Four Wirtgen
slipform pavers are playing an important part in the construction of the apron
area for the new Chinese airport. The airport is scheduled to start operations
on September 30, 2019, Beijing New International Airport and is predicted to be
the world’s largest airport on its completion.
Beijing is the main passenger hub in Asia. The new airport is located 67
km from the capital city along the border to Hebei province. It will relieve
pressure on the existing airport northeast of Beijing, currently the world’s
second-largest in terms of passenger volume.
The new airport will initially serve 45 million passengers but will have
a total capacity of 100 million. The concrete paving is being carried out by 4
Wirtgen SP 500 slipform paver units and with full application support from the
Wirtgen Group subsidiary in China.
Low temperatures of around 0°C during the cold winters in Beijing were
one of the challenges the Beijing Sino-Aero Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
team had to face during the construction period of the large apron area.
A total of four Wirtgen SP 500 slipform pavers were paving single-layer
concrete slabs 5 m wide and 42 cm thick over fixed forms. Levelling and
steering parameters were communicated to the Wirtgen machine control system via
string-line sensors.
To withstand the high aircraft loads, the concrete slabs are reinforced
by means of steel dowels. Thanks to the productive performance and the high
machine availability, daily production targets were achieved, adhering to the
tough timeline.
On large-scale job sites, every saving has a significant effect on the
final costs. When choosing the equipment fleet for such a venture, the
contractor must consider several factors.
Minimising manpower was one of the main criteria considered by Sino-Aero
Construction Engineering; they concluded that the Wirtgen slipform pavers were
the right solution for automated, efficient concrete paving.
The process ran smoothly and exactly as scheduled, and the robust paving
mold slipformed the concrete, exceeding the required specifications. Electrical
vibrators emitting high-frequency vibrations ensured optimum compaction of the
concrete during the slipforming process. Last but not least, the oscillating
beam and super-smoother put the finishing touches to the brand new pavement.
More information from Waylon Kukard, Tel:
+27 (0) 11 452 1838 / Cell: +27 (0) 82 929 1449
Email: Waylon.Kukard@wirtgen-group.com
Web: https://www.wirtgen-group.com/southafrica/en/
