The new accelerator tunnel would be nearly four times the size of the present Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It would be able to host particle colliders delivering unprecedented intensities and energies to the worldwide particle physics research community.
Arup been appointed by Cern to undertake conceptual design studies for both the tunnel engineering and geotechnical aspects of the Future Circular Collider (FCC). It has been working closely with Cern and project partners Géotechnique Appliquée Dériaz and Amberg Engineering to deliver the first phase of the study.
A key element has been the development of an early-stage BIM tool to inform performance, risk and cost optimised options for the tunnel. Arup has developed a dynamic web-based GIS application, which integrates numerous existing geological data sources, incorporating the geological, tunnelling and particle collider system constraints in a user-friendly digital environment.
“Using BIM this early on in the design process is invaluable,” says Arup project director Matt Sykes. “It allows us to make critical decisions using data that can be easily visualised, enabling the team to make decisions with a clear overview of the multiple, highly complex components of this ground breaking project.”
“Several layouts for this new machine are under consideration, with the tunnel circumference ranging from 80 to 100km,” says Cern civil engineer John Osborne. “This tool being developed by Arup, will be crucial in the decision making process, to help decide which layout is most feasible.”
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