Research on pipe materials for tunnel drainage by the ÖBB Task Force Drainage

Due to the additional tunnels that are currently under design or
construction, drainage maintenance costs are expected to rise
significantly over the next few years. An increased amount of
maintenance will also be necessary due to older drainage pipes
damaged during intensive cleaning and flushing. To counter
these problems, an internal task force for drainage pipes has
been installed within the ÖBB. Together with research institutions
from several fields of science, projects are being carried out to
find ways to decrease the overall maintenance effort. Topics include
screening of possible rehabilitation methods for damaged
pipes, and investigation of currently used materials with regard to
their mechanical suitability. A multi-disciplinary research topic
has also been initiated to investigate the potential of material
modifications with the goal to decrease overall precipitation in
drainage pipes and associated maintenance. First results on
modified materials already show potential to decrease calcite
precipitation.