VSL-Intrafor NEWS 2002 N°2 - structuraltechnologies.com · HEAVY LIFTING - Power to the point: VSL's Heavy Lifting system enhances quality, compresses construction schedules and

Strategies for packagesEnvironmental friendly

foundationsFull span pre-casting

in Taiwan

T H E V S L - I N T R A F O R M A G A Z I N E • I S S U E T W O - 2 0 0 2

NEWS

VSoL® 14

high

ligh

ts

NEWS, magazine published by VSL International Ltd. • Scheibenstrasse 70 – Bern, Switzerland and VSL-INTRAFOR • Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. Director of Publication: Jean-Philippe Trin • [email protected] Editor in chief: Jane Rousseau • [email protected] Co-ordinators:Julie Arnoux, Ruth Boss, Anne Perez, Carlos Such, Doris Tong, Brian Callagher. Distribution: Cécile Parmentier • [email protected] Design: Red Line Photos: Y. Chanoît, A. Derek, C. Dumont, V. Paul, B. Strahm, L. Zylberman, other. Copyright: VSL • December 2002 Cover photo: HSRL project, Taiwan

FACTS&TRENDS 4VSL Damping system is launched 4

VSL at fib 2002 Exhibition 5

SITE INSIGHTS 12Hong Kong: Even deeper at Package 7 foundations 12

Australia: The tallest VSoL® for Mount Arthur 14

A two-bridge slide in Prague, CZ 16

Europa Bridge in Portugal: High-tech response 16

Innovative analysis applied to tunneling plugs, France 18

COVER STORY 6COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES & PACKAGESHigh skills packed together 6Interview: Jacky Mazars, an expert in natural risks and structural vulnerability. 11

ENVIRONMENTALPRESERVATION 20Environmental protection concerns for the deep foundations for the Museum of Primitive Arts in Paris. 20

SPECIAL REPORT 22HEAVY LIFTING - Power to the point:VSL's Heavy Lifting system enhances quality, compresses construction schedules and saves costs. 22

TECH SHOW 25HSR TAIWAN:Full span pre-casting for high speed erection 25An unusual alternative option, the“full span

pre-casting” (FSPC) was mooted to build

a 340km Rail Link of primarily Viaduct in Taiwan.

MONITORING 10

HSR TAIWAN 25

DAMPERS 4

3

EDITORIALB Y J E A N - P H I L I P P E T R I N

The projects that our customers are undertaking nowadays are

increasingly complex in terms of technical content, scheduling

and constraints, both environmental and legal.

VSL-Intrafor's engineering capabilities and many years of

experience with challenging projects allow its engineers to imagine

cost-saving solutions that minimise risks to the environment and

cut down the interfaces that customers have to manage. Using its

range of specialisations, VSL-Intrafor can offer integrated, full-

service "packages" that reduce the number of companies involved

in a project and offer greater assurance of meeting deadlines.

When large owners such as the KCRC (Rail) in Hong Kong award

a contract, they take into account a technical rating as well as a

financial one. The principle of selecting the best technical and

financial bid requires that specialised companies be involved in

the tender preparation phase. This gives VSL-Intrafor the

opportunity to demonstrate its technical creativity and draw

attention to its references.

This approach is becoming very popular in many countries, either

through "owner-contractor" partnerships or through a selection

process that gives priority to

risk management, meeting

deadlines and environmental

protection. The teams at VSL-

Intrafor have a crucial role to

play for their customers, and

our "Packages" strategy is the key

to doing it.

Specialist andpartner

> “Spider” is now well on its wayto commercial application. VSL hastaken an active part in thedevelopment of this projectsponsored by EEC, aimed atretrofitting buildings as anearthquake protection measure.The “Spider” method consists ofextending energy dissipation limitsthrough an innovative systembased on the serial coupling ofdamping devices and prestressedcables. The damper cable systemis preloaded and transmits seismicenergy from the building to thedamper via a cable. The damper

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

4

exposed to strong winds, thefriction force has been adjusted toactivate the damper only when thevibration amplitude of the longestcable exceeds 70 mm. After some two years in operation,30 friction dampers were checkedduring a maintenance operation ofthe stays; this operation confirmedthe effective damper behavior, anddemonstrated the ease with whichcomponents may be dismantledand then reassembled in situ. ■Contact: [email protected]

FACTS&TRENDS

VSL Damping System

Ready for action as needed> VSL has developed a frictiondamper to control stay cablevibrations on bridges. The VSLdamper is set up to remain idle forsmall and non-critical vibrationamplitudes, thereby reducing bothwearing and maintenance costs.VSL’s friction damper is currentlybeing used on two bridges: 120 dampers installed on the staycables of the Uddevalla Bridge(Sweden), and 4 dampers installedin 2001 on the longest cables ofthe Gdansk Bridge (Poland). Forthe Uddevalla Bridge, which is

stroke can accommodate thedisplacement of each story. Thissystem offers a promising solutionin that no major additionalstrengthening is required andarchitectural constraints getsatisfied all at the same time.Furthermore, it limits structuralmovement. ■Contact: [email protected]

> The facilities at Lyell McEwinHospital in N. W. Adelaide required16,000 m2 of suspended floor areawith 10-m spans. Authorities werereluctant to accept post-tensioningout of fear over potential collisionswith tendons in coring futurepenetrations. VSL offered theclient a tendon-marking solution,whereby the tops of slabs aremarked with a single continuousline while slab and beam soffitsare stenciled every 5-6 meters. ■Contact: [email protected]

> VSL has built a total of 15 pedestrian bridges in Chileduring 2000 and 2001 and iscurrently working on another 23 units in the vicinity of Santiago.Use of the post-tensioningtechnique in building such bridgeshas produced a major impact:technically and for aesthetics. The company's next step will be to improve designs for urbanconcessionary projects. ■Contact: [email protected]

Australia

Marked out!

Chile

Footbridges:large strides

Earthquake protection

Spider on its way

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

5

Events

VSL at fib 2002> The first fib Congress"Concrete Structures in the 21st

Century" took place in Osaka,Japan, in October 2002. Approx. 80 exhibitors and 2000 visitorsattended the event. VSLInternational held a boothdisplaying the SSI 2000 stay cablesystem and CS 2000 anchorage,and presented several papers atthe conferences: Design andconstruction of precast concretesegmental viaducts on KCRC WestRail Project, Hong Kong (NeilThorburn), Electrical isolation asenhanced protection for post-tensioning tendons in concretestructures (Adrian Gnaegi, JuanAyats), Fire resistance of Ductal®

ultra high performance concrete,

Innovative footbridge in Seoul-Seonyu Footbridge (MouloudBehloul), Controlling vibration ofstay cable, Enhancing the curabilityof stay cable (Yves Bournand),Enhancing the durability of post-tensioned structures by improvingthe quality of grouting (Hans-RudolfGanz, Stéphanie Wildaert), Recentdevelopments in the protection ofprestressing steels (Hans-RudolfGanz). Three awards attributed for"Outstanding concrete structures"went to projects to which VSLcontributed: Bras de la PlaineBridge in the Reunion Island,Vlatava River metro Tunnel inPrague, and the TGV viaducts inAvignon, France. ■ Contact:[email protected]

Australia

A few years in hospitals?

> In Victoria, Australia, both theprivate and public sectors will bespending hundreds of millions ofdollars in building new hospitalsand health facilities over the comingyears. VSL in Australia is targeting

these projects and has already wontwo: Epworth Hospital CentreRedevelopment in Richmond, andStage 1 of the Austin & RepatriationMedical Centre Redevelopment. ■Contact: [email protected]

The best - The Seonyu Ductal®

footbridge constructed by VSLKorea was awarded by theKorea Concrete Institute as “thebest concrete structure”.

New tech award - VSL in Chilehave been awarded the"Technologic DevelopmentAward" by the Chilean Institutefor Cement and Concrete. Thisprize highlights features in highexcellence cement or concreteactivities.

Gallery job - At one of theterminal platforms in Paris'sRoissy Airport, a site whereIntrafor has been workingextensively over the past fiveyears, the company has nowbeen commissioned to build thediaphragm walls for the 240-mlong future baggage-conveyancegallery at module 2E.

Improved version of AMS – VSL's Automatic MonostrandStressing System accuratelystresses each individual strandto the specified load and recordsthe data. The lift-off mode nowpermits to execute automaticlift-off of individual strands of astay cable to detect and recordthe actual strand force.

Enhanced reinforcement cages -Development of the CADAsoftware through a joint projectbetween the Paris and HongKong foundation design officesnow enables the computation andautomatic generation of thedrawings for diaphragm wallreinforcement cages on the basisof force computation results.

ISO9001-2000 - VSL'smanufacturing plant in Hefei,China had its qualitymanagement systemcertification renewed andupgraded to the ISO9001-2000,including the recent bearingsand joints activity. Such adistinction represents a first forany VSL company.

