real fire situations. Izar was used in the Zurich Kaufleuten restaurant to test the new smoke exhaust system – for the first time with business still carrying on. Assembly of the system took precisely one hour – as planned: Izar increased the air temperature to the required level of 60 degrees Celsius at a height of 7 metres. The fog machine produced a white fluid which made the smoke layering easy to see. It «flew» from it like a magic carpet after activation of the smoke exhaust system. The test was concluded after 15 minutes. Neither assembly nor disassembly got in the way of day-to-day business in the Kaufleuten (backdrop assembly in the Club Room).
Accurate simulation of fire progression
200 kilowatts of convective heat were generated in the Kaufleuten. Which is not much, because Izar can produce much more: a single burner module generates 1.25 MW of convective heat, which corresponds to a natural fire of almost 2 MW. You can increase the output almost at will by adding further modules. This also makes it possible to accurately simulate fires in large buildings with a high concentration of people, such as shopping centres, stadia, ice rinks, lobby areas, hospitals, airports and tunnels.
Environmentally-friendly and safe
The procedure is also non-hazardous: the gas is mixed with precisely the right quantity of air so that the two materials burn in stoichiometric equilibrium. The blue flames radiate practically no heat, are completely non-hazardous for people and buildings and fulfil the stringent requirements of the Swiss Environmental Protection Act.
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Basler & Hofmann took home two awards from this year’s International Tunnelling and Underground Space Awards. At the award ceremony in London on 1 December 2014, Martin Bosshard, head of Tunnels and Railways, accepted the first prize as Tunnelling Design Firm of the Year and second place in the category Major Tunnelling Project of the Year (over $ 500 million). The awards of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association are presented for outstanding achievements in tunnel construction and tunnelling-related infrastructure. The competition is stiff: this year, all major international engineering companies in the tunnel construction sector were among the contenders with high-profile projects.
The Tunnelling Design Firm of the Year award honours companies that demonstrate consistently high quality in tunnel construction over a long period of time, bring innovative solutions to their projects and the industry, and overcome major challenges to resolve issues for the client. “This award is a very gratifying tribute to the excellent work of our project teams over recent years,” says Martin Bosshard, head of Tunnels and Railways.
SBB’s Zurich cross-city link project was also singled out for special recognition – in this project Basler & Hofmann was head of the engineering consortium responsible for overall project management. It won second prize in the Major Tunnelling Project of the Year (over $ 500 million) category.
More about the awards
Jet grouting is a widely used technique for soil stabilisation, which provides support to geotechnical structures and buildings. Jet grouting soil structure displacement occasionally pre-sgtressing
Martin Bosshard, long-time Head of Tunnels and Railways, will step down at the end of 2014. Stefan Moser will take over as departmental head and member of the Executive Board as of 1 January 2015. Martin will remain with the company and continue to bring his expertise to bear in major projects and the development of new markets in Scandinavia and Asia. Basler & Hofmann would like to thank him for his outstanding work and looks forward to counting on his range of skills and dedication in the coming years.
Martin Bosshard will step down as Head of Tunnels and Railways and as Vice Chairperson and member of the Executive Board at the end of 2014. He has managed the Tunnels and Railways department since 1 January 1999. Under his leadership, Basler & Hofmann reinforced its reputation as one of the leading engineering companies in Switzerland in the field of tunnel and railway construction. In projects such as the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel, the Weinberg Tunnel and Löwenstrasse transit station (cross-city link), our team continuously pushed the boundaries of what was technically possible. Martin presented this trailblazing performance with technical contributions and personal appearances both domestically and abroad, thereby enhancing the reputation of the company and the Swiss tunnel-building sector.
After 15 successful years as the departmental head, he is now passing his responsibilities on to the younger generation. Basler & Hofmann is pleased that Martin will remain with the company and continue to bring his expertise to bear in major projects and the development of new markets in Scandinavia and Asia.
