OnSite Underground n.1 - May 2022

CONTENT Supplement issue on ONSITE CONSTRUCTION n. 1 – May 2022

4 News

by Editorial staff

COVER STORY 8 Construction work begins on the Cefalù Tunnel And then they were three

by Ettore Zanatta

26 Bauer Maschinen Group

The electrically powered Cube System

by Stefano Vitali

30 Soilmec

Hydromills designed for profitability

PILE DRIVER 36 Orteco

Technology solutions for installing piles for guardrails

by Ettore Zanatta

by Ettore Zanatta

TECHNOLOGIES 12 Liebherr

Real-time remote support

by Pietro Gabrielli

TOOLS 40 SIP&T Geovertical style

by Pietro Gabrielli

TUNNELLING 34 Robbins

DRILLING 16 Comacchio

Single Shield completes Canada’s largest Outfall

by Stefano Vitali

Drilling upgrading in Porto Corsini

by Ettore Zanatta

20 Trevi

The Lonato tunnel consolidation project

COMPONENTS

by Ettore Zanatta

44 Flash Battery

24 Sandvik

Development drill

The future of industrial electrification is “made in Italy”

by Stefano Vitali

by Pietro Gabrielli

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NEWS TREVIICOS

The South Station Tower project This project is part of the South Station Air Rights Project, which includes other upgrades and improvements of the historic South Station Transportation Center and includes new foundation elements for a new 51-story mixed use tower (offices and residential). Load Bearing Elements (LBE’s) were selected as the most appropriate foundation system for the new tower based on load support, constructability considerations and economics.

The new tower will be supported on eight (8) super columns which in turn will be supported by a continuous array of LBE’s of 3 ft (0.91 m) thick and over 120 ft deep into bedrock. TREVIICOS’ scope of work included construction of 46 Load Bearing Elements of 3 ft (0.91 m) thick which will serve as the main foundation for a new 51-story mixed use tower built atop Boston’s historic South Station.

Subsurface conditions consisted of Fill, Organic Deposits, Marine Deposits, Glacial Deposits (Glacial Till, Glaciomarine, Glaciofluvial)

4

ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

and Bedrock. Bedrock was classified as Cambridge Argillite with average and maximum compressive strengths of 4,034 psi and 5,485 psi respectively.

The LBE’s were constructed with combination of mechanical clamshell grab and Soilmec Hydromill SC-135 cutter.

The clamshell grab was typically used to excavate the overburden soils down to top of Bedrock and the Hydromill cutter was used to excavate the Bedrock down to the design LBE tip elevation.

Polymer slurry was successfully used for support of LBE trench excavations and was found to provide good trench stability throughout the LBE installation process from excavation to tremie concrete placement. All polymer slurry was processed through onsite desanding plant to remove soil and rock cuttings along with a centrifuge for additional solids separation. The LBE’s had an average concrete depth exceeding 120 ft and were socketed into Bedrock up to 104 ft. Total area of reinforced concreted LBE’s is approximately 48,000 SF, which includes a total volume of tremie concrete placed of 5,800 CY and 350 tons of reinforcing steel.

In addition, 12 of the 46 LBE’s included pairs of W14 structural columns for connections to the tower base foundation above ground. An additional 3 LBE’s, were constructed for two tower crane foundations. All reinforcing steel and structural columns were assembled at an off-site staging yard and delivered to site according to the installation schedule.

The project included strict quality control procedures, including the first time use in the Boston area of Cross Hole Logging (CSL) to evaluate concrete quality and verify no anomalies exist that could affect the load carrying

capacity of LBE’s. All CSL testing was performed by third party geotechnical engineering services firm and all testing results met the specifications requirements.

Why is the scheme exciting/ challenging/innovative? Very tight site working conditions between historic South Station head house and active passenger platforms for Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail lines; bedrock excavation with Hydromill up to 104 ft embedment; installation of LBE’s through operating personnel service tunnel; installation of W14 structural columns within LBE reinforcing steel cage; crosshole sonic logging performed on LBE’s to evaluate concrete quality and verify that no anomalies exist that could affect the load carrying capacity of LB.

BAUER

Project in Jeddah Approximately 500 km north of the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, a new recreation area is currently being established by The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), at the Red Sea as part of the “Red Sea Islands Project” that will combine nature, culture and adventure.