N O T E P A D

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

6

F or over 10 years now, VSLhas been offering customerscomprehensive solutions, or

“packages”, structured around oneof its recognised specialities suchas post-tensioning, constructionsystems or methods. The potentialscope of these packages greweven broader a year ago with theaddition of Intrafor’s exceptionalknow-how in the field of deepfoundations. These packages canbe put together in many differentways to provide customers withproject-tailored services that willoptimise costs and scheduling.

This strategy of offering broadercombinations of services is aresponse to the complexity and inter-related aspects of aproject such as post-tensioning/reinforcement, segment erectionand concrete works in operationsinvolving ever-shorter deadlines.By giving specialists the centralrole in dealing with technicalissues, efforts can be focused ondevising effective solutions to themost complex problems andimplementing them as efficientlyas possible.

At the heart of the action

Whether post-tensioning is used inthe construction of a cantileverbridge, a girder bridge, asegmental bridge erected with alaunching gantry, ground slabs orsome other project, it is always onthe critical path of the workbecause it affects the organisationof the construction cycles and thusthe overall progress of the project.

Likewise, the use of climb forms orslip forms, two other VSL-Intraforspecialities that are well adapted to

the construction of very tall buildingsor the pylons of suspension or cable-stayed bridges, will be a determiningfactor in developing the methods,defining the resources and setting upthe scheduling.

When it comes to deepfoundations, the erection ofdiaphragm walls (Intrafor’s coreactivity for over 30 years) willaffect, for example, how anunderground parking facility isconstructed. Managing theinterfaces with the future floorstakes on major significancebecause it offers a way to savetime and materials by dealing withtwo issues - infrastructure andsuperstructure - at the same time.

At the customer’srequest

The idea of “extended services” or“packages” was inspired by thedemands of customers - demandsthat arise in the continual dialoguemaintained with them concerningpossible technical solutions andthe analysis of possible risks. Thepurpose of this relationship withcustomers is to limit from thebeginning the interactions thatmay complicate or slow down thesuccessful completion of a project.It also allows the responsibility formeeting the stipulated qualitystandards and deadlines to beplaced on a single service provider.In such a relationship, VSL-Intraforis able, if appropriate, to work as apartner with the customer, and notonly as a sub-contractor. This wasthe case, for example, in thePuente de la Unidad Bridge project,a turnkey undertaking in Mexicoexecuted in partnership with one ofthe main companies in Monterrey.

COVER STORY

Comprehensive services & packages

High skills packed togethThe packages —

combined service

offers structured

around a recognised

speciality such as

post-tensioning or

foundations —

are designed to

optimise costs and

scheduling. The

success of this

strategy is becoming

broader. Here are

some examples.

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

Optimising costs

There are many examples of VSL-Intrafor packages in projects in Asia,Central America, South America andEurope. In Asia, for example, VSLsupplied a package of slip form andheavy lifting services for the

construction of the towers of theTsing-Ma suspension bridge in HongKong. Numerous segmental bridgedecks have been built in places likeHong Kong (Hung-Hom bypass,West Rail C201/211, East Rail), Laos(Pakse), Malaysia (2nd crossing),Thailand (NS4, NS7) and recently in

Singapore (the Telok Blangahbridge). In the Gateway project atHong Kong, VSL was called on toprovide a particularly broad range ofservices in the building constructionfield, including climb forms, post-tensioning, table forms and concreteworks. In every case, VSL’s extensive

7

er

The Grupo Garza Ponce - VSL Mexico joint venture hasbeen awarded, as main contractor, the “Puente de laUnidad” construction project, a 300-m long cable-stayed bridge crossing the Santa Catarina River inMonterrey Nuevo Leon (north of Mexico City). Aspartner to this 50/50 joint venture, VSL Mexico hasbeen assigned a scope of works that includes projectmanagement, complete technical and methodssupport, and a portion of production management. VSLMexico will also supply and install both the 220 tons ofpost-tensioning and 440 tons of stays using the SSI2000 system. Structural design has been performedby the joint venture set up between SOCSA, a localcompany, and International Bridge Technologies Inc.,a US company based in San Diego, California.The bridge is composed of a single 60-degree inclinedpost-stressed pylon on the south side of the crossing,

fastened onto a massive 8,000-m3 concrete slabfooting up to 5 m thick. The entire structure reaches160 meters in height; 13 pairs of stays on thenorthern side have been installed to support the maindeck and its four-lane traffic. The pylon is beingerected along the alignment of a major highway,which has been temporarily diverted while awaitingproject completion and opening of the ensuinghighway crossing. The deck is composed of a 100-m long concrete transitional span, designed toaccommodate two access ramps, along with a 150-m long composite (structural steel and concrete)element connecting to the northern viaduct. This US$ 17-million project, contracted for the Nuevo Leon government, commenced in June 2002and is scheduled for opening by August 2003. ■ Contact: [email protected]

PUENTE DE LA UNIDAD: A PACKAGE FOR DESIGN & BUILD

Complete bridge supply

▲

C O M P R E H E N S I V E S E R V I C E S

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

8

involvement benefits the primecontractor by improving its ability tomeet deadlines. In addition, havingVSL supply several services meansthat supervision costs of a value-added business are spread out,thereby reducing their impact onunit costs.

Rail project in Hong Kong with fivelaunching girders, constructed theBayan Barn segmental bridge inPenang, Malaysia and completedthe precasting of beams for CollinsStreet, in Melbourne, Australia.Packages like these are attractingthe attention of companies

COVER STORY

EAST RAIL KCRC: A PACKAGE FOR CONSTRUCTION METHODS

14 fronts simultaneously

Whereas in-situ options such as cast-in-place and pre-cast segmental structures are well known in Taiwan,with multiple standard and advanced shoring systemscommon throughout the island, a technique such fullspan pre-casting promised the structural advantagesof a single monolithic box girder for the double track(14m wide) plus a speed of erection faster than onebridge span per day. See page 25. ■

Our business is serviceIn 2002, VSL-Intrafor has done theprecasting and erection of 700-tonne beams on a 20-km section ofthe high-speed train line betweenTaipei and Kaoshung in Taiwan. Italso continued work on the East

HSRL PROJECT IN TAIWAN: A PACKAGE FOR FULL SPAN PRE-CASTING AND ERECTION

Over 600 bridge spans

construction of 286 spans, built span-by-span, and 20 FCM spans erected with cranes. Overall, 4,449 segments are to be erected, stressedtogether with 3,210 tons of post-tensioning. Theproject reached a critical production peak in August:12 erections fronts, featuring 6 under-slung gantryunits, 1 overhead gantry unit and 3 sets of scaffoldingsystems, plus 2 erection fronts for the FCMconstruction were mobilized and simultaneouslyoperating; 46 staff members and a crew of some210 workers were involved. Completion of theerection works is scheduled for February 2003. ■Contact: [email protected]

The East Rail KCRC project represents a truechallenge for the VSL Hong Kong site team in termsof organising an around-the-clock schedule of works.This meant accommodating erection of the segmentsover highways during night shifts and a constantly-changing sequencing of the works program (heavilyinfluenced by pier availability and local trafficconstraints). In January 2001, VSL HK, in partnership,signed a contract with the Necso-China State-HipHing Joint Venture for the construction of East RailKCRC extensions in Hong Kong (Contracts TCC200and 300). With an overall bridge deck length of 10,800 meters, the project includes the

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

undertaking projects in Europeand across the Atlantic, such asthe Brides Glen incrementallylaunched bridge in Ireland, thecable-stayed bridge at Monterrey,Mexico and turnkey pedestrianbridges in Chile. Expertise in soilstabilization and post-tensioning isalso being combined today in the

construction of industrial groundslabs in Australia, Chile and France.