Stefan Moser to be appointed new Head of Tunnels and Railways
The Supervisory Board has nominated Stefan Moser as Martin Bosshard’s successor. He will take over from 1 January 2015. Stefan (born 1971) holds a doctorate in civil engineering (ETH). He joined Basler & Hofmann in 2003, and quickly assumed managerial responsibilities in railway and tunnel projects and within the company. He is an acknowledged expert in the field of tunnels and railways and is an experienced, moral and integrative leadership figure. The Supervisory Board and Executive Board would like to congratulate Stefan on his new appointment and look forward to working with him in his new capacity.
On 15 June 2014, the first commuter trains will use Zurich’s new cross-city link (Durchmesserlinie). The heart of the line from Altstetten to Oerlikon is the new Löwenstrasse underground station. Situated below Zurich's main station, the underground through station is connected by the adjoining Weinbergtunnel with Oerlikon station. Basler & Hofmann was the lead partner in the engineering consortia for these two sections.
The opening of the line marks the completion of a project on which many employees have worked over the years. A happy day for Basler & Hofmann as well, for such events highlight the contribution that engineers and planners make on a daily basis to the quality of life in our cities.
A new underground train station
The new Löwenstrasse underground station lies 16 metres below the existing tracks of Zurich’s main station, running under the Sihl and beneath the historic listed station building. These requirements alone presented the engineers with numerous technical challenges: how to build in a riverbed? What would happen in the event of flooding? How do construction logistics work safely in the middle of a city? The greatest challenge, however, was to conduct such a large underground construction process while the main station was in daily operation and no tracks could be closed.
Tunnel under the main transportation hub
No less complex was the construction of the Weinberg tunnel, which runs just a few metres beneath Central – one of the busiest places in Zürich – and the river Limmat. The tunnel boring machine took two years to travel the 4.5 km from its start shaft in Oerlikon to the heart of Zurich, including some six months for the last 280 metres. The final metres were a tough slog: the borer had to dig its way through groundwater and loose rock below the Limmat and under Bahnhofsplatz, while a steady flow of trams and cars passed overhead. This was possible only with a host of structural support measures.
Better services
As of 15 June, the commuter (S-Bahn) trains will be the first to traverse the city on the new line. Thanks to the cross-city link, the long-distance train network will also be expanded with the new timetables in 2015.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been working to develop earthquake and hurricane-resistant schools in Haiti since 2010 and has developed three building types (reinforced concrete, enclosed masonry and timber frame) for simple but safe school buildings. Engineers from Basler & Hofmann have been involved in the work from the outset and supported the process with their technical expertise. Now the team can enjoy the success of its tireless efforts: by ministerial decree of 1 April 2014, Haiti’s ministry of education has declared the three construction types the obligatory standard for all new school buildings in Haiti.
National standard for school buildings
One of the focal points of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Haiti is the reconstruction of schools that were destroyed in the major earthquake of 2010. The objective of the Swiss effort is earthquake and hurricane-resistant school buildings for the country, which is so susceptible to natural hazards. In close cooperation with the Haitian authorities, the project team has developed three school building types adapted to the different local conditions in Haiti to provide a safe place of learning. The reinforced concrete and enclosed masonry construction types have been built and tested. The wood building type is currently under construction. The three construction types have been declared the obligatory standard for all new school buildings by Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training. This represents an extraordinary success for the tireless work of the teams on site – and at the same time an important step towards a uniform and acceptable level of quality in the construction of new schools.
The first two reinforced concrete schools built by the SDC were inaugurated in October 2012 and six schools are currently under construction. The SDC plans to build a further 10 or so schools by the end of 2017. Thanks to the new standards, now even schools that are financed by other organisations will also be built to earthquake and hurricane-proof standards. That is a major milestone for Haiti. The great challenge now is to ensure quality in the construction process as well.
Construction types in line with local conditions
The three building types differ primarily in terms of construction and material, which must be adapted to local conditions. For example, a two-storey reinforced concrete structure is designed for urban settings with limited space. In easily accessible rural areas, a single-storey construction of enclosed masonry is recommended. In remote areas that can be reached only by foot or pack animal, the standard calls for a simple timber structure.
