MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS EXTRACTED IN UNDERGROUND WORKS

Abstract

In France, the future large transport infrastructure projects aremainly rail or urban transport projects, which present significantlinear structures and underground facilities such as tunnels,trenches and stations. These include for example the rail GrandParis Express transport project, the new railway line ProvenceCôte d’Azur with the creation of an underground station inMarseille, the Lyon railway junction (creation of an undergroundstation under the Part Dieu existing station, including its accesstunnels), the Lyon-Turin rail link (base tunnel and accessstructures). These projects represent tens of millions of cubicmeters of excavated materials. The solutions usuallyimplemented for finding a balance excavation / embankment orstockpiling, are no longer sufficient and satisfactory, because ofthe sheer size of the volumes involved and sometimes because ofthe urban nature of these projects. Social, economic and majorenvironmental impacts must therefore lead to look for othersolutions to limit stockpiling, to save natural resources (eco-design) and to limit nuisances related to transport over longdistances. To this end, the CETU and Cerema have partnered todevelop an information note specifying the role andresponsibility of different actors throughout the life of the projectin particular to search, develop and ensure a reliable re-employment and revalorization across the territory in which theproject falls. The regulatory status of excavated material,particularly in relation to waste status, and a proposedmanagement approach on and off-site, with compliance toEuropean and national guidelines for the conservation ofresources and the prevention and waste management, are aspectsalso addressed in this note.