Track construction
Accelerating the construction process - using Concretum concrete in track construction
Concretum concretes are ideal for the new construction and replacement of track systems on existing railroad lines.
Their use allows this work to be carried out with minimal disruption to traffic during operation
Bridge slabs in existing railroad lines can also be constructed with rapid-hardening concrete without interrupting traffic for more than one or two days. Both sealing and paving can be carried out just a few hours after the bridge deck has been cast. Track foundations or underpinnings can be loaded again shortly after concreting. This saves considerable time and, under certain circumstances, makes it possible to dispense with temporary underpinnings and corresponding auxiliary structures.
Joint closures for supports and foundations of railroad bridges that are constructed with rapid-hardening concrete can be loaded just a few hours later. This means that the time saved by using precast elements can be optimally utilized.
Header beams can be constructed with rapid-hardening concrete after the superstructure has been inserted. This means that the waterproofing can be applied just a few hours later and work can begin on installing the tracks. This means that this work can be completed in just one night, for example.
Procedure using the example of VBZ at Stauffacher Zurich
The VBZ streetcar/tram tracks at Stauffacher Zurich had to be replaced. In order for the tram lines to be able to resume rush-hour traffic unhindered on Monday morning, the entire work (track excavation, laying of new tracks and concreting) had to be carried out during a weekend closure. The required 300 m3 of track concrete was to be laid in one day on Sunday.
Solution and assessment
To ensure rapid-hardening, the special concrete Concretum® Q-FLASH 5/20 was used. Using two pumps, the Concretum rapi-hardening concrete was successfully poured on Sunday between 13:00 and 20:00. The set open time of 130 minutes enabled a safer delivery from the Wollishofen concrete plant and there was enough time to pump and vibrate the respective truck mixer concrete; this at a fresh concrete temperature of 30 °C on the construction site.
The consistency was adjusted by the Concretum technicians so that the Q-FLASH 5/20 was easy to pump and that the concrete was always easy to work with during the open time. Just 5 hours after production, the Q-FLASH 5/20 achieved a compressive strength of > 20 N/mm2.
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