Case Study
Northern Approach Line to theBrenner Base Tunnel, Innsbruck (AT)

Largest connecting mass-spring
system through tunnels andgalleries

Signiicant reduction of structureborne noise and vibrations for protection of the residents

Two-track new line, designed foraround 300 daily freight trains at
a speed of 250 km/h

Largest continuous Mass-Spring
System for Structure-Borne Noise andVibration Mitigation

Getzner’s solution

Project description
Expansion of the Brenner rail
axis – Easing of traffic in the region
he Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) isa joint Austrian-Italian project
aimed at the construction of a railway
tunnel for passenger and freighttransport through the Brenner Pass. It
passes under the Tyrolean Alps along
the axis from Innsbruck (A) to Bolzano(I) and is part of the high-speed railway line from Berlin to Palermo, which
covers a total distance of 2,200 kilometers. At a length of 55 kilometers,
it is the second longest railway tunnel
in the world after the Gotthard Base
Tunnel.

TAn invitation to tender was issued fora high-eficiency solution for vibrationand sound mitigation for the northern
approach line to the BBT running
through the Unterinntal valley. The
primary objective of the project wasan easing of trafic for the section
between Kundl/Radfeld and Baumkirchen. The newly constructed double-track rail line is designed forspeeds of up to 250 kilometers perhour. Accordingly, the requirementsfor vibration and noise mitigation
are highly demanding. Between 260
and 300 trains – primarily freighttrains – are expected to travel on theapproach line each day once it goes
into service in 2012.
Thanks to its high level of expertiseand over 40 years of experience inthe development of high-performance,high-eficiency mass-spring systems,
Getzner Werkstoffe was commissioned
to deliver elastomer bearings for themitigation of vibrations and structureborne noise. The noise and vibration
mitigation measures that have been
implemented protect local residents
and businesses from the adverse effects of vibrations and audible structure-borne noise. This will make along-term contribution to protecting
the environment in these regions,which are impacted by heavy transport, and help to preserve it for future
generations.

Unterinntal railway receives
high-efficiency vibration mitigation

The northern approach line to the
future Brenner Base Tunnel wasitted with the largest continuous
mass-spring system for structureborne noise and vibration mitigation
which has ever been installed on arail transport route. Roughly 80,000
square meters of high-eficiency
mass-spring systems with Sylomer®
and Sylodyn® elastomer bearings wereinstalled in the sections of the approach line that runs through tunnels
and avalanche screens, which accountfor around 32 of the total 40 kilometers. The precise calibration of thestatic and dynamic properties of thevarious bearing types ensured optimal
eficiency (damping eficiency) thatmeets the speciic requirements ateach point along the line. This resulted
in a signiicant reduction of structureborne noise and vibrations.

FeedbackGetzner Werkstoffe: Developer,
manufacturer and application
consultant
etzner Werkstoffe is more thanjust a developer and manufacturer of highly elastic materials for vibration mitigation. The company is also
a competent, experienced consultant
in application-related issues in theield of vibration engineering.

G

Getzner’s experts are from the very
beginning, actively involved in materials and system development and therealization of projects. Collaboration
begins with the deinition of speciic
framework conditions and generallycontinues all the way through to thejoint development of innovative solutions. Getzner’s technical expertisein the ield of vibration mitigation allows the company to engineer intelligent system solutions using elastic
polyurethane materials. The mutual
goal of the project partners is always
to ind the optimal mix of cost eficiency, feasibility, noise and vibration
mitigation, and a comfortable environment for working and living.

What does the client have to say
about the project?
“The engineers from Getzner Werkstoffe were extremely competent andmotivated during the realization of
the approach line to the Brenner Base
Tunnel. We were highly impressedby their specialized knowledge in
the ield and the fact that they know
their product inside and out. A key
requirement for the consortium wasto have a partner who we could collaborate with to solve problems andwho expertly implements its high-tech
product. Getzner fully lived up tothese expectations.”
EMBA-HSG,
project manager
Robert Kumpuschfor ARGE Alptransit BrennerKey data for the Brenner northern approach line

Client:ARGE Alptransit Brenner: Rhomberg Bahntechnik and Alpine Bau
Completion of railway
equipment installation: by 2012
Length:
40 km, 32 km of which run through tunnels, troughs or snow sheds
Maximum speed
upon completion:
250 km/h
Track superstructure
dimensions:load class E5Solution:
full-surface and discrete mass-spring systems
Materials used:around 80,000 m2 of high-eficiency mass-spring systems from Getzner (approximately
73,000 m2 of which employ full-surface bearings, approximately 6,000 discrete bearings)
Capacity:around 260–300 trains a day assuming the maintenance concept is adhered toFoundation:

1969 (as a subsidiary of Getzner,Mutter & Cie)Managing Director: Ing. Jürgen Rainalter
Employees:
219 in Bürs, 93 abroad2014 turnover:EUR 70.3 Mio.
Business areas:
Railway, construction, industry
2014 output:
7,367 tonnes of technical PU materials
2014 recycling:
17 tonnes of residual PU materials
Headquarter:
Bürs (AT)
Locations:
Munich (DE), Berlin (DE), Stuttgart (DE),
Lyon (FR), Amman (JO), Tokyo (JP),Pune (IN), Beijing (CN), Kunshan (CN),Charlotte (US)
Ratio of exports:
86 percent

AUSTRIA — Bürs GERMANY — Berlin — Munich — Stuttgart FRANCE — Lyon
JAPAN — Tokyo INDIA — Pune CHINA — Beijing USA — Charlotte

References in railway
construction (excerpt):— Austrian Railways, Vienna–St. Pölten:
Lainzer Tunnel— Austrian Railways, Linz–Salzburg:
Römerberg Tunnel— Austrian Railways, Innsbruck–Bregenz:
Zammer Tunnel— Deutsche Bahn AG, Berlin
North–South Tunnel— Deutsche Bahn AG, Cologne–Chorweiler— Deutsche Bahn AG, Leipzig City Tunnel— Swiss Federal Railways, Zurich–Thalwil:
Zimmerberg TunnelJORDAN — Amman
www.getzner.com

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