This “package” strategy, whichcurrently represents over 15% ofVSL-Intrafor’s revenues, is beingdeveloped thanks to the outstandingtechnical capabilities of theengineering offices in Singapore,

Paris and Switzerland and of theSpecial Project teams headed byexperienced professionals. Itssuccess is reflected in the efficienttechnical solutions generated forclients through relations ofmutual confidence, where theword “service” takes on its fullmeaning. ■

9

Intrafor-VSL signed a contract for the construction ofa retention basin measuring 22 m in internaldiameter and approximately 7.5 meters in depth. The peripheral wall consists of a diaphragm wall,whereas the basin bottom has been designed in post-tensioned concrete, owing to the fact that the slab willbe required to withstand considerable loading/unloading stresses.The conforming solution is a circular diaphragm wallalong with a conventional reinforced concrete slab1.10 m thick able to resist uplift by virtue of anextensive system of micropiles. As a project variant,Intrafor-VSL proposed building a diaphragm wall tosuit a 0.90-m thick prestressed slab (with the loadtransfer modification serving to up the thickness from0.60 m to 0.90 m). This slab design relies on a corbelconnected to the diaphragm wall.To perform these works, the diaphragm 0.52 m-thickwall has been surmounted by a peripheral coping

beam. The post-tensioned slab, designed as a 22-mdiameter post-tensioned plate with a 3-m boreholereserved at the center to account for potential heavycracking damage, responds in order to withstand upliftexerted on the coping beam attached to the diaphragmwall, with a water-stop system installed to ensurewatertightness between apron and beam. Post-tensioning was applied using six 6”-strand cableswith a 22-meter variable length divided into two levels. This set of cables is anchored by means of passiveanchorages of type “H” at both extremities and of type“Z” over the central zone. The value inherent in this innovative variant isfourfold: increased steel and excavation quantities,reduction in slab thickness, improvement in slabwatertightness (thanks to post-tensioning), and time savings due to elimination of the micropileoperation… ■ Contact: [email protected]

CHATEAUDUN STORMWATER BASIN: A PACKAGE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE / SUPERSTRUCTURE INTERFACE

Foundation — post-tensioning synergy

EE

EB

Diaphragm wall

Micropiles

Reinforcedconcrete slab

EE

EB

Diaphragm wall

Supporting

Prestressed

W.S

slab

corbel

CONFORMING SOLUTION VSL-INTRAFOR SOLUTION

C O M P R E H E N S I V E S E R V I C E S

10

COVER STORY

Structures are undergoing permanent changethroughout their life cycles: service requirements,loading conditions and physical properties ofcomponent elements. This is why VSL is developingnew systems that enable monitoring the “health” and the aging of structures. VSL’s monitoringstrategy focuses on structures such ascable-stayed bridges, LNG tanks,deep foundations and other types ofbuildings. Packages include: riskanalysis, functional analysis (bothfor determining parameters tobe monitored, relevant alarmthresholds and possiblecorrective action). The nextsteps in the VSL proposal areinspection andinstrumentation (forobtaining quantitativeinformation on identifiedparameters), evaluationand interpretation ofresults, prognosis ofsubsequent evolution,and action proposals.Together with this“health analysis”,maintenance activitiesare offered to providea full servicepackage.

PACKAGES FOR STRUCTURAL MONITORING

Full-service package against ageingThese “monitoring packages” are offered as anadditional VSL-Intrafor service to provide the clientwith value-added benefit and long-term cost savings by generating solutions that match specific needs. As an example, when sensors are intalled in order to measure critical parameters (such as loadingconfigurations, stress, strain, temperature,displacement, inclination, vibration and fatigueloading), checking the sensor installation strategy can prove to be useful by optimising the use and the type of sensors needed.

In-house R&D have placed emphasis on durabilityissues, new methods, chain measurement and sensorconfigurations. Development analysis, testing andapplication tools are now provided and adapted to VSLsystems. Promising results have already been

achieved on various R&D projects and additionaltools have been derived, thus allowing VSL to bothassess the actual condition of stay cable systemcomponents and predict subsequent evolution…making a truly full-service “package against aging”

available on the market.

VSL-Intrafor is also in the process of joiningforces with experienced partners specialized in

diagonostic tools and in predictive analysis,signal processing and management ofexisting structures. ■ Contact:[email protected]

VSL entered the instrumentation market in the 1980’s with a widerange of sensors and has beenoffering technical assistance aswell as sensor installationservices. Today’s challenges lie in thefield of structural durability.

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

11

What do you mean by “structuralmonitoring”?It is something that is not donewidely enough. For many years weput all our energy into building,with the principal aim of developingthe country’s infrastructures, butwithout considering how thesestructures would age. “Risk” was aterm that was not used very much30 years ago. Attitudes havechanged today. Safety is at stake,and more thought is given to whatwill happen to these assets overtime. It is the capacity to diagnose astructure’s condition at a givenmoment. It is a bit like a medicalcheck-up. Visual inspections arenot always adequate. Moresophisticated systems ofmeasurement must be put in place.

What kind of structures does this science of structural

health apply to?First, all structures thathave a long life span, suchas bridges, tunnels anddams. It also concerns“sensitive” structures: that

is, ones whose suddenshut-down wouldinterfere with thenormal functioning ofsociety, such as power

plants or healthand public safetyfacilities.

How does monitoring improvestructural durability?It systematically tracks normalphenomena like the ageing of thematerials - for example, thecorrosion of steel or degradation ofconcrete. Take pure water: it canrepresent a danger because itabsorbs minerals. By dissolving theconstituents of concrete, watermakes it less resistant. If, inaddition to these normalphenomena, your structure issubjected to excessive loads oreven slightly shifting ground,damage can occur and accelerateageing process.

What is the market for this type ofanalysis?Contracting authorities benefit iftheir structures last as long aspossible. Maintenance andmonitoring are crucial to makingsure that everything goes well.Ideally, the monitoring devicesshould be incorporated in thestructure when it is built. We arecoming around to systems similarto those installed in recentautomobiles that allow garagemechanics to get data on a vehicle’svital functions simply by connectingit to a monitor. However, besides the riskassociated with “classic” durability,there is the whole area of accidentalrisk related to violent shocks,

natural phenomena, explosions andso on. Risk is a field of knowledgethat needs to be developed.

How can the additional cost of thismonitoring be recovered?In an area where seismic risk ismoderate, protection for buildingamounts to only 5% of the totalbuilding cost, if it is taken intoaccount at the time of theconstruction. It is nearly marginal.As for existing structures, forexample, the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, has started aprogramme to strengthen all itsbuildings to make themearthquake-resistant. Cost is aboutone quarter or one-third of thevalue of the property! Anotherexample is the highway tunnels.Improving air circulation keeps theair fresh, but also slows downstructural ageing due to thecombined attacks of exhaust fumesand humidity. Monitoring in thiscase can substantially increase thelife span of the structure, perhapsas much as doubling it! Dealingwith this sort of problem callsspecialists, who stay abreast ofengineering requirements andresearch. Sophisticated forecastingtools call for interpretation and theintegration of probability brackets.

What makes VSL well qualified inmonitoring services?VSL has a strong background andlong-standing reputation in post-tensioning, reflecting extensiveknowledge in a high-tech area ofthe construction industry. Post-tensioning is a very specialbusiness. By analysing feedbackdata from past projects, it can takeinto account the future evolution ofstructures as of the design phase. A construction company thatnaturally gives seriousconsideration to the way structureswill change over time definitely hasa “culture of monitoring”. That iswhy it is well positioned to be aleader in the trend towardmonitoring durability and risk. ■

“Every functionalaspect of a bridge shouldbe monitored!”

Jacky Mazars, formerly deputy director of the Ecole NormaleSupérieure de Cachan, is a member of the board of directors ofOxand, a company of EDF Group, devoted to Risk Management ofstructure ageing. He is also director of the research platform“Natural Risks and Structural Vulnerabilities” (Université JosephFourier & Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, Cemagref -LCPC). He is an internationally recognised expert in structuralmechanics and durability in the field of civil engineering.

Interview

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

> Foundations are now well ontheir way in Package 7 of HongKong's Kowloon Station developmentproject, whose foundations systemdesign and construction wasawarded to Intrafor in a joint venturein January 2002. This 102-storeyoffice-hotel tower, developed by SunHung Kai Properties Limited, will beone of the tallest buildings in theworld. The foundations are

composed of a 76-m circulardiaphragm wall shaft, 297 barrettesup to 100 m deep and a compositebentonite-cement / sheet-pileperimeter wall. The diaphragm wallis now standing and 2/3 of thebarrettes have already been cast. In order to complete constructionwithin the tight contractual period(20 months), seven cranes and threehydromills have been deployed on

Hong Kong

Ever deeper and higher!

SITE INSIGHTS

site. Among the extensive equipmentinvolved in this project is Intrafor'sbrand-new BC40 cutter. Dailyexcavation has reached an averageof about 450 m3. A fully-computerized grouting container isalso being used by Intrafor toperform shaft grouting, one of thekey elements to the developmentplan.■ Contact: [email protected]

12

Spain

PT silo in Almeria

> In order to increase the storagecapacity of a silo 30 m in diameterand 40 m high while complying withenvironmental regulations in effectat the Carboneras cement plant inAlmería (southeastern Spain),Holcim opted for a post-tensioned

silo with a steel roof solution. The post-tensioning has consistedof 70 horizontal rings with 12/0.6"-strand cables alternating over 90º,132º and 180º within the first 6 meters and then over 180ºthroughout the remainder. This configuration thus gives riseto 4 buttresses 75 cm thick. Thecentre to centre spacing of thehorizontal cables in the wallincreases with height to enablestressing all cables to the same

230 t foce, by that fully optimizingall anchorage components. Silo walls are supported on 188 BS-type guided Strongholdbearings and include a 4x4 m doorfor maintenance purposes; thewalls were slipformed (by CTT-Stronghold together with GBG) overa 20-day period. The steel roof waslifted in conjunction with theslipforming operation, therebyreducing overall construction time.■ Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

> Sydney Park Village is a largelow-rise residential project of 229 units located immediatelysouth of Sydney. The site servedpreviously as a brickpit, then as alandfill, required an innovativefoundation solution. This was a600-mm thick post-tensionedbasement raft slab partiallysupported on steel piles at variablespacings; tendon units were 6-5 in

two layers and two directions. Atotal of 101 tons of post-tensioningwas required over a 6,600-m2

surface area. VSL was alsoawarded the project’s suspendedfloors component (26,300 m2).Following the contract award, VSLwas requested to produce finaldrawings for initial pours andmobilized on site within 2 weeks. ■Contact: [email protected]

13

Calling on VSL - VSL in SouthAustralia was nominated as asubcontractor for the JP Morgan Australasian CallCentre construction project.This structure utilizes compositebeams. Steel shear studs werewelded onto steel beams forintegration with the concrete slab.