For this purpose, an archipelago off the coast of Saudi Arabia is being developed for sustainable tourism in this region. By 2030, a total of 28,000 m² of beach, desert, mountains and volcanic areas on 22 islands will be transformed into an environmentally-friendly tourism center in Saudi Arabia.

TRSDC appointed marine contracting specialist Archirodon to design and build the iconic bridge to the Shurayrah island, as well as two smaller bridges.

Archirodon tasked Saudi Bauer Foundation Contractors Ltd., a subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, with the construction of piles for several bridge structures.

In the first phase of the project, Bauer constructed three test piles for a load test, and in the second phase a total of 37 onshore piles with a diameter of 1,300 mm for two new bridges. For the central bridge, which connects the main island of Shurayrah with the mainland, 60 piles with a diameter of 1,500 mm and 27 piles with a diameter of 1,300 mm were installed in the third project phase off the coast. Archirodon’s purpose made floating crane barge and its crew was used to assist Bauer piling team to construct 87 offshore piles. “This is not a typical working location even for us. What’s important here above all are precision and good logistics by Archirodon,” says Project Manager Mudasser Iqbal.

“Fortunately, the timing for material deliveries by barge was optimal, so we were able to keep to the schedule.”

A Bauer BG 28 drilling rig was placed and safely secured on the Barge to carry out the drilling work.

The work began in September 2021 and was successfully completed in February 2022.

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@Hillheadshow #hillhead2022

COVER STORY Construction work begins on the Cefalù Tunnel

A “Margherita” for a crucial project in Sicily

Toto Costruzioni Generali starts up Margherita, the tunnel boring machine that will be used to excavate the 13.4 km tunnel. It is an RFI project that will employ around 350 people, including technicians and workers.

The project is worth over 374 million euro

by Ettore Zanatta

W

ith a ceremony at the Toto construction site in Ogliastrillo, work began on March on the excavation of the Cefalù Tunnel, the longest of the three tunnels for doubling the Cefalù/Ogliastrillo-Castelbuono

8

ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

railway on the Palermo-Messina line.

The project has a total length of 12.3 km, the new double-track line, almost entirely underground, runs completely bypassing the old railway line; the project, contracted by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) to Toto Costruzioni Generali, is worth over 374 million euro.

The TBM “Margherita” In the presence of the State Undersecretary for Infrastructure Giancarlo Cancelleri, the Regional Councillor for Infrastructure and Mobility Marco Falcone, the mayors of Cefalù and Pollina, RFI Managing Director Vera Fiorani and representatives of the associated Companies, the “Margherita” Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) - which will excavate and line over 13 km of the two parallel tubes of the Cefalù Tunnel - was put into operation. With a length of 140 metres, a weight of 1650 tonnes and a total power of 5.6 MW, the TBM is equipped with a 10-metre-diameter rotating head with more than 60 steel excavation tools, with which it is able to break up rock.

Excavation of the Cefalù Tunnel begins in the direction of Messina; highly specialised staff of around 100 will work on the excavation, mostly on board the machine, in three shifts over 24 hours, 7 days a week. Others will be engaged in subsidiary activities, for a total of more than 350 workers employed on the site. With these numbers, an average daily advance of 16 metres is estimated, with peaks of more than 20 metres of tunnel excavated and lined. At this rate, work on the tunnel is expected to be completed by November 2024.

“We took on the commitment to carry out this crucial project for Sicily and the country, and today we are here to bear witness to all our care, the dedication of our technicians and workers, in bringing

Work began on the excavation of the Cefalù Tunnel, the longest of the three tunnels for doubling the Cefalù/Ogliastrillo-Castelbuono railway on the Palermo-Messina line may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND

9

COVER STORY it to completion,” said Alfonso Toto, Toto CG General Manager, during the ceremony. “All of the project’s stakeholders, from the client to the regional government and the contractor, have worked tirelessly over the years to identify the best technical and design solutions and to ensure that the work is carried out with the utmost respect for the rules, safety and the environment, containing execution times without sacrificing the quality of the work.”

To cope with the complex geology of the Madonie terrain, the TBM has been designed with a dual mode, being able to operate both in “open” mode on rocky fronts and in EPB (Earth Pressure

The “Margherita” Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will excavate and line over 13 km of the two parallel tubes of the Cefalù Tunnel

Balance) mode to consolidate the excavation face in more yielding terrain.

