Switzerland
Switzerland

San Francisco Tunnel Los Bronces Access Protection

Los Bronces - Anglo American, Los Bronces - Región Metropolitana, Chile
2018
Customer
Anglo American - Los Bronces
Engineering
Geotest
Contractor
Pucará
Protected object
Mine / Quarry, Infrastructure, Other
System height
3.5 m
System length
- 240 m
Corrosion protection
GEOBRUGG SUPERCOATING
Number of barriers
3
Retention capacity
16000 m³
Other installed applications
Underground/Open Pit Mining and Quarries
Initial situation

The San Francisco River is one of the main tributaries of the Mapocho River that crosses the city of Santiago. This river originates and passes the surroundings of the mining site Los Bronces de Anglo American, located in the middle of the Andes Mountain Range. Within its route, the river crosses a tunnel that makes a bypass through the old tailings pond of the mining site.

In summer, this sector is prone to rainfall, producing landslides that block the entrance and exit portals of the tunnel, affecting the riverbed and generating a significant environmental impact when it comes into contact with the tailings pond material.

Description

To protect the portals, a long-term plan has been designed. It begins with mitigation works for the landslides that occurred in the vicinity of the portal. For this purpose, an engineering project was initially developed to model the water flows in the streams and then implement a solution with multiple shallow landslide barriers protecting both portals of the tunnel. The barriers will avoid future environmental impacts due to the diversion of the river waters.

Your local contact

Roger Moor
Roger Moor
Country Manager Ost- und Zentralschweiz, Liechtenstein
Natural Hazards, Coastal Erosion Protection, Mining / Tunnels
Geobrugg AG
Aachstrasse 11
8590 Romanshorn / Switzerland
René Müller
René Müller
Country Manager Kantone AG BE BL BS FR GE JU NE SO VD VS
Natural Hazards, Mining / Tunnels
Geobrugg AG
Industriestrasse 21
5200 Brugg / Switzerland
Isacco Toffoletto
Isacco Toffoletto
Ticino Country Manager
Natural Hazards, Mining / Tunnels
Geobrugg AG Ticino
Stabile Cometal, via Pizzante 7
6595 Riazzino / Switzerland