Important warning about the eminent danger that threatens the temple of the Sagrada Familia

Red: screen wall - plan 42 meters deep pilots

The architecture of the Temple is very daring because it is unique and totally original. Nothing like that has ever been built. It is the heaviest building of the city of Barcelona. It is already surrounded by two underground subways, and now they want to build a third tunnel for the high speed train, at a fourth of the distance of the other two from the foundations of the temple. In addition, this last tunnel will go in a very different subsoil. Much deeper and much more dangerous. Without any previous experience of what could happen there.

What is sure however is that there have been previous difficulties and problems in the past two years, which are directly related with the construction and the arrival of the high speed train to the Sants train station in Barcelona.

There is also what is currently happening with the 9 underground line they are building, where a T.B.M (Tunnel boring machine) has been stucked underground for several months now.

Let’s not forget the recent Cologne disaster. (March 3rd, 09) : the tunnel they were doing for the underground made the historical building collapse. A few months later, in Amsterdam, a house also collapsed because of the construction of a tunnel, also for the underground.

The screen wall of the temple which is planned and is already in process, is only 75cm far from the T.B.M. The protective screens is 1,50m wide and it’s piles are only 50cm from each other. In addition they have to go as deep as 42 meters. Considering this distance, -and in spite of what technicians of the T.B.M maintain- it is almost impossible that these piles maintain their verticality and don’t divert. We have done some test in the Sagrada Familia square, where there are no buildings. The risk of collision between them is real and the same risk exists with the foundations of the temple and the T.B.M.