The rebuilding of the ventilation cavern at the Tauern Tunnel / Der Umbau der Lüfterkaverne Tauerntunnel

This report gives an overview of the ventilation scheme for both tubes of the Tauern Tunnel with particular attention to the rebuilding of the multi-storey ventilation cavern. The cavern was designed and constructed in the 1970s - along with most of the ventilation system - and provides the ventilation for the central sections of both tubes with a ventilation shaft about 600 mm deep. While the original scheme intended sheet metal ducts partly suspended from the cavern vault, all the extract air ducts now had to be constructed of reinforced concrete as part of the construction of the second tube on account of the requirement for fire resistance. This also included the replacement of existing suspended sheet metal ducts.
The design work was a particular challenge because the structural design and detailing also had to consider the complicated existing structure and the aerodynamic (flow resistance) and logistical (maintenance of traffic and continuous operation of ventilation) aspects.