The book, published by Basler & Hofmann in 2013 on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, has been nominated for the 2014 Best of Corporate Publishing Award (BCP).
The BCP is the biggest competition for corporate communications in Europe and is awarded annually by Forum Corporate Publishing, the industry association for media service providers in the German-speaking world. Some 650 publications have been submitted for the 2014 selection. The anniversary book from Basler & Hofmann, which bears the subtitle Gemeinsam. Mit Kopf und Herz (Working together. With head and heart), is one of six publications nominated for the Gold Award in the category Specials and Annuals – Corporate Book Service / Retail. A silver medal is thus already guaranteed. The winner of the Gold Award will be announced on 3 July 2014 at this year's Corporate Publishing Congress.
The book paints a vivid company portrait while giving a glimpse into the fascinating world of the engineering profession – a tribute to the field as well as the company itself. The book was produced in collaboration with MetaDesign Zurich.
Page through the anniversary book online
Photos: MetaDesign Zurich
With Izar, Basler & Hofmann presents a unique full scale fire test device that can be used to check fire protection concepts in finished buildings. The unit simulates a real fire with realistic temperature distribution and smoke layering – but without any risk to people or buildings. A new fire protection guideline due to come into effect in 2015 means real fire tests will be used increasingly in future to test object-specific fire protection concepts.
New regulation: authorities may demand real fire tests
Today, object-specific fire protection concepts are usually based on mathematical proof. Numerical simulations are used to evaluate whether planned measures will allow sufficient time for evacuation in case of an incident. But simulations can never completely reflect reality, especially in very complex building structures. They work with assumptions and simplified spatial geometries. The new fire protection guideline from the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurance Companies (VKF), which is scheduled to come into effect in 2015, will introduce testing procedures into Swiss fire safety law. Authorities will be able to demand that heat and smoke exhaust is tested with a real fire test in the finished building.
Unique full scale fire test device: Izar
A real fire in a finished building? How is that possible without major side-effects? With the Izar full scale fire test unit, Basler & Hofmann has created the world’s first system that fulfils all requirements for full scale fire testing in a finished building:
1) Fully adjustable thermal output from 100 KW to 1.9 MW for each connected burner module. Performance can therefore be adapted to on-site requirements and conditions.
2) Clean burning: Thanks to a special process, the liquid gas is burned off with no toxic emissions. Izar is the first system to meet Switzerland’s high environmental standards.
3) Low flame height ensures safe conditions for people and the building during the test. 4) Fully controllable fire behaviour: The system is controlled via software, thus predefined 'fire' curves can be reproduced.
5) The system is mobile and can be installed in one to two hours. Izar makes it easy to test heat and smoke exhausting concepts and systems. The system will also contribute to better calibration and improvement of numerical simulations. Patent pending.
Izar – a double star
Izar is the original name of the double star Epsilon Boötis in the constellation of Boötis. The double star consists of a large star with an orange glow and a smaller, blue-hued star. Izar is approximately 210 light years from the sun. The Arabic word ‘Izar’ also means outer garment. So the name Izar fits the full scale fire testing facility in more than one sense: like the star, it has high thermal output and burns with a blue flame, and the smoke it generates hangs like a cloak over the room. Trademark registration pending.
Sixth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, Marseille, France, March 12-14, 2014 (PDF)
This paper focuses on a new generation of hot smoke tests, using premixed propane flames as a fire source. Tunnel Safety hot smoke tests FDS premixed flames realistic smoke tests computer models simulations
Over the past few years, Basler & Hofmann has become increasingly active in major motorway and railway station projects in western Switzerland. In order to serve its two most important national clients, the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) and SBB, also in the french speaking part of switzerland, the engineering, planning and consulting company is opening a new office in Lausanne in the first half of 2014.
