{"title":"150 years of plans, geological survey and drilling for the Fréjus to Mont Blanc tunnels across the Alpine chain: an historical review","authors":"G. D. Piaz, A. Argentieri","doi":"10.3301/ijg.2020.29","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Since Roman age, people living on both sides of the Alps had been seeking different ‘north-west passages’, first overriding the mountains and then moving under them. The first idea of a tunnel under the Mont Blanc was envisaged by de Saussure in 1787. In the 19th century a growing railway network played a fundamental role for the Industrial Revolution, but was hampered for the southern countries by the barrier of the Alps, so that modern transalpine railways became essential for the Reign of Sardinia. This paper presents an historical review of first suggestions, projects, field survey, failed attempts and successful drilling works across the Alps, from the Frejus (1871), San Gottardo (1882) and Simplon (1906) railway tunnels to the Grand St Bernard (1964) and Mont Blanc (1965) highway tunnels, relived within the advances of regional geology and mapping. The Frejus tunnel was conceived by Medal, projected by Maus between Modane and Bardoneche and approved by a ministerial commission, but it was abandoned due to the insurrection of 1848. Later, it was taken up again, developed by Sommeiller, promoted by Cavour himself, and approved in 1857. Technical management was assigned to Sommeiller, Grattoni and Grandis. Frejus was the first, longest and innovating railway tunnel in the world: drilling began in 1857 and ended in December 1870, thanks to a new drilling machine powered by compressed-air. Its inauguration took place on September 1871. When the Frejus drilling was still in progress, John Fell built a mountain railway between Piedmont and Savoy, through the Mont Cenis, following the Napoleonic road. During its four years of work (1868- 1871) it managed to transport about 100,000 travellers, but it was forced to close down when the Frejus railway tunnel was opened. The geological advances and mapping in the Western Alps by the mid-19th century provided information and reliable tools for better planning of great engineering works, but tunnel designs were not always based on a geological survey: the main exceptions were represented by GiorDano (Gottardo, 1881) and Baretti (Mont Blanc, 1880). The former tunnel was drilled, the latter was not accomplished, as other projects were instead preferred across the Western Alps, Colle di Tenda (1898) and then Simplon (1906). After new hopes, the geological study on four project tunnels under the Mont Blanc by Franchi, Kilian and Jacob (Franchi et alii, 1908), and further disappointments, decisive moves to achieve the underground connection between Courmayeur and Chamonix were made by Dino Lora Totino who requested a project to Vittorio Zignoli. Meanwhile, a geological survey for radioactive minerals was promoted by CNRN on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc: field work was performed by Baggio and his staff, and their best result was the discovery of mylonitic-cataclastic shear zones crossing the tunnel route. Their work continued during the drilling inside the Italian part of the Mont Blanc motorway tunnel, started in 1959 and ended in 1962: systematic geological, structural and application data were acquired by Mezzacasa during excavation and studied by Baggio, Elter and Malaroda, whereas the French side was surveyed by Gudefin and studied by Vittel and others after the end of excavation. This paper is meant to be a grateful tribute to all scientist and technicians that, thanks to geological studies, maps and sections, allowed deep mountains to be metaphorically transparent, thus making it easier and safer to physically go through them.Geology and tunneling have close interactions and mutual benefits. Preventive geology allow to optimize the technical design, reduce costs and minimize bitter surprises. Conversely, systematic survey during excavation of deep tunnels has provided innovative data for the advance of geosciences.","PeriodicalId":49317,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Geosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Italian Journal of Geosciences","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3301/ijg.2020.29","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Since Roman age, people living on both sides of the Alps had been seeking different ‘north-west passages’, first overriding the mountains and then moving under them. The first idea of a tunnel under the Mont Blanc was envisaged by de Saussure in 1787. In the 19th century a growing railway network played a fundamental role for the Industrial Revolution, but was hampered for the southern countries by the barrier of the Alps, so that modern transalpine railways became essential for the Reign of Sardinia. This paper presents an historical review of first suggestions, projects, field survey, failed attempts and successful drilling works across the Alps, from the Frejus (1871), San Gottardo (1882) and Simplon (1906) railway tunnels to the Grand St Bernard (1964) and Mont Blanc (1965) highway tunnels, relived within the advances of regional geology and mapping. The Frejus tunnel was conceived by Medal, projected by Maus between Modane and Bardoneche and approved by a ministerial commission, but it was abandoned due to the insurrection of 1848. Later, it was taken up again, developed by Sommeiller, promoted by Cavour himself, and approved in 1857. Technical management was assigned to Sommeiller, Grattoni and Grandis. Frejus was the first, longest and innovating railway tunnel in the world: drilling began in 1857 and ended in December 1870, thanks to a new drilling machine powered by compressed-air. Its inauguration took place on September 1871. When the Frejus drilling was still in progress, John Fell built a mountain railway between Piedmont and Savoy, through the Mont Cenis, following the Napoleonic road. During its four years of work (1868- 1871) it managed to transport about 100,000 travellers, but it was forced to close down when the Frejus railway tunnel was opened. The geological advances and mapping in the Western Alps by the mid-19th century provided information and reliable tools for better planning of great engineering works, but tunnel designs were not always based on a geological survey: the main exceptions were represented by GiorDano (Gottardo, 1881) and Baretti (Mont Blanc, 1880). The former tunnel was drilled, the latter was not accomplished, as other projects were instead preferred across the Western Alps, Colle di Tenda (1898) and then Simplon (1906). After new hopes, the geological study on four project tunnels under the Mont Blanc by Franchi, Kilian and Jacob (Franchi et alii, 1908), and further disappointments, decisive moves to achieve the underground connection between Courmayeur and Chamonix were made by Dino Lora Totino who requested a project to Vittorio Zignoli. Meanwhile, a geological survey for radioactive minerals was promoted by CNRN on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc: field work was performed by Baggio and his staff, and their best result was the discovery of mylonitic-cataclastic shear zones crossing the tunnel route. Their work continued during the drilling inside the Italian part of the Mont Blanc motorway tunnel, started in 1959 and ended in 1962: systematic geological, structural and application data were acquired by Mezzacasa during excavation and studied by Baggio, Elter and Malaroda, whereas the French side was surveyed by Gudefin and studied by Vittel and others after the end of excavation. This paper is meant to be a grateful tribute to all scientist and technicians that, thanks to geological studies, maps and sections, allowed deep mountains to be metaphorically transparent, thus making it easier and safer to physically go through them.Geology and tunneling have close interactions and mutual benefits. Preventive geology allow to optimize the technical design, reduce costs and minimize bitter surprises. Conversely, systematic survey during excavation of deep tunnels has provided innovative data for the advance of geosciences.