In addition to cutting construction times, mechanised excavation has the advantage of drastically reducing risks for the workers inside the machine, who always operate in a protected environment, either by the shield of the TBM or by the lining already in place.

Project details Production of the segments that will line the inside of the tunnel is already at full capacity in the nearby dedicated plant, where around 60 specialised workers are employed. In total, more than 40,000 segments will be prefabricated here to line the two tunnels. The lot, which includes tunnelling works for a total of

The lot includes, in addition to the mechanised excavation of the Cefalù tunnel, the construction of the S. Ambrogio tunnel through traditional excavation technique 10 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

more than 17 km, includes, in addition to the mechanised excavation of the Cefalù tunnel, the construction of the S. Ambrogio tunnel through traditional excavation technique. The latter consists of a single 4 km tunnel that will house a double track. Excavation has now reached over 60% progress. The construction of the decks for the two viaducts between the entrances of the two tunnels is also underway. Finally, in the smaller Malpertugio tunnel, near Castelbuono, the works at the entrance towards Palermo are complete and excavation is proceeding in the opposite direction.

that are now strategic for this project, which will provide a faster, safer and more efficient connection between the important tourist centre of Cefalù and the Palermo airport, freeing one

of the most famous stretches of the Sicilian coast from the break formed by the current railway line and the local road system from numerous level crossings.

■

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

LO SCAVO DELLA GALLERIA CEFALÙ SULLA LINEA FERROVIARIA PALERMO-MESSINA Sono iniziati lo scorso marzo, con una cerimonia nel cantiere in località Ogliastrillo, i lavori per lo scavo della Galleria Cefalù, la più estesa delle tre gallerie per il raddoppio del tratto ferroviario Cefalù/Ogliastrillo-Castelbuono, sulla linea Palermo-Messina. Il progetto, appaltato da Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Gruppo FS Italiane) a un raggruppamento di imprese capitanato da Toto Costruzioni Generali, ha un valore di oltre 370 milioni di euro. Il nuovo tracciato, con una lunghezza complessiva di 12,3 km, a doppio binario e quasi interamente sot-

Production of the segments that will line the inside of the tunnel is already at full capacity in the nearby dedicated plant

The Cefalù order marks a return to a technology that Toto CG has successfully employed over the last 20 years, working with the largest TBMs in the world and improving performance efficiency each time, thanks to a select team of experts in the sector.

This is a skill for which the company received international recognition in London, when the Sparvo Tunnel project, for which the TBM Martina was used, won two awards for its numerous production records and the audacity of the innovative solutions devised. Solutions and know-how

terraneo, si snoda completamente in variante rispetto alla vecchia sede ferroviaria. Il completamento della tratta Ogliastrillo-Castelbuono quale estensione della Palermo Punta Raisi (già in esercizio) consentirà di ottenere un notevole incremento della potenzialità del servizio di trasporto afferente al nodo ferroviario di Palermo oltre che il potenziamento del collegamento diretto del polo turistico di Cefalù con l’aeroporto di Punta Raisi. Personale altamente specializzato e composto da circa 100 unità lavorerà allo scavo, per lo più a bordo macchina, in tre turni sulle 24 ore, sette giorni su sette. Altri saranno impegnati in attività ausiliarie, per un totale di oltre 350 lavoratori complessivamente occupati nel cantiere. Si prevede che i lavori nella galleria si concluderanno entro novembre 2024, mentre la fine dei lavori di raddoppio della linea ferroviaria è programmata nel 2025. Per l’occasione è stata messa in funzione la fresa “Margherita”, la TBM che eseguirà lo scavo e il rivestimento degli oltre 13 km che compongono i due tunnel paralleli della Galleria Cefalù. Lunga 140 m, con un peso di 1.650 t e una potenza totale di 5,6 MW, pari a circa otto motori di Formula 1, la mega-fresa è provvista di una testa rotante di 10 m di diametro, equipaggiata con oltre 60 utensili da scavo in acciaio, con la quale è in grado di frantumare la roccia.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND

11

TECHNOLOGIES Liebherr

Real-time remote support German specialist enhances its existing remote service app and takes service to the next level. XpertAssist is not just an audio-video connection but combines remote service and traditional technical expertise with a number of technical tools to provide advanced support for customers. The new service is available for crawler cranes, deep foundation equipment and maritime cranes

by Pietro Gabrielli

L

iebherr has further developed its remote service portfolio to provide even better support for its customers. XpertAssist is an annual subscriptionbased service which combines several service tools to provide increased benefits such as reduced mean time to

12 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

repair and therefore, costs. Real-time, fast and effective support is provided

by Liebherr experts worldwide with second level backup support with OEM. Increased availability, longer service life, and reduced service costs are the advantages for each machine registered with XpertAssist.