Former quarries - As part of the new “Olympiades” station for the metro line in Paris,Intrafor is consolidating formerunderground limestone quarrysites and backfilled formersurface quarries viagravitational injection andtreatment injection, hence atotal of 13,300 meters ofperforation and 2,660 m3 ofinjections.

Full encapsulation - On the InnerCity Bypass project in Brisbane,VSL is drilling, supplying andinstalling 47 fully-encapsulatedpermanent anchors to act as abuoyancy restraint at the middleof the ground slab.

Large VSoL® - On the Port ofBrisbane Motorway project, VSLhas been contracted to install1,680 m2 of VSoL® walls varyingin height from 6 to 11 m. Thepanels used are 2.4-m square.

Safe and sound - VSL Dubai hasbeen subcontracted to supplyand provide technical assistancefor post-tensioning works on theTareeq Sarie Highway Projectbridge structures in Jubail,Saudi Arabia. As a result ofVSL's sound performance on theproject thus far, Phase 2 of theTareeq Sarie contract has alsobeen awarded to VSL Dubai.

N O T E P A D

Australia

From brickpit to suspended floors

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

14

SITE INSIGHTS

> Repairs on the Hai Van PassRailway Tunnel renovation projecthave now entered the constructionphase. These works entaildemolishing the existing tunnellining, composed of both concrete(vault) and masonry (walls), andthen securing the excavation leftopen with rockbolts and shotcrete.A complementary shotcrete layerfor filling voids is to be applied and awaterproofing membrane installed,using 3 layers of shotcrete coveringreinforced with either wire mesh orfibers. The repair works includeconstruction of this new structureover a total length of 670 meters aswell as renovation of the four tunnelentrances. Two working trainscomprise 11 special-purposewagons to be sequenced dependingon the production cycle and split

> For the car park underneaththe Auchan shopping center inWarsaw, the existing supportstructure of the beams does notallow for sufficient dilatation.

into several units workingsimultaneously in diffrent areas.Operations are conducted over ashort possession time span lasting6 hours. VSL France, inpartnership, concluded thiscontract late last year with VietnamNational Railways (VNR) for therenovation of 4 railway tunnelswithin the Hai Van Pass region,close to the city of Danang in themiddle section of the country.These tunnels, part of the strategicnorth-south railway link betweenHanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, hadsuffered from aggressive waterpenetration, exposure to climaticconditions and aging. The project isscheduled for completion by theend of 2004. ■ Contact: [email protected]

Vietnam

Wagons lined up to reline a tunnel

Poland

New profilefor 400beam ends

Australia

The tallest VSoL®

for Mount Arthur

> As part of a major BHP-Billitoncoal development, VSL-Intraforcompleted a large-scale dumphopper structure in March 2002 for John Holland Pty Ltd. The scope of works included thedesign of two VSoL® hopperstructures and the supply of both 3,300 m3 of facing panels

and 220 tons of reinforcing meshand components. These VSoL®

walls represent the tallest everinstalled by VSL-Intrafor in theAustralasian region: 22.6 m. VSL also offered the full range ofarchitectural facing elements forthis job. ■Contact: [email protected]

The solution designed by VSL'sTechnical Center Europe allowsthe horizontal slab movement bymeans of creating a gap betweenbeams and columns and installingbearing pads under the newlycorbel-supported beams. The loadgets transferred from existingcorbels to temporary supportsequipped with jacking units. Theexisting corbels are then sawedand removed so as to provide a 10-mm gap between beams andcolumns. Beam-ends aresubsequently strengthened and re-profiled. The new corbels, madeof two precast "C"-shaped concreteelements, are fitted to the columnwith post-tensioning bars, followedby installation of the bearing pads.The load is then re-transferredfrom temporary supports to thecolumns. These works, whichencompass repairs to 57 columnsand 400 beams, will be completedby the end of November 2002. ■Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

15

> After a 6-month delay in 2001due to local political hurdles, thefinal precast girder on SegmentNo. 3 of the Cebu South CoastalRoad Project was cast in July anderected in August. The parapetrailings are due to be completed byDecember 2002, some 3 monthsahead of the contractually-stipulated target date. Thisprogram compression wasachieved thanks to the close

> A large-scale land reclamationproject (200 hectares) is beingconducted by the government ofHong Kong SAR at Penny's Bay onLantau Island for the constructionof the new Disneyland amusementpark. Stage 1 started up towardsthe beginning of 2001 and isscheduled for completion by theend of 2002. This large reclamationundertaking involves: the removalof soft soils from the seabed bydredging (42 million m3), placementof sand fill on the dredged seabed(67 million m3) and compaction of

Hong Kong

Heavy duty compaction for Disneyland

Philippines

Cebu project nearingcompletion

the sand fill (40 million m3).Dredging and placement of sandfill are being undertaken byHollandsche AannemingMaatschappij BV (HAM), while sandcompaction and testing lie withinIntrafor's scope of works. Thevibroflotation technique (heavy-dutyvibrating pokers for in situ sandcompaction) is used by Intrafor inorder to meet requirements interms of strength and settlement.The sand fill is placed 15 metersabove water level to provide atemporary load of 4 m above the

working relationship andcoordination between VSL andTaisei Marubeni Joint Venture. The project, a 1.4-km long x 16-mwide bridge over water with atypical span length of 35 m, hadbegun in September 2000. VSL'sassigned contribution was dividedinto 5 subcontracts that incorporatedthe structure from the copingbeam level upwards. Overall, thisscope represents some 8,700 m3 of

finished level, with vibroflotationworks being carried out from thetop of the load to depths reaching 38 m. The quantities of sand to becompacted, along with theextremely heavy equipmentinvolved (up to 16 rigs working 24 hours a day), make this projectone of the largest vibrocompactionjobs ever taken on. In october, anew contract to carry out 10 000stone columns has been awardedto the JV. ■ Contact: [email protected]

concrete, 2,725 tons of reinforcingsteel and 470 tons of post-tensioning. The project alsoprovided VSL with the opportunityto introduce Honel expansion jointtechnology in the Philippines. ■ Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

16

> The fixed Rostock crossingproject through the mouth of theWarnow River is drawing to aclose. VSL Germany provides thesupply and installation job for 150 tons of bonded post-tensioningin the tunnel structure and 50 tonsof post-tensioning installed at threebridges crossing the tunnelapproach roads. This submergedtunnel consists of six elements andtwo portals. Each element

> For the Europa Bridge projectin Coimbra, which includes 13 distinct bridges and viaducts,VSL is supplying 750 tons of post-tensioning and 400 tons of staycables. The main bridge extends329.4 meters in length, with one186.5-m span and a total of 67 precast segments. The staycables have been categorized into19 principal pairs and 9 retentionpairs, ranging from 6-55 to 6-31 tendons and then from 6-91 to 6-37 tendons (for rearstays). All active anchorages are tobe installed on the pylon. On thisjob, VSL is using individualgalvanized and greased strands(protected by means of HDPE staypipes), individual tensioning,replaceable strands, an external

Portugal

High-tech response for the Europa Bridge

SITE INSIGHTS

tightly-extruded HDPE coatingpipe with helical ribs, andvandalism protection on both deckanchorages and retention blocks.■ Contact: Carlos Correia(ccorreia@vslsistemas)

Germany

For stiffness

Morocco

First beam

track in Prague. ILM technologyhad not been used in this regionfor several years. Bridgeconstruction by means of thismethod is basd on segmental deckproduction in a casting yardlocated in front of the bridgeabutment. The deck is pulled outof the casting yard after particularsegment tensioning. The bridge isincrementally launched onsupports, that are equiped withlateral guides and slidingbearings. A steel nose is fixed atthe front of the deck to reduce thebending moment o the firstsegments.VSL Systemy (CZ) s.r.o.is participating in both designingthe casting yard and detailing thelaunching method to be used. Thesystem relies on braking as well aspulling units. VSL's responsibilitiesinclude overseeing deck-slidingoperations (two bridges launchedsimultaneously) and performingthe post-tensioning works. ■ Contact: [email protected]

