Deutsche Bahn has set the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040. Tunnels do not only form a significant part of the infrastructure of future new railway lines but are also closely associated with concrete construction due to their design requirements. Therefore, reducing CO2-emissions in tunnel construction through concrete technology changes can be a significant step towards increasing sustainability in the railway industry. On the one hand, this paper presents approaches for extrapolating concrete quantities and CO2-emissions for new railway lines based on the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030. On the other hand, it examines ways in which the aspect of sustainability can be included in future railway tenders and what leverage clients have in this regard. In order to address these questions and tasks, a systematic literature-based basic research was conducted on the topics of sustainability, railway engineering, concrete construction, tunnelling and the project management of infrastructure projects. In addition to analyzing three current tenders and an expert interview on the integration of sustainability in tenders that was conducted as part of the research project of the DZSF, the above-mentioned extrapolation was also carried out as part of the empirical research. The findings suggest that the integration of sustainability, even in the early planning and project phases, is a necessary strategy for reducing the carbon footprint in the concrete construction of a tunnelling project. The extent of the reduction depends largely on the concrete mix and the specifications provided for this in the tender texts. DB tunnelling tenders have to include clear requirements regarding CO2-reduction in concrete construction in order to achieve a fundamental increase in sustainability.     «

Deutsche Bahn has set the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040. Tunnels do not only form a significant part of the infrastructure of future new railway lines but are also closely associated with concrete construction due to their design requirements. Therefore, reducing CO2-emissions in tunnel construction through concrete technology changes can be a significant step towards increasing sustainability in the railway industry. On the one hand, this paper presents approaches for extrapolating c...     »