A new service era Following the success and high demand of the Remote Service tool that was introduced last year, Liebherr has further enhanced its remote portfolio taking service to the next level.

XpertAssist combines real-time expert advice from experienced technicians

with a wide range of technical tools through an audio-visual connection.

Immediate qualified fault analysis and online troubleshooting backed by step-by-step instructions mean assistance can be maximised and onsite attendances can be reduced to a minimum.

Any necessary site attendances are made as efficient as possible through

audio-video calls to predefine requirements and so increase the first time fix rate.

A debriefing via audio-video conference call to explain the work done, or to address possible findings is part and parcel of this new product. The mean time to repair is reduced by up to 50%, and field service costs cut by up to 20% per annum.

XpertAssist is an annual subscriptionbased service which combines several service tools to provide increased benefits such as reduced mean time to repair and therefore, costs

XpertAssist combines real-time expert advice from experienced technicians with a wide range of technical tools through an audio-visual connection

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 13

TECHNOLOGIES

Thanks to XpertAssist, availability of experts is increased through elimination of avoidable travel giving them more time to do their actual job – attending to customer needs

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

SUPPORTO REMOTO IN TEMPO REALE Liebherr migliora la sua app di servizio remoto esistente e porta il servizio a un livello superiore. XpertAssist non è solo una connessione audio-video, ma combina il servizio remoto e l’esperienza tecnica tradizionale con una serie di strumenti tecnici per fornire supporto avanzato ai clienti. Il nuovo servizio è disponibile per gru cingolate e attrezzature per fondazioni profonde, nonché per gru marittime. XpertAssist è un servizio basato su abbonamento annuale che combina diversi strumenti di servizio per fornire maggiori vantaggi come la riduzione del tempo medio di riparazione e, di conseguenza, dei costi (come opzione, Liebherr offre un tablet preinstallato denominato LiTAB che consente la documentazione digitale della macchina e il facile download dei dati di processo, nonché il monitoraggio remoto del funzionamento). Il supporto in tempo reale, rapido ed efficace, è fornito da esperti Liebherr in tutto il mondo con supporto di backup di secondo livello con OEM. Maggiore disponibilità, maggiore durata e costi di assistenza ridotti sono i vantaggi per ogni macchina registrata con XpertAssist, che si estende ai consigli di manutenzione predittiva e ai report su singole macchine o intere flotte, nonché ai report sulla sicurezza o sull’utilizzo di macchine e motori. La revisione interattiva delle prestazioni e i consigli sulla manutenzione preventiva garantiscono un’elevata disponibilità della macchina e una pianificazione anticipata del budget.

14 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

The next level of service XpertAssist extends to predictive maintenance advice and reports on individual machines or entire fleets, for example, reports on safety or machine and engine utilisation.

The interactive performance review and advice on preventive maintenance ensure high machine availability and early budget planning. Service technicians normally spend up to 45% of their time just travelling to/from site - both time-consuming and costly for all parties. Thanks to XpertAssist, availability of experts is increased through elimination of avoidable travel giving them more time to do their actual job – attending to customer needs. Less travel, less CO2 emissions - the environment also benefits through the reduced carbon footprint. An increasingly important factor in today’s world.

Recent experience in the Middle East underlines the importance of quick and efficient technology when projects are thousands of kilometres away from base. “For our company, which has all operations and projects outside our home country of Turkey, such remote service is perfect,” explains Levent Ekmekçioglu, company manager of Rem engineering, Construction and Trade co. ltd.

He continues, “Assistance was provided

by Liebherr remotely in Jordan with no travel or accommodation costs and no time delays. The issue was solved immediately to our utmost satisfaction and we are very grateful for this extended assistance”.

Low investment, high return All that is needed for XpertAssist is an annual subscription, available for each individual machine or for entire fleets. As an option, Liebherr offers a high-quality, ready-to-use pre-installed tablet (LiTAB) enabling digital machine documentation and easy process data download, as well as remote operation monitoring, to name but a few of its many benefits. Further details are available from Liebherr’s worldwide network of service partners and online under XpertAssist.