> VSL Systemy (CZ) s.r.o. isproviding incrementally-launchedtechnology (ILM) in theconstruction of two bridges on theHlubocepy-Barrandov tramway

Czech Republic

Two-bridge slide in Prague

comprises eight sections 15 m inlength. In order to provide thenecessary stiffness while the 120-mlong elements are being floated intoposition, the eight sections arelongitudinally stressed against oneanother. Once an element has beencorrectly located, the tendons arecut at the seven construction joints,allowing for small rotations of thesections. As a chain, the entireelement can then settle smoothlyonto the riverbed. ■ Contact: [email protected]

> In August 2002, VSL loweredthe first beam of the LaayouneWharf restoration project.This project represents 2 M2 and 2 years worth of business to providetechnical assistance and heavy liftingservices for some thirty prestressedconcrete beams, each measuring 45 m in length and weighing 110 tonnes. ■ Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

17

Ireland

Dublin port projectdelivered

> The El Golf 2001 project offersa total surface area of 58,000 m2,split into 7 underground levels and22 upper levels, and representsone of the year's largest in Chile. It is located in one of the mostupscale areas of Santiago adjacentto two other VSL post-tensioningprojects: Banmedica (1995) andIsidora 2000 (1999). All three ofthese projects have involved thesame teams (client, architects & engineers, contractor). At the

> This underground highway forthe Port of Dublin tunnel project,the Mowlem-Piling - Intraforconsortium (in partnership withMowlem and Irish Co.) installedbetween June 2001 and August2002 more than 50,000 m2 ofdiaphragm walls (1,200-1,500 mmin thickness). Given the very poorquality backfill, black clays and a limestone substratum withinconsistent strength, adaptationsto both tools and methods wererequired: most diaphragm wallsections had to be excavated usingcable-driven buckets with 4 stationsoperating during peak shifts.

Chile

Slabs for El Golf

end of last year, VSL Chile beganpromoting the VSL-bonded post-tensioning slabs using the systemdeveloped in VSL Argentina, whichis basically the monostrand anchorS5N, with a single polyethyleneduct. An excellent track recordfrom past projects convinced theclient to approve the new bondedsystem. ■Contact: [email protected]

Technical lineup - For theexecution of 276 piles on the A4 motorway near Paris,Intrafor has simultaneouslyimplemented: dry boring, casedboring by vibratory driver anddry boring with permanentcasing; cased boring byvibratory driver and dry boringwith temporary casing extractedupon completion of concreting;and dry-cased boring usingoscillator with casing removalupon completion of concreting.

Bayan Baru - For this viaductproject, VSL Malaysia will erect37 precast spans for the mainviaduct and 18 for the ramps.Completion planned for mid 2003.

Over the Neva - VSL has beenawarded the technical assistanceand supply/ installation of thestay cables system on the NevaRiver Bridge in Saint Petersburgfor Mostootriad 19, a new VSLclient in Russia. Installation ofthe stays (600 tons of strands)will start in April 2003.

Specially for gas - On the DahejLNG tank in the Western Stateof India, one of the first projectsunder the ownership ofPetronet LNG in India, VSL issupplying PT materials,horizontal and vertical tendons,all PT equipment and technicalassistance plus site supervision.

A first in Vietnam - VSL wasawarded by SumitomoConstruction the installation of234 tons of SSI 2000 stay cablesfor the Kien Bridge, the firstprecast segmental stay cablesbridge in Vietnam.

N O T E P A D

A cutter was activated on a sectionwhere the intrusion of strongerlimestone (Rc > 100 MPa) hadreached 8 meters. This exceptionalproject - comprising a 52-mdiameter shaft excavated over 32 meters and two hatches 400 and350 m in length - was executedwithout interruption over a 15-monthperiod and mobilized up to 25 Intrafor staff members. It is thefirst large european infrastructureproject for VSL-Intrafor to bedelivered, the next one beeing thehuge Groene Hart project. Bothshow the group’s capacity to work in all types of ground, from veryhard to very soft. ■Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

18

> Within the scope of the Pariswestern bypass project (A86highway), VSL-Intrafor acts asauthorized representative of aconsortium contracted to build adiaphragm wall box (155 m x 23 m x 23 m). This structure is to serveboth as a breakout shaft for the 11-m diameter tunnel boringmachine (TBM) operating north-to-south then south-to-north and asventilation shafts for tunnelsections already placed into service.Two ground treatment breakouts(“plugs”) have thus becomenecessary to support the groundmass and withstand the pressure asthe TBM rises to the surface insidethe structure. These plugs, made of

France

Innovative analysis applied to tunneling plugs

SITE INSIGHTS

1.50-m thick cement groutpavement, were designed by VSL-Intrafor using a truly innovativecomputation method.While the technical sizingspecifications (e.g. 3-MPaminimum simple compressivestrength) were imposed by theclient, the computation methodwas left entirely up to VSL-Intrafor.Since the plug turns out to be asolid element, conventionalsoftware applications for sizingstructural supports could not beadapted. A simplified approachbased on material strengthformulae (which consider the plugas a rectangular plate resting on itscircumference) was also feasible,yet this approach would have led toexcessive plug thickness.The VSL-Intrafor foundation designoffice proposed a sizing procedurethat entails a finite elementcomputation program for modelingthe ground with a multitude ofsmall-sized (mesh) elements inorder to study each element’sindividual behavior. This computation procedurethereby enabled: validating thecompressive and shear stresses inall possible cross-sections;estimating the displacements andsettlements at any point; andincorporating successive projectstages throughout the entireservice life of the plug. Thethickness was determined so as toensure that the plug remains fullycompressed when exposed tovarious applicable loads (i.e. thrustof earthen material, TBM thrustupon arrival, deadweight). Thesolution proved to be elegant,reliable and a more economicalmeans for solving a rathercomplex problem. ■ Contact: [email protected]

> In October 2001, VSL wasselected by the WesternPennsylvania Conservancy toperform the restoration work ofboth the master bedroom andliving room cantilevered terracesof Frank Lloyd Wright’s historicFallingwater. Designed in 1935 andcompleted in 1939, Fallingwater isrecognized as one of the mostunique houses ever built inAmerica. The Fallingwaterrenovation plan recognized theneed for strengthening as well asconcrete repair. Special attentionwas required during constructionto prevent damage to thearchitectural features andlandscaping. At the main terracelevel, strengthening involvedbonded post-tension tendonsparallel to the cantilever girdersand unbonded tendons in thetransverse direction. Thestrengthening plan also called forsteel members to be bolted toeach side of the master-levelconcrete joist directly above thefour ‘T’-shaped mullions. Inaddition, VSL repaired andstrengthened the master-levelparapet walls. In respect ofFallingwater’s pristine setting,restoration and repair activitieswere conducted with great care tominimize environmental impactson the stream, the falls and thesite’s landscaping. The VSLtechnology solutions employedherein included both monostrandand multistrand cables. ■Contact: [email protected]

USA

VSL buoys upFallingwater

Model mesh and normal stresses: stress concentration in the vicinity

of the diaphragm wall opening and formation of a compression arch in the plug.

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 2

19

> For the Taney Bridge in Dublin,an alternative design for the maindeck is based on units to be castlike shells, leaving the centerdevoid of any reinforcement orconcrete and keeping the weight of the deck during construction toa minimum. VSL, which providedinput to develop this alternative, is also supplying and installing 52 SSI-2000 stay cables. ■ Contact: [email protected]

Ireland

Dublin’sGolden Gate

Australia

Terragong Swamp Bridge> The ongoing Terragong SwampBridge project, locatedapproximately 150 km south ofSydney and extending 942 metersin length, is part of a bypass toredirect coastal highway traffic.Constructed over swampland, the 23.1-m wide, 30-span bridgeessentially consists of a low-levelviaduct with short spans tominimize foundation loads. VSL’s scope of works encompassedpost-tensioning of 3 spans. In order to provide for enhancedcontinuity/cost savings, the 41 m-long main span has beensupported on “V” piers. The two legs of the “V” weretemporarily tied together with 40-mm diameter VSL HRstressbars. ■Contact: [email protected]

> Initiated in 2000, the 8-km longGroene Hart tunnel project on theDutch high-speed rail line hasprovided Intrafor with theopportunity to undertake someexceptional structures in a newnational market and under mostchallenging soil conditions (peat,loosely-compacted sand, etc.)within a heavily-protected zone.The overall works programcontains both diaphragm walls(53,900 m2) and slurry trench piles(38,100 m2) and calls for creatingtwo tunnel access hatches andthree ventilation shafts. Thenorthern hatch and two of theventilation shafts have alreadybeen completed using the so-

The Netherlands

Challengespiling up!

called “Soil Mixing” process.The installation of slurry trenchpiles with prefabricated low-levelled piers represents anotherVSL-Intrafor company innovation(see News Magazine issue 1,2001). Designed by the Intraformethods office, this tremieconcrete technique can be appliedon sites where more conventionalpile-driving solutions, areimpossible due to depths involved.

