Almost 65 million passengers are already using the Copenhagen metro network every year, according to the owner and operator Metroselskabet I/S. Meanwhile, there is a high influx of new inhabitants to the Danish capital. Construction of the Cityingen began in 2011 and it is set to be opened by the end of 2019. The underground express train system will connect the Danish Parliament, the City Hall, important national monuments, the central train station and other central areas of the city. There will also be an option to change over to the existing M1 and M2 lines as well as the S-train and regional train. The Cityringen will serve 17 new metro station on the M3 line.

The owner Metroselskabet I/S awarded the construction contract to the Copenhagen Metro Team, a joint venture between the three Italian firms Tecnimont Civil Construction, Salini S.p.a. and Seli. Salini and Impregilo merged into one group in 2014 and now owns 99.9% of the shares of the Copenhagen Metro Team. The drilling operations for the twin-tube tunnel system have already been completed. Two tunnels each with a diameter of 5.78 m and a length of 15.5 km were drilled through the Copenhagen sandstone at a depth of 25 m beneath the surface through EPB-TBM excavation.

With over 300 subcontractors the Cityringen is one of Europe’s largest metro construction projects. The fischer Group of Companies is also involved in the project, supplying numerous product solutions for both temporary and permanent fixings and installations while providing support during their on-site installation. The tunnel construction consists of concrete and reinforced concrete as well as prefabricated segments as the load-bearing structure.

The used fixing and installation systems have been tested in accordance with European and international standards and for the most part have an ETA (European Technical Approval) as well as a UL and ICC approval for the USA and countries in the Far East. The fixing and installation systems are made of high-grade materials such as stainless and non-corrosive steel and are resistant against fire, seismic influences as well as dynamic and impact loads. Marco Cannone, Project Manager for international construction projects at fischer Italy, is heavily involved in the project. “We convinced the contracting authority with our suitable solutions and special developments that were required for the construction of the tunnel”, he is convinced.

Temporary channels, cables and pipes for ventilation, lighting and the supply and disposal of water in the Cityringen were installed using the fischer nail anchor FNA II and the concrete screw FBS in accordance with the corresponding load requirements. Both products allow dismantling. The FNA II is additionally used to prevent the drainage pipe from lifting up through the pre-drilled metal brackets on the tunnel floor. This prevents the drainage pipe from moving from its original position when filling the section with cement. The FNA II was also used to install fire protection plates and to attach reinforcement nets for the die cast fire protection plaster in combination with washers und spacers.

The stainless steel FBN II variant also presses on the waterproofing sheets of the tunnel segments in the area of the stations’ wall ducts, making them water-resistant. The fischer bolt anchor FAZ II and FBN II and the nail anchor FNA II were used for the long-term safe electrical installations in the Cityringen. A fischer channel fixing system is being used in order to install tracks to railway sleepers. The fischer injection mortar FIS EM is being used in combination with the threaded rod FIS A to attach the conductor rail (3rd rail), safely transferring the high loads into the fixing substrate even if the drill hole is shallow. Undercut anchors and substructures by fischer ACT are being used in order to mount the facade cladding in the stations with natural stone and hand-made bricks. The system is suitable for claddings made out of any type of material. It transfer the loads in a form-fit and completely expansion-free manner. Corrosion-resistant and fire tested fischer installation systems affix the pipes and cables for the supply and disposal of electricity and water to the tunnel as well as for its ventilation. The entire fischer Firestop System was also used. The wide range of solutions for passive fire protection helps minimise the spread of fire, smoke and toxic gasses.

A total of 42 kilometres of tunnel along with 24 modern metro stations will be built under Copenhagen under the direction of Metroselskabet. Including above-ground stops, more than 50 metro and city stations are set to be opened between 2019 – 2024.

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