■

DRILLING Comacchio

Drilling upgrading in Porto Corsini The Port Authority of Ravenna has launched a maintenance program aimed at upgrading and maintaining the structural health of its facilities.

Two Comacchio drilling rigs are used for the construction of the anchor system of the new quay wall in Porto Corsini

by Ettore Zanatta

T

he port of Ravenna is one of the largest ports in Italy for the handling of solid bulk. It extends along the entire state-owned area of a 14 km long canal, the Candiano Canal, that connects the town centre of Ravenna (which is inland) to the sea. Starting from mid-2020, the Port Authority of Ravenna has launched a maintenance program aimed at upgrading and maintaining the structural health of its facilities. The maintenance works involved in particular the mooring facilities at Pialassa Baiona, the reconstruction of the ferry dock in Porto Corsini, the renovation of the “Marcegaglia” quays on the left side of Candiano Canal and the remaking of the 16 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

“Magazzini Generali” quay wall on the right side of the canal, as well as various electrical and building maintenance works. Let’s take a look at the work in progress in Porto Corsini, where a temporary association of companies consisting of Costruzioni Generali Xodo S.r.l., Rossi Renzo Costruzioni S.r.l. and Ipogeo S.r.l. was awarded a three million euros tender for the renovation of the existing quay wall.

Structural upgrade The upgrade involves the construction of a bank protection in alignment with the existing quay, as well as the demolition of the old structures on the canal to improve navigation safety, as

requested by the Port Authority. In its original version, the design solution envisaged the use of a combined wall and intermediate sheet piles anchored by 45 m long injected anchors reinforced with a ø47 Dywidag bar.

The design concept was that of a provisional quay wall, as the strategic plan of the Port Authority outlined a future increase in the width of the canal by 50 meters. The use of a combi wall would have allowed the disassembling of the pipes and sheet piles for future re-use, once the enlargement of the canal had been completed. However, the discovery of a WWII unexploded ordnance, and the subsequent clearance activities, revealed the presence of some heterogeneous blocks, which suggested additional investigation of the existing

structures and subsoil. The geotechnical investigations carried out along the combi wall installation line showed the presence of a considerable number of boulders reaching up to 9 meters depth. This type of condition posed a significant obstacle to driving sheet piles, as their dismantling would have jeopardized the stability of the nearby road and buildings. The installation of the steel piling in these conditions, in addition to producing vibrations and causing damage on the nearby buildings, would have also damaged the couplings of the pipes and sheet piles, making their re-use impossible.

Solving problems To solve the problem, the designers opted for a different structural

configuration of the new quay wall that included: a retaining wall erected from land by Costruzioni Generali Xodo S.r.l., consisting of a secant pile wall formed of 1000 mm diameter bored piles, spaced at 900 mm, with 20 m pile depth. The piles were constructed using temporary steel casing over the full depth; an anchor system consisting of mini-jet anchors with 45 m length (42 m bond length) and 67 ° inclination, spaced at 2.7 m, with a minimum diameter of 400 mm, reinforced with Sirive S90 hollow selfdrilling bars; capping of the secant piles walls and the anchor system by means of a reinforced concrete beam.

The construction of the anchor system was awarded to company Ipogeo S.r.l., based in Belluno. The familyowned company has been operating

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 17

DRILLING for over 20 years in soil investigation, foundations and ground improvement, port and marine construction. Ipogeo can boast numerous projects carried out in the Ravenna Port area and river Po basin, specializing in particularly complex, difficult access and logistically challenging works, that are performed with the use of innovative techniques.

“It was our proposal to change the design of the anchor system introducing the use of mini-jet columns and hollow bars reinforcement”, explains Eng. Elisa Miglioranza, Technical Director at Ipogeo. “These bars are installed by injecting grout through the centre as they are rotated to design depth. The grout acts as the flushing medium during drilling, but also creates the annulus of grout around the bar which, when hard, transfers load from the steel to the soil.”

In addition to guaranteeing effective anchoring, this solution offers better protection of the tie rod and a great

Ipogeo used two Comacchio drilling rigs for the construction of the anchor system

simplicity of installation, which results in considerably reduced costs and processing times. The system involved

The bars had 90 mm diameter and total length of 45 metres, with an inclination of almost 70° 18 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

the use of a 210 mm sacrificial drill bit equipped with two nozzles.

