The project called Railroad Tunnels – Ferijijel in Algeria was the company's first tunnel construction contract. Within the scope of this project, PeBeKa built six tunnels along the railway line from Jijel to Ramadane Djamel in difficult and changeable hydrogeological and geological conditions.

Railroad tunnels – Ferijijel in Algeria

Investor: Bouygues
Time of project execution: 1984 - 1988 – construction of the railway tunnels
1998 - 1993 – the first stage in the construction of the metro system

Additional technical data:

  • Combined length of the tunnels: 6640 m (the longest T4 tunnel – 2669 m)
  • Cross sections:  42 – 54 m2
  • Applied technology: the traditional technology with supports made of reinforced concrete

Location

Algieria,
Wilajet Sukajkida, city Sukajkida

Project outline

In Algeria, PeBeKa participated in the execution of the project called “Railroad Tunnels – Ferijijel – Algeria”. The company built six railway tunnels in difficult and changeable hydrogeological and geological conditions. In fact, it was a series of 8 tunnels two of which had been bored during the colonial period.  The railway line connecting the tunnels was to be used to transport iron ore from the port of Jijel to the steelworks located around Djamel.

Four tunnels were bored based on the traditional technology, in temporary standing supports, which were subsequently replaced with permanent concrete supports. The mining operations were based on the blasting method. The other two tunnels were being bored with a division into particular strata, in standing supports, with the simultaneous construction of final supports, at the distance of 45-60 m from the working face. Rock mass was mined mechanically by means of an “Atlas” tunnel excavator with a hydraulic hammer.

 

Greatest challenges

Working in difficult hydrological and tectonic conditions.

Key moment

Boring the first four tunnels.