Crossing of Fault Zones in the MFS Faido by Using the Observational Method

The presentation deals with the crossing of severe fault zones in the multifunctional station Faido (MFS Faido), part of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, located in Switzerland. During the excavation work of the MFS Faido large, not prognosticated fault zones were found. Their impact on the layout and the tunnel support is described. Therefore the excavation procedure and the support system were specified over the combination of geotechnical computations and the observational method. By using both the severe fault zones in the MFS Faido could be crossed successfully.