自罗马时代以来,生活在阿尔卑斯山两侧的人们一直在寻找不同的“西北通道”,先是越过山脉,然后在山脉下移动。1787年,德索绪尔提出了在勃朗峰下修建隧道的第一个想法。19世纪,不断发展的铁路网在工业革命中发挥了重要作用,但阿尔卑斯山的屏障阻碍了南部国家的发展,因此现代跨阿尔卑斯铁路对撒丁岛的统治至关重要。本文对阿尔卑斯山上的第一批建议、项目、实地调查、失败的尝试和成功的钻探工程进行了历史回顾,从Frejus(1871年)、San Gottardo(1882年)和Simplon(1906年)铁路隧道到Grand St Bernard(1964年)和Mont Blanc(1965年)公路隧道,在区域地质和测绘的进步中重温。Frejus隧道由Medal设计,Maus在Modane和Bardoneche之间进行了规划,并得到了部长委员会的批准,但由于1848年的暴动而被放弃。后来,它再次被采用,由Sommeiller开发,Cavour本人推动,并于1857年获得批准。技术管理被分配给Sommeiller、Grattoni和Grandis。Frejus是世界上第一条、最长、创新的铁路隧道:钻探始于1857年,结束于1870年12月,这要归功于一台由压缩空气驱动的新型钻机。它的落成典礼于1871年9月举行。当Frejus钻探仍在进行时,John Fell在皮埃蒙特和萨沃伊之间修建了一条山区铁路,沿着拿破仑的道路穿过Cenis山。在其四年的工作中(1868年至1871年),它成功地运送了大约10万名游客,但当弗雷尤斯铁路隧道开通时,它被迫关闭。19世纪中期,西阿尔卑斯山的地质进步和测绘为更好地规划大型工程提供了信息和可靠的工具,但隧道设计并不总是基于地质调查:主要的例外是GiorDano(Gottardo,1881)和Baretti(Mont Blanc,1880)。前一条隧道被钻探,后一条隧道没有完成,因为其他项目更倾向于穿越西阿尔卑斯山、Colle di Tenda(1898年)和Simplon(1906年)。在新的希望、Franchi、Kilian和Jacob对勃朗峰下四个项目隧道的地质研究(Franchi et alii,1908),以及进一步的失望之后,Dino Lora Totino采取了决定性的行动,以实现Courmayeur和Chamonix之间的地下连接,他向Vittorio Zignoli请求了一个项目。与此同时,CNRN在勃朗峰意大利一侧推动了一项放射性矿物的地质调查:巴乔和他的工作人员进行了实地调查,他们的最佳结果是发现了穿越隧道路线的糜棱岩碎裂剪切带。他们的工作在1959年开始至1962年结束的勃朗峰高速公路隧道意大利部分的钻探过程中继续进行:Mezzacasa在挖掘过程中获得了系统的地质、结构和应用数据,Baggio、Elter和Malaroda对其进行了研究,而法国一侧则由Gudefin进行了调查,Vittel等人在挖掘结束后对其进行研究。这篇论文旨在向所有科学家和技术人员致敬,感谢他们通过地质研究、地图和剖面,使深山变得更透明,从而使穿越它们变得更容易、更安全。地质与隧道工程有着密切的相互作用和互利共赢。预防性地质可以优化技术设计,降低成本,最大限度地减少痛苦的意外。相反,深隧道开挖过程中的系统测量为地学的发展提供了创新的数据。
期刊介绍:
The Italian Journal of Geosciences (born from the merging of the Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana and the Bollettino del Servizio Geologico d''Italia) provides an international outlet for the publication of high-quality original research contributions in the broad field of the geosciences.
It publishes research papers, special short papers, review papers, discussion-and-replies for their rapid distribution to the international geosciences community.
The journal is firstly intended to call attention to the Italian territory and the adjacent areas for the exceptional role they play in the understanding of geological processes, in the development of modern geology and the Earth sciences in general.
The main focus of the journal is on the geology of Italy and the surrounding sedimentary basins and landmasses, and on their relationships with the Mediterranean geology and geodynamics. Nevertheless, manuscripts on process-oriented and regional studies concerning any other area of the World are also considered for publication.
Papers on structural geology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, basin analysis, paleontology, ecosystems, paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, planetary sciences, geomorphology, volcanology, mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology, geophysics, geodynamics, hydrogeology, geohazards, marine and engineering geology, modelling of geological process, history of geology, the conservation of the geological heritage, and all related applied sciences are welcome.