Intrafor used the “Jet Grouting”technique on several structures(over 1 500 linear meters in all).Intrafor has also earned the VCAcertification for site safety.Work on the final ventilation shaft(Bent) is underway and the longand deep Southern hatch isscheduled for completion nextspring. ■ Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

20

Paris’s Museum of Primitive Arts,represents France’s first majorState-sponsored project under thenation’s new five-year presidency.The structure is to be located nearthe Seine River in the vicinity of thePresident’s Office annex and of anumber of the city’s mostprestigious avenues. Last but notleast, near the Eiffel Tower. Withinsuch a setting, the variousbasement levels of this buildingrequire undertaking specific worksto ensure the utmost inenvironmental protection.

This deep foundations contractincludes: a peripheral diaphragmwall 735 meters long and up to 32 meters high; a watertight,definitive plastic wall 520 mmthick; a series of 1,000-mmdiameter bored-molded foundationpiles, “protective” piles drivenusing a continuously-operating

Noise-free, vibration-freeexcavation

SPECIAL REPORT

Environmental protection concerns raised during building

projects, as regards neighbors, the subsoil and the

structure itself, have been taking on increasing

importance for project owners. The deeply-embedded

foundations for the Museum of Primitive Arts in Paris

have asked for special measures to limit both noise and vibrations.

Foundations for the Museum of Primitive Arts in Paris

800-mm diameter auger; pumpingshafts for both draining theenclosure and monitoring theplastic wall; definitive pressure-relief drains to protect againstexcess water table pressure in thedeepest zone; and a shoringsystem to hold the walls (weighingapprox. 150 tons) in place. This building program alsoencompasses a portion (18,000 m3)of the earthwork required to installthe corresponding infrastructure.

A prestigious address

The key difficulty in performingthese works pertains to both thebuildings along the famous avenuede la Bourdonnais and thePresident’s Office annex next tothe museum structure.Consequently, diaphragm walldeformation thresholds wereestablished.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L P R E S E R V A T I O N

An exceptional site

Wall excavation

Excavation along the abuttingstructures

A typical audiometer

Fact sheetProject owner:Etablissement Public du Muséedu Quai Branly, Paris (QuaiBranly Museum Authority)

Project Architects/Engineers:A.J.N. - Jean Nouvel Architect(Representative), INGEROP, O.T.H.

Diaphragm wall: 18,409 m2,consisting of 116 panels from500 to 1000 mm in thickness

Grout wall: 990 m2, minimum thickness: 0.52 m

Piles: 32nos 800-Ø units, 22nos 1,000-Ø units

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

21

axis) was introduced in the aim ofmitigating nuisances for neighbors.A “red” limit serves to protect thebuilt structures, through invoking therules applicable to mechanicalvibration emissions for landmarkedfacilities, i.e.: frequencies of between4 and 8 Hz = 4 mm/sec; frequenciesbetween 8 and 3 Hz = 6 mm/sec; and frequencies between 30 and 100 Hz = 9 mm/sec.

This 7-month project involved 3 to4 cable-driven bucket excavationassemblies, 1 sludge mixing plant,2 tooling stations for sludge-basedpile-driving and 1 continuously-operating auger, all being run overa 13-hour workday. On average, acrew of 45 (reaching 75 during peakperiods), including managementand skilled operators, participatedin this project.

Including execution

This building operation has providedthe opportunity not only to raiseawareness among project actors asregards environmental protectionproblems, but also to highlight thedifficulties involved in terms of bothnoise and vibration, application ofappropriate thresholds, position ofmeasurement stations andimplementation on a work site. It has also enabled making greatstrides towards incorporatingenvironmental considerationsduring the execution phase of a major project. ■

Driving supporting piles

Wall 2d phase

Existing piles

Future piles

Pile base = 2.50 Base of extended wall = 2.50

Neighbors avenue de laBourdonnais

Recent alluvions

Ancient alluvions

Slope wash

Clay

Sand clay

Sand

Base of diaphragm wall = 10.00

Flat beam

Heightened wall

Partititon wall

29.00

g + q

g1 + q1g2 + q2

24.50

18.50

20.5021.15

25.50

30.20

16.50

6.00

3.70

Section viewaligned with theabutting buildingson the avenue dela Bourdonnais

preservation of all neighboringbuildings during excavation. Forthis particular operation, theproject owner urged paying specialattention to vibratory aspects(protection of buildings as well astheir occupants and activities) andnoise-related aspects (protectionof neighbors), thereby making itnecessary to establish warning andemergency shutdown thresholds.

The critical threshold for noise hasbeen set at 5 dB(A) above areference background level derivedduring regular daytime periodsover several zones.

Orange limit

As for vibrations, an “orange” limitbased on the ISO standard (i.e. aperception threshold of 0.1 mm/secmeasured in 1/3 octaves (RMS) witha multiplier of 4 along the vertical

After adapting the supporting wall forstiffness (thickness-reinforcement)and connection and then phasing theworks program, a 30 to 50-kN/linearmeter prestressing force is to beapplied on selected floor supports,which vary from one cross-sectionto the next. In addition, thediaphragm wall layout has beenoffset with respect to the plain ofthe buildings, as the inclined partof the museum will be supportedby 700-Ø piles driven prior todiaphragm wall excavation using a continuously-operating auger. A flat coping beam serves to join atthe head the diaphragm wall and thepiles, whose embedment overlaps.

Mandatory warningthresholds

Due to the project’s abutment on a number of structures, once theworks got underway regulardeformation measurements were employed to ensure

More than 30 years ago,VSL came up with thevisionary idea to use acombination of provencomponents from itsstrand post-tensioningsystem along withhydraulic jacks and pumpsfor lifting heavy loads. As an initial application inSardinia, three 490-tonconcrete dome shells for a series of circularaluminum silos were lifteda height of 28 m. Liftingand stressing of the steelcable net system for theacrylic tent-shaped roofsat Munich’s OlympicStadium in 1971 served asanother milestone in thisnew erection technique.Strong growth in themarket for alternative

Palexpo Congress and ExhibitionHall 6, SWITZERLAND

Record roof lift - To savecosts and improve quality, the5,300-ton structure (20,000 m2)was assembled and then lifted onground by 24 VSL strand unitsmounted on 4 temporary supporttowers. The main lift (12-m), took place in mid-February 2002.Following the installation of 4 column systems, the liftingcables were released, thustransferring roof load to thepermanent supports.Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

22

Bhairab Bridge, Bangladesh, INDIA

Innovative constructionmethod - For deep submersionof some pile caps for the BhairabBridge project, pile caps with a dryweight of 3,300 tons were cast on asuspended above-water platformaround 6 steel piles. For each pile, 2 VSL strand units providedconcentric pile loading. After removalof the casting platform and an initial 9-m lowering, 6 casing tubes were placedaround the piles and then sealed to the pile cap. Together with “donut” seals atthe pile cap soffit, these tubes allowed for dry concreting in order to seal thesteel piles into the concrete cap, after lowering a further 7m fo final level.Contact: [email protected]

SPECIAL REPORTH E A V Y L I F T I N G

HEAVY LIFTING

Power to the pointDa Chi Bridge Pylon Lifting,TAIWAN

Working at height - VSLTaiwan was selected for this job inorder to reduce the tremendouscrane costs, hazards to personnelworking high above ground for anestimated 150 days and concernsover on-site weldingworkmanship, project quality,windy site conditions andconstruction accuracy. Thecompany’s mission consisted ofthe design, supply and operationsof a heavy lifting system to erectthis steel pylon (1,280 t) quickly,accurately and safely. A temporary stay tower behind thepylon provided anchor for both thelifting cables and backstay cables.The whole operation required justthree working days.Contact: [email protected]

heavy lifting (lifting by means other than cranes) revealsthat the strand-lifting technique has more than everbecome state-of-the-art and that VSL continues to be amajor player in this market. Both the equipment and itscontrols have beenimproved and new fields ofapplication opened up forthis technique. VSL’sHeavy Lifting system hascontributed to enhancingquality, compressingconstruction schedulesand saving costs. VSLcontinues to stand forinnovative engineering,high safety standards andreliable performance.