By mid-May, a core team of five employees will have moved into the new premises near Lausanne railway station – space for more employees is available. “The decision to open a new location in Lausanne shows the great importance of our projects in western Switzerland. We want to build a solid team to work with our clients in the long term, and cooperation with our French-speaking partner companies will also be strengthened by this step,” says Dominik Courtin, Chief Executive Officer. The Lausanne office will provide clients in western Switzerland with direct access to Basler & Hofmann’s broad expertise and its 350 employees from more than 30 disciplines.
On 31 May 2013, Bruno Fankhauser, CEO and member of the Executive Board of Leoni-Studer AG in Däniken, was appointed to the Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann AG by the company's general assembly. He succeeds Gertrud Erismann-Peyer, who recently celebrated her 70th birthday and wishes to take a step back from her duties. The Executive Board and proprietor families would like to thank Mrs Erismann for her valuable contribution to the company and wish her well for the future.
On 31 May 2013, Bruno Fankhauser, CEO and member of the Executive Board of Leoni-Studer AG in Däniken, was appointed to the Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann AG by the company's general assembly. He succeeds Gertrud Erismann-Peyer, who recently celebrated her 70th birthday and wishes to take a step back from her duties. The Executive Board and proprietor families would like to thank Mrs Erismann for her valuable contribution to the company and wish her well for the future.
Bruno Fankhauser studied business administration and economics at the University of Bern. He currently serves as CEO and member of the Executive Board of Leoni Studer AG in Däniken. In addition, he is responsible for the Communication & Infrastructure business group of the Leoni Group, which has companies throughout the world, including Germany, Italy, China and India. Basler & Hofmann and cable manufacturer Leoni have much in common: both companies make a daily commitment to developing pioneering solutions for infrastructure and its network connections. The Executive Board takes great pleasure in welcoming Bruno Fankhauser and is looking forward to a creative and successful working relationship.
Arena of the Environment received the European Solar Energy Prize for 2012. More than 5000 photovoltaic panels make up the roof of architect René Schmid's remarkable building. Basler & Hofmann were responsible for the design concept and technical consultancy of the solar-panelled roof. It is the largest roof-integral photovoltaic installation in Switzerland.
The European Solar Energy Prize is awarded for exemplary projects in renewable energy applications by Eurosolar, the European Union for Renewable Energy. After the Swiss Solar Energy Prize for 2012 (Norman Foster Solar Awards category), this was the second prize received by Umwelt Arena for its exceptional solar energy architecture. Umwelt Arena produces 203% of its own energy consumption using renewable energy.
The integral solar-panelled roof generates a great deal of solar energy
The most striking aspect of the building is its roof: It is made up of 33 individual triangular areas that are fitted with photovoltaic modules and resemble a large crystal. Alongside about 4,500 standard modules, a further 1,000 modules were tailor-made for this roof installation. The amazing thing about the roof is that from all points of the compass, it generates 82% of the solar energy that an equivalent sized photovoltaic installation optimally pointing south would generate.
On October 12th, 2012 it was possible to open the first two permanent schools rebuilt after the severe earthquake of January 12th, 2010. This was a particularly joyful day for the three Basler & Hofmann engineers who were actively involved in construction of the schools. The earthquake and hurricane resistant buildings provide 1,600 places for school children and serve as construction standards for future school building in Haiti. The Directorate for Cooperation and Development (DEZA, 'Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit') has operated as a Centre of Excellence for Rebuilding (CCR, 'Kompetenzzentrum für den Wiederaufbau') in Haiti since July 2010. The purpose of the Centre of Excellence is to develop closer cooperation with local authorities for the building of new schools that are earthquake and hurricane resistant and to draw up common building standards along with provision of training courses for on-site specialists. In cooperation with the National Institute for Vocational Training, the CCR has developed training modules and offers this training to construction industry personnel. Publicity campaigns will raise the general public awareness of constuction requirements for earthquake and hurricane resistant buildings.Basler & Hofmann has supported DEZA from the outset with a specialist earthquake engineer who works for the CCR in Port-Au-Prince.
