NEW DRILLING PROBES ARE UNDERTAKEN NEXT TO LA PEDRERA DUE TO THE AVE WORKS

A few days before the tunnel boring machine Barcino began to open up the AVE corridor that will join the future station of Sagrera with that of Santa – the starting pistol will be next Friday, according to Adif yesterday – the building works relating to the tunnel along its route, advance apace. These last have begun in front of la Pedrera with the objective of recording new subsoil data. This information will establish whether additional measures are required for the protection of the building prior to the passage of the large boring drill, which along this stretch will be under Provença. In order to establish this, drill probes are carried out.

No changes at the Sagrada Família
The construction of the Sagrada Familia protection screen continues according to the plans of Adif. The proposal, suggested by one of the temple engineers and backed by those in charge of the Junta Constructora (Construction Board), of separating the stilts and the tunnel from the temple has not as yet received a positive response from the rail entity. Given the advanced status of the works, it does not appear that the screen will move. And time is against moving the corridor route.

Some sources aware of the advanced status of the works have explained that, in the event that the results of this exploration so advise, a small stilt screen could be built in front of Casa Milà, similar to the one being built in front of the Sagrada Família. This eventuality has been neither confirmed nor denied by Adif, which has limited itself to explaining that these complementary tests are being carried out to provide new data about the ground and will be added to those taken during the first campaign. "We cannot say what will be done in the future, if anything new is indeed done, at the moment they are only drill probes”, explained a spokesperson for the rail entity.

Yesterday, these drill probes surprised many visitors to the popular building designed by Gaudí, one of the most visited in the city and one of the most highly valued from an architectural viewpoint. Some of them knew that the high speed train would pass right in front of the house and for others this was news. Opinions in this respect were of all types, from those who felt confidence in the safety of the work, to those who had serious reservations about the effects it may have on the building, similar to those expressed for the also Gaudinian Sagrada Familia. Despite the dramatic nature of the operation, the drill probes were carried out with little effect on the traffic and the pavement. Yesterday a small stretch of the Provença mountain track was closed and the pedestrian area, which at this point tends to be very crowded, remained practically untouched.

Meanwhile, the building works prior to the start of the tunnel boring machine continue apace. The machine, which has accumulated a significant delay from the originally planned deadlines – it should have begun last autumn – is now ready. For some days now the working shaft can be seen from Mallorca/Biscaia. This point is one of the habitual observatories of the curious who like to follow the evolution of these works up close. Here there are also debates about the convenience of the works. Now that it is about to enter its decisive phase, the different viewpoints are expressed with special vehemence.

The Mallorca shafts at the height of Trinxant and Padilla are also progressing full steam ahead. The first, practically finished, will be vital for evaluating the behaviour of Barcino in its first metres of perforation. This analysis will help to evaluate the response of the cutting tools and will permit the setting of an initial speed of advance. The experts believe it could be of at least ten metres per day. The second shaft will act as a second revision point and, if deemed opportune, maintenance. Work is also being carried out in the Provença shafts at the height of Bruc, and, on the side that touches Sants, in the extraction site, between Entença and Josep Tarradellas.