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

Afsin Elbistan B Power Plant,TURKEY

All-round services - VSLwas contracted to provide strandjack-lifting services for erectingboiler suspension grillages (530 tons), together with less bulkyitems like flue gas ducts and animpressive number of other heavycomponents. VSL services startedup in autumn 2001 and will extend

through mid-2003. On-site hydrauliclifting equipment includes around70 strand units with capacitiesranging between 100 and 3,300 kN.Upon completion of this contract,the total weight of componentslifted by VSL will have reached10,000 tonnes.Contact: [email protected]

23

Maureen Alpha platform, NORWAY

Innovative deconstruction method - The Maureen AlphaPlatform is presently being deconstructed in a Norwegian fjord. As an initialstep, the 10,000-ton Hi-Deck, was separated from its floating substructure,transported to the shore and then jacked onto shore for subsequent

dismantling. This 85-m slidingoperation was carried out in mid-May 2002 using the VSL strand-jacking technique. VSL will beinvolved in the lifting and loweringwork for deconstruction of the 3 steel tanks and connectingsupport structures.Contact: [email protected]

Tucuman Power station-ARGENTINA

Accurate to within 10 mm -For the lifting of two boilers (850 tons each) at a height of 18 m,VSL used a synchronized liftingsystem between the jacks. Themaximum allowable differencebetween two points needed to beless than 10 mm after each stroke.Contact: [email protected]

Airbus Assembly Hall -FRANCE

Aéroconstellation-Airbus, Toulouse -As part of the"Aéroconstellation-Airbus"project in Toulouse, VSL-FRANCE was called on toperform the roof-lifting job(4,500 t, 120 m x 250 m) fora hangar using 28 liftingpoints spread among 16 poles. Following two partial operations conducted in October and November2002, final lifting of the entire structure will take place in January 2003.Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

24

SPECIAL REPORTH E A V Y L I F T I N G

Aquitaine Bridge, FRANCE

Four-pointsuspension -For modifications to thesuspension cable anchoragesof the Aquitaine Bridge overthe Garonne River, theanchorage modificationimposed on the left abutmenta new concrete structuremeasuring 10 x 4 x 30 m andweighing 3,500 tons. Themain contractor needed to cast this anchorage at a lower level and then lift itthrough 30 m to reach its final position. After a first liftoff stage over 30 mm,the main lift with full load was carried out in March 2002 by VSL France using12 SLU-330 strand units, arranged so as to provide 4-point hydraulicsuspension of the load.Contact: [email protected]

Power production plant,AZERBAÏJAN

Moves of heavymachinery - For placing a gasturbine and generator, VSL beganby lifting 12 heat-recovery boilermodules weighing a total of 1,700 tons. Subsequently, the MHI gas turbine along with an ABB generator, each weighingsome 350 tons, were lifted off their

transport vehicles outside the machine hall, moved into the building and thenplaced onto their foundations by means of VSL’s steel gantry and strand-liftingunits. Site work was carried out during October and November 2001.Contact: [email protected]

Deepwater sewage system,SINGAPORE

Handling a tunnelboring machine - In February2001, VSLlowered a420-tontunnelboring machine (TBM). VSL’sservices included design andsupply of a heavy-duty slidingtrack system and a gantryequipped with strand units to liftthe TBM, slide it over the shaftopening, lower it by 40 m andultimately rotate it by 16° for

alignment with the tunnel axis,before placing it on a launchingcradle.Contact: [email protected]

Lanjarón Viaduct - SPAIN

An innovative solution for a single-span bridge - The structure to be launchedconsisted of a bowstring formed by two paralleltrusses, with a single span of 114 m and a weight of504 tons. It had to span a 90-m deep valley withoutany intermediate support. CTT Stronghold (VSLSpain) first loaded the structure with a counterweightand moved it using two VSL SLU-70 units. From thisadvanced position, the cables for the second phasewere installed from the extremity of the bridge to thetowers and concrete structures installed on the otherside of the valley. The bridge was then pulled across.Contact: [email protected]

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

25

TECH SHOW

THSR PROJECT IN TAIWAN

Full span pre-casting for high speed erection

When the Taiwan High Speed Rail Project

was conceived, the question was how to

build a 340 km Rail Link of primarily

Viaduct, interspersed with Tunnels,

in a hurry. An unusual alternative option,

that of “full span pre-casting” (FSPC) was

mooted for the C215 works in Taiwan.

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 2

26

TECH SHOWT H S R P R O J E C T I N T A I W A N

Whereas in-situ options such ascast-in-place and pre-castsegmental structures, are wellknown in Taiwan, with multiplestandard and advanced shoringsystems common throughout theisland, FSPC has been rarely used.In fact, there are only a handful ofequivalent structures throughoutthe world as structures of this sizehave, in recent years, tendered tobe pre-cast segmental. Atechnique such as FSPC promisedthe structural advantages of a

single monolithic box girder for thedouble track (13m wide) plus aspeed of erection faster than onebridge span per day.

Over 600 pre-castedspans

The Taiwan High Speed Railcorridor runs on the western sideof Taiwan from Taipei in the northto Kaohsiung in the south. Thetrack has a 350 km/hr designspeed and maximum operatingspeed of 300 km/hr. For civilworks, tenders were initially calledin late 1998 with the subsequentaward of 12 no. major packages inearly 2000. Successful tendererswere generally joint ventures ofmajor local and internationalcontractors. In the north, the firsttwo sections (contracts C210 andC215) were awarded to a jointventure of Obayashi and Fu Tsuwith the potential of some 20km ofFSPC contained within the C215contract.

6 Three casting lines. Each of them consistsof two reinforcement jigs for the end

diaphragms, one full length rebar jig for theprimary steel cage, one casting mould, a post-tensioning storage place and an outsidestorage area for completed spans.

2 Preparation of the mould. Formwork(square frame with a few transverse bars)

for a permanent access opening in the bottomslab of the formwork.

5 Truss launching beam. This 40m long beam issupporting the 30m long inner formwork. On

both sides of the beam can be seen the bottom partof the inner formwork. In the foreground, steelbulkhead and coupling strands.

3 Cleaning of external and bottom formwork. Formoil is applied already. In the front left and

right side, connected to the bottom form panel is a recess plate with 4 corrugated steel ducts which will

form a recess for the dowels of the bridge bearing.On the left side, rebar concrete spacers have already been

placed on top of the bearing recess plate and some spacersare now going to be place on the right side.

27

Subsequent to this, Obayashi- FuTsu JV let a major sub-contract,encompassing all pre-casting anderection of some 602 no FSPCbridge spans, as well as 7 in-situfree cantilever bridges to a jointventure of specialist Europeancontractors VSL and Rizzani deEccher. Work commenced on sitein 2001 with the first pre-castingachieved in June 2002 and the firstspan’s erection one month later.

2 days per 30m-beam

Both the design of the spans anddesign of the casting yard havecentred around a target peak cycleof 2 days per 30m beam percasting bed. The pre-cast yard ismostly covered by a purpose builtfactory and consists of threecasting lines, each with the abilityto operate independently. Thecycle is such that the diaphragm

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 2

1 Fabrication of rebar cage. The diaphragmrebar cage is prefabricated inside a diaphragm

jig. During lifting in, the team has to make surethat the rebar is located properly.

4 Coupling strands. Bulkheads and pre-tensioning strands are installed

and will be prepared for stressing.For a 30m box girder there are 98nos. of 0.6'' pre-tensioned strands and88nos of 0.6'' post-tensioned strands.

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

28

The carrier is an overhead beamsupported by two rotating 8 tyredtrailers over a 45m span whichmoves crab-like over the storedbox girders, lifts them andtransports them. The supportbeam is a 72m-long steel boxgirder which rests on thecompleted span at the rear and onsteel legs and carries a servicetrolley on its top chord.

Drive–in erection

On arrival at the new span’serection location, the carrier drivesinto the support beam with thefront trailer straddling the beamand its service trolley. Jacks on theservice trolley raise the front of thecarrier and the assembly of carrierand box girder is pulled out onto

8 Pre-tensioning work.Coupling strands

for the pre-tensioning work are going through the steel

stressing bulkhead. Innerformwork (upper part right) islaunched towards the mould.

Crab-like transport. The carrieris an overhead beam supported

by two rotating 8 tyred trailers over a 44m span. It moves crab-like over the stored box girders in the casting yard, lifts the unit to be erected and reverses from the casting yard where the trailers are rotated 90°.

7 Strand preparation. Cleaning of the strandcoupler attached to the coupling strands.

After cleaning the strands, the rebar cage willbe lifted into the mould and the couplersconnected to the strands in the cage.

TECH SHOWT H S R P R O J E C T I N T A I W A N

rebar cages are lifted into theprimary reinforcement jig wherethe main cage, weighing in excessof 50 tonnes, is completed.Bulkheads and pre-tensioningstrands are installed and stressedand the concrete is poured. Theaddition of steam curing andrelease of the pre-tension jackscompletes the 2 day casting cyclefor the 740 tonne, 30m long boxgirders. The transport and erectionof such huge box girders, up to20kms from the point of casting, ispivotal to the success of the FSPCmethod. VSL and its partner haveadopted an approach where thedevice for transport forms anintegral part of the device for thelaunching of the box girders. Thesystem contains one “carrier” andone “support beam” (see pictures).

13

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

29

Storage. The heavy liftinggantry transfers the box

girder to the storage yard.

Self-launching mould. The innerformwork mould, a 30m long

collapsible, self launching system ispropelled from the inside the just-castspan to inside the completedreinforcement cage.

Huge beams. Eachof the 602 box girders

weigh up to 740 tonnes!