Both these schools constitute an important milestone for the work of the Centre of Excellence (CCR) and for the Directorate for Cooperation and Development (DEZA) which was the first institution to receive planning permission for permanent school buildings. These buildings are optimized to the needs and requirements of the situations and serve as standards for future school buildings. The next school to this standard is planned to be built in 2013.
A project to totally renovate the A2 highway that runs through Switzerland's Reuss valley has achieved recognition at the 2011 "Umsicht" (prudence in construction) awards. Basler & Hofmann was responsible for project planning and construction supervision as part of an engineering consortium brought together by the Federal Roads Office. With its "Umsicht" awards, the Swiss engineer and architect association (SIA) honours outstanding engineering and architecture projects where "prudent" execution has contributed to high-quality living spaces for tomorrow.
Eco-friendly renovation
Total renovation of the A2 highway in the canton of Uri was done with much careful consideration for the environment. With the renovation, wastewater runoff from the road surface is now channelled through one of several water treatment plants where it is cleansed of pollutants using an innovative technique. Numerous noise control measures have significantly reduced the highway's sonic impact on the Reuss valley. To conserve resources and minimise construction site traffic, much of the broken-up concrete from the old highway was recycled on location. "The innovative remediation techniques employed, and their economically sensible execution demonstrated, respectful consideration for local and regional concerns", according to the jury.
The second "Umsicht" awards
2011 marks the second presentation of SIA's "Umsicht" awards. Of the 48 projects submitted, 6 received an award and 2 a recognition. The award ceremony took place on March 3rd 2011 at the ETH Zurich, with Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard in attendance. Jürg Röthlisberger, deputy director of the Federal Roads Office, was present to accept the recognition. The prize-winning works are on display at the ETH until April 14th 2011.
From July 2010, a Competence Centre for Reconstruction (CCR) will operate in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as part of the humanitarian aid programme of the Swiss government, which falls under the umbrella of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Basler & Hofmann is providing support by funding a full-time position for an earthquake engineer who will spend a year working locally for the CCR. Precarious SituationSix months after the catastrophic earthquake on 12 January 2010, the situation in Haiti remains precarious: hundreds of thousands of people are still living in makeshift accommodation, or with guest families in regions not affected by the earthquake. And in the summer months, the first hurricanes threaten to cause more damage.
Competence Centre for Reconstruction
Besides the SDC, numerous Swiss charities are involved in reconstruction work in Haiti. Guided by the motto "Build Back Better", the Swiss team of construction experts will provide assistance and advice on projects run by the SDC and partner organisations. Working in close consultation with the local authorities, there are plans to define construction standards for school buildings, for example, and to offer initial and ongoing training courses. The CCR will serve as a point of contact between the Haitian authorities and the partner organisations. Basler & Hofmann has sent one of its swiss engineers who is a specialist in earthquake and hurricane-proof construction to advise the SDC.
Basler & Hofmann starts the New Year with a new look.
Our new brand identity expresses how the engineering, planning and consultancy company sees itself in terms of its own image. Using a holistic approach Basler & Hofmann combines knowledge from a wide range of disciplines to develop groundbreaking solutions for a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected. The Group operates in the following areas: construction, mobility, energy, security and the environment. Our new visual identity is rich in colour and imagery and features the use of superimposed layers to depict the complexity of the work that the Group carries out. The red logo has been slightly updated yet remains a familiar constant. Our foreign subsidiaries will adopt the new design during the course of 2010.
The purpose of the livery tram (established by the local Zurich usic group) is to highlight what engineers have done for our society and to promote the engineering profession. The tram will operate for a period of two years and will be used on different lines.
Basler & Hofmann has been very much involved in this project. The company co-initiated and sponsored the project and had a major input in the actual work. For further information about the livery tram please visit www.ingenieurtram.ch. Visitors to the web site can also follow the tram’s route through the city - live.
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