Vienna Airport

Initial situation

In the parking areas at Vienna Airport the concrete paving had to be replaced on a surface with a width of approximately 7m and a length of approximately 30 m. As the area was an important intersection, the closure periods had to be kept to a minimum. To carry out the construction process as quickly as possible the concrete was installed using a slipform paver.

Solution and assessment

For this project the rapid-hardening concrete Concretum^® Q-FLASH 2/20 was used. It reaches a compressive strength of approximately 20 N/mm² just 2 hours after the start of mixing. As the open time and consistency were adapted to the basic conditions (temperature, approach access, time and type of pouring) it was possible to install the rapid-hardening concrete with a slipform paver in just the same way as conventional concrete. This degree of automation facilitates a very high paving performance. The concrete was produced at a nearby plant, transported to the construction site with tipper lorries and placed in a continuous process in front of the slipform paver.

It was then distributed with the diverter-plow at the front of the paver to be spread and then compacted in the vibrating chamber. Finally, the transversal screed ensured an even surface. After application of a broom finish to provide adequate structure for the surface, curing was applied by spraying.

The knowledge acquired in this paving process represents a milestone in establishing the pouring of the rapid-hardening concrete Concretum^® Q-FLASH 2/20 with slipform pavers.