9

11

10

12 Long distance travelling. The girders travelup to 20 kms from the point of casting.

N E W S N ° 2 • 2 0 0 2

30

TECH SHOWT H S R P R O J E C T I N T A I W A N

The support beam. This 72m-long steel box

girder is launched into each newerection position such that it rests onthe pier with the fixed rear leg andon the following 2 piers with itsmobile supports. On its top chord,the service trolley traverses the fulllength of the beam.

Delivery at 4km/hr. The carrier travelsto the support beam, at a loaded speed

of 4km/hr, along the previously erected viaduct.The transport and erection of such huge boxgirders, up to 20kms from the point of casting,is pivotal to the success of the FSPC method.

the support beam. At the stagewhere the box girder is suspendedabove its final position, the supportbeam is launched fromunderneath so that the box girdercan be placed. The support beamis retracted slightly, the carrierreversed onto the newly place deckand returns for the next cycle.

With the commissioning periodunderway in July and August, andallowing for subsequent learningperiods, full production wasachieved in late 2002 with workscarrying on through 2003 andcompleted in 2004. ■

Follow up works on the piers. Pot bearings are grouted and the load

is then transferred from the temporary jacksto the pot bearings.

16

14

15

J O I N I N G F O R C E S F O R Y O U R P R OJ E C T Swww.vsl-intrafor.com

THAILANDVSL (Thailand) Co. Ltd.BANGKOKPhone: +66 - 2 - 237 32 88 / 89 / 90Fax: +66 - 2 - 238 24 48

VIETNAMVSL Vietnam Ltd.HANOIPhone: +84 - 4 - 8245 488Fax: +84 - 4 - 8245 717

Ho Chi Minh CityPhone: +84 - 8 - 8258 144Fax: +84 - 8 - 9102 596

Australia/Pacific

AUSTRALIA - QueenslandVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.GEEBUNGPhone: +61 - 7 - 326 564 00Fax: +61 - 7 - 326 575 34

AUSTRALIA - New South WalesVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.THORNLEIGHPhone: +61 - 2 - 948 459 44Fax: +61 - 2 - 987 538 94

AUSTRALIA - Southern DivisionVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.NOBLE PARKPhone: +61 - 3 - 979 503 66Fax: +61 - 3 - 979 505 47

GUAMStructural Technologies Inc.TUMONPhone: +1 - 671 - 646 8010Fax: +1 - 671 - 646 8060

Americas

ARGENTINAVSL Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción Argentina SABUENOS AIRESPhone: +54 - 11 - 4393 - 28 07Fax: +54 - 11 - 4326 - 26 50

CHILEVSL Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción S.A.SANTIAGOPhone: +56 - 2 - 233 10 81Fax: +56 - 2 - 233 67 39

MEXICOVSL Corporation Mexico S.A de C.VMEXICOPhone: +52 - 55 - 5 - 396 86 21Fax: +52 - 55 - 5 - 396 84 88

UNITED STATESVStructural LLCBALTIMORE, MDPhone: +1 - 410 - 850 - 7000Fax: +1 - 410 - 850 - 4111

Middle East

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESVSL Middle East OfficeDUBAIPhone: +971 - 4 - 282 08 03Fax: +971 - 4 - 282 94 41

Africa

SOUTH AFRICAVSL Systems (South Africa) Pty. Ltd.Kya Sand, RANDBURGPhone: +27 - 11 - 708 21 00Fax: +27 - 11 - 708 21 20

Europe

AUSTRIAGrund-Pfahl- und Sonderbau GmbHIndustriestrasse 27a AT-2325 Himberg bei WienPhone: +43 - 2235 87 777Fax: +43 - 2235 86 561

BELGIUMN.V. Procedes VSL SABERCHEMPhone: +32 3 230 36 34Fax: +32 3 230 89 65

CZECH REPUBLICVSL Systemy (CZ), s. r. o.PRAGUEPhone: +420 - 2 - 67 07 24 20Fax: +420 - 2 - 67 07 24 06

FRANCEVSL FRANCE S.A. ST-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINESPhone: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 85Fax: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 87

Intrafor S.A.ST-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINESPhone: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 85Fax: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 86

GERMANYVSL Systems GmbHBERLINPhone: +49 30 53 01 35 32Fax: +49 30 53 01 35 34

GREAT BRITAINVSL Systems (UK) Ltd.CAMBRIDGESHIREPhone: +44 (0) 1480 404 401Fax: +44 (0) 1480 404 402

Intrafor (UK)BRACKNELLPhone: +44 - 1 - 344 742 115Fax: +44 - 1 - 344 742 146

GREECEVSL Systems A/EATHENSPhone: +30 - 1 - 0363 84 53Fax: +30 - 1 - 0360 95 43

NETHERLANDSVSL Benelux B.V.AT LEIDENPhone: +31 - 71 - 576 89 00Fax: +31 - 71 - 572 08 86

Intrafor (Netherlands)AC LEIDERDORPPhone: +31 - 71 - 581 70 22Fax: +31 - 71 - 581 70 21

Asia

BRUNEIVSL Systems (B) Sdn. Bhd.BRUNEI DARUSSALAMPhone: +673 - 2 - 380 153 / 381 827Fax: +673 - 2 - 381 954

HONG KONGVSL Hong Kong Ltd.WANCHAIPhone: +852 - 2590 22 88Fax: +852 - 2590 95 93

Intrafor (Hong Kong branch)WANCHAIPhone: +852 - 2836 31 12Fax: +852 - 2591 61 39

INDIAVSL India Private Ltd.CHENNAIPhone: +91 - 44 859 2538 / 39Fax: +91 - 44 859 2537

INDONESIAPT VSL IndonesiaJAKARTAPhone: +62 - 21 - 570 07 86Fax: +62 - 21 - 573 12 17

JAPANVSL Japan CorporationTOKYOPhone: +81 - 3 - 3346 - 8913Fax: +81 - 3 - 3345 - 9153

KOREAVSL Korea Co. Ltd.SEOULPhone: +82 - 2 - 553 8200Fax: +82 - 2 - 553 8255

MAINLAND CHINAVSL Engineering Corp., Ltd.HEFEIPhone: +86 - 551 - 557 6008Fax: +86 - 551 - 557 6018

VSL Engineering Corporation Ltd.Shanghai Branch Co.SHANGHAIPhone: +86 - 21 - 6475 4206Fax: +86 - 21 - 6475 4255

MALAYSIAVSL Engineers (M) Sdn. Bhd.KUALA LUMPURPhone: +603 - 7981 47 42Fax: +603 - 7981 84 22

PHILIPPINESVSL Philippines Inc.MANDALUYONG CITYPhone: +632 638 76 86Fax: +632 638 76 91

SINGAPOREVSL Singapore Pte. Ltd.SINGAPOREPhone: +65 - 6559 12 22Fax: +65 - 6257 77 51

TAIWANVSL Taiwan Ltd.TAIPEIPhone: +886 - 2 - 2759 6819Fax: +886 - 2 - 2759 6821

NORWAYVSL Norge A/SSTAVANGERPhone : +47 - 51 52 50 20Fax : +47 - 51 56 27 21

POLANDVSL Polska Sp. z o.o.WARSAWPhone: +48 - 22 817 84 22Fax: +48 - 22 817 83 59

PORTUGALVSL Sistemas Portugal Pre-Esforço,Equipamento e Montages S.A.S. DOMINGO DE RANAPhone: +351 - 21 - 445 83 10Fax: +351 - 21 - 444 63 77

SPAINCTT StrongholdBARCELONAPhone: +34 - 93 - 289 23 30Fax: +34 - 93 - 289 23 31

VSL-SPAM, S.A.BARCELONAPhone: +34 - 93 - 289 23 30Fax: +34 - 93 - 289 23 31

SWEDENInternordisk Spännarmering ABSOLNAPhone: +46 - 8 - 504 37 200Fax: +46 - 8 - 753 49 73

SWITZERLANDVSL (Switzerland) Ltd.SUBINGENPhone: +41 - 32 613 30 30Fax: +41 - 32 613 30 15

VSL (Suisse) SAPENTHAZPhone: +41 21 862 80 00Fax: +41 21 862 80 02

HEADQUARTERS

VSL International Ltd.Scheibenstrasse 70 – BernCH-3014 – SwitzerlandPhone: +41 32 613 30 30Fax: +41 32 613 30 55 VSL–INTRAFOR LOCATIONS

Jackingpower tothe point

VSL HEAVY LIFTING• Feasibility studies

• Design and planning

• Execution of lifting work

• Special equipment

for

- Bridge projects

- Roof structures

- Energy projects

- Industrial projects

- Building projects

Lanjaron Viaduct, Spain

Airbus Assembly Hall, France

Maureen Platform, Norway

Tunnel Boring Machine,

Singapore

Palexpo Congress Hall 6,

Switzerland

Bairab Bridge, India

www.vsl-intrafor.com