The European laboratory for
particle physics CERN in Cessy.
A challenging tunnel
and special foundations project
for a world class
research centre.
We are carrying out the
construction work on Point 5 for CERN.
It’s an upgrade
to the existing LHC,
which was
built 20 years ago.
The project involves creating
a large cavern, a 60 metre shaft
and 300 metres of straight tunnels
intersected by four 40 metre branches
that will run above
the existing structure.
We will also create two
emergency exits in two
of the branches,
15 metres deep.
We will dig down to a
depth of about 100 metres.
We are carrying out the
construction work on Point 5 for CERN.
The work is being
carried out jointly by Implenia
and Baresel,
a German tunnelling firm.
The Implenia subsidiaries
involved are Implenia France,
Implenia Suisse
Tunnelling Civil Engineering
and Implenia Fondations
Spéciales Romandie,
which will lay the special
foundations for the buildings on the surface.
In terms of geology, apart from the
difficulty of excavating the ground,
the project is not
very complex technically.
The main technical
challenge is working
with different
cultures and partners,
and organisation
and logistics
on a project where everything
passes through a shaft that is
11 metres wide
and 60 metres deep.
That’s the main
technical difficulty.