Configuration of the drill The configuration of the drill bit was modified to match the site-specific soil conditions. “Together with our technicians we found the optimal configuration to allow the grout to be ejected laterally (to jet grout the soil) and downwards (to facilitate penetration of the system). The bars used are self-drilling hollow bars type ‘Sirive S90’ made of S460 steel, with a length of 3 meters. They are connected with special couplers equipped with high pressure seals to prevent escape of grout during jetting.”, continues Elisa Miglioranza. “We used two Comacchio drilling rigs for the construction of the anchor system. An MC 8 that was used to carry out core drilling in order to remove the concrete of the existing quay structure, with an average depth of 3 to 4 metres, sometimes up to 6 metres.

Removing these concrete cylinders was necessary to allow the self-drilling hollow bars to pass through the quay pavement and upper layers without damaging the drill bit and nozzles. The installation of the minijet anchors was carried out using a Comacchio MC 15. The bars had 90 mm diameter and total length of 45 metres, with an inclination of almost 70°. We used rotary-percussion drilling for the installation. All the drilling and

grouting parameters ​​were monitored by means of the data logger system installed on the machine. Thanks to a special upgrade of the software, we were able to adjust the use of the percussion according to the characteristics of the soil, which proved to be a benefit in numerous ways, not only reducing the wear of the equipment, but also ensuring better treatment effectiveness.”

The injection was performed at 120 bar, using a Tecniwell TW100 pump and a Lorenzetto Lodos 7 mixing system.

“Several tests were made before starting the work on site to determine the optimal injection and drilling parameters in order to obtain 400 mm diameter columns.

Thanks to this drilling technique we are able to install one anchor in about three hours. The progress of the work is affected by the time needed to carry out the concrete coring, which slows down production”, concludes Elisa Miglioranza.

■

An MC 8 was used to carry out core drilling in order to remove the concrete of the existing quay structure, with an average depth of 3 to 4 metres, sometimes up to 6 metres. The installation of the minijet anchors was carried out using a Comacchio MC 15

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

DUE PERFORATRICI PER PORTO ORSINI Nel 2020 l’Autorità Portuale di Ravenna

zontale e interasse 2,7 m, con 3 m di

razione è stato utilizzato un sistema a

ha dato il via ai lavori di manutenzione

parte libera e 42 m di bulbo di fonda-

rotopercussione. Tutti i valori di avan-

del porto per un valore complessivo di

zione, diametro minimo 400 mm, ar-

zamento sono stati controllati trami-

oltre 30 milioni di euro. Un R.T.I. co-

mati con barra autoperforante cava

te il sistema di data logger presente

stituito da Costruzioni Generali Xodo,

Sirive S90; collegamento tra la berli-

sulla macchina. Grazie a un’apposita

Rossi Renzo Costruzioni e Ipogeo si è

nese di pali secanti e i tiranti di anco-

modifica sul software è stato possibi-

aggiudicato la gara d’appalto per i la-

raggio tramite trave di coronamento

le modulare l’utilizzo della percussio-

vori in Porto Orsini, del valore di 3 mi-

di testa in calcestruzzo armato. I tiran-

ne in avanzamento in funzione delle

lioni di euro, per la realizzazione delle

ti di ancoraggio sono stati eseguiti da

caratteristiche del terreno, riducendo

opere di sistemazione della banchina

Ipogeo con la tecnica minijet, che of-

l’usura delle attrezzature e garantendo

di attracco del traghetto. L’intervento

fre una migliore protezione del tirante

una migliore efficacia del trattamento.

prevede la realizzazione di una prote-

e una grande semplicità applicativa.

L’iniezione è stata eseguita a 120 bar, uti-

zione di sponda in allineamento con

In cantiere sono state poi impiegate

lizzando una pompa Tecniwell TW100,

il profilo esistente, nonché la demo-

due perforatrici Comacchio: una MC 8,

mentre l’impianto di miscelazione con

lizione delle vecchie strutture sul ca-

utilizzata per eseguire dei carotaggi di

dosatore automatico è un LODOS 7 del-

nale ai fini di migliorare la sicurezza

attraversamento delle strutture in ce-

la ditta Lorenzetto Loris srl.

della navigazione. La configurazione

mento della superficie della banchina,

“Il campo prove ha permesso di deter-

strutturale della nuova banchina pre-

con una profondità variabile tra i 3 e

minare i parametri di iniezione e per-

vede: il marginamento realizzato me-

4 m, fino anche a 6 m, necessari per per-

forazione in modo tale da ottenere un

diante l’esecuzione da terra da parte

mettere un passaggio delle barre sen-

diametro reso di 400 mm. Grazie alla

della ditta Costruzioni Generali Xodo

za danneggiare la punta di perforazio-

tecnica mini-jet riusciamo a realizzare

di una berlinese di pali secanti in c.a.

ne; una MC 15, con cui è stata effettua-

un ancoraggio in circa tre ore di tem-

diametro 1.000 mm, interasse 900 mm

ta l’installazione delle barre di 90 mm

po, anche se l’avanzamento è legato

e lunghezza 20 m; ancoraggi a bulbo

di diametro e lunghezza pari a 45 m,

ai tempi necessari per effettuare i ca-

iniettato con tecnologia minijet di lun-

con un’inclinazione rispetto al piano di

rotaggi, che rallentano la produzione”,

ghezza 45 m, inclinazione 67° sull’oriz-

campagna di quasi 70°. Per la perfo-

conclude l’Ing. Miglioranza.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 19

DRILLING Trevi Group

The Lonato tunnel consolidation project Trevi Group is currently firming up soil at a location south of Lake Garda in Italy to make it ready for the Lonato Tunnel to be bored under a A4 highway for the planned Brescia-Verona High-Speed/ High-Capacity railway

by Ettore Zanatta

I

taly’s Trevi Group, leading company in foundation works, is currently firming up soil at a location south of Lake Garda in Italy to make it ready for a tunnel

20 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

– the Lonato Tunnel – to be bored under a A4 highway for the planned BresciaVerona High-Speed/High-Capacity railway. In a note shared with GCR, Trevi said the operation to prevent subsidence

involves injecting some 10 million litres of bespoke grouting mixture, which it will do by drilling just short of 90,000 linear metres in multidirectional geometries to get adequate coverage.

“Beneath” the lake The Brescia East-Verona line is about 48km long, running mostly alongside the A4 highway to its north, but just east of Calcinato in Brescia province it goes under the A4 at an obtuse angle to continue on the freeway’s south side. The soil consolidation project was deemed necessary to protect the road from subsidence before the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is deployed.

A Trevi spokesperson told GCR that the TBM will bore a 4,792m-long section under the highway and its surrounding area, while open-air tunnels on either end complete the 7,950m-length of the Lonato Tunnel. Trevi’s job is to improve the physical-mechanical characteristics of the soil closest to the A4 to a depth of between 15m and 25m.

The initial design entailed that the sections to be consolidated had to be treated with three different types of drilling, all starting from ground level: sub-vertical drilling; curvilinear sub-horizontal drilling (remotely controlled by the HDD technology), with direction perpendicular to the tunnel axis; curvilinear sub-horizontal drilling, also remotely controlled, with direction longitudinal to the axis of the tunnel. However, the poor capacity of Inclined and sub-vertical drilling for tunnel consolidation, prior to excavation

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 21

DRILLING including: a combination of cement mixes and silicate-based chemical mixtures. The cement-based mixes were prepared with special additives and low cement content to obtain rheological features leading to a better permeation capability; the silicatebased mix were grouted to fill the smallest soil pores, that is to obtain a better soil treatment. To apply this approach, A4 Autostrade gave permission for drilling to be carried out the A4’s emergency lanes (both directions) without interrupting traffic. Trevi said this made it possible to refine and shorten working times. “As of today - Trevi said - we are completing the intervention phase on A4, and the first results of the post-treatment tests show a Tunnel di Lonato under highway

the soil to be permeated by the mixtures hypothesized by the project, and the complex drilling geometry, led Trevi to design a different approach.

After testing, Trevi reshaped the project mesh, selecting subvertical drilling carried out from the ground level directly above the tunnel and increasing the number of valves per linear metre.

In addition, Trevi developed more effective mixtures for the soil treatment,

Mixing plants for cement and chemical grout

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

IL CONSOLIDAMENTO DEL TUNNEL DI LONATO La nuova linea ferroviaria Alta Velocita/Alta Capacità Brescia-Verona è un progetto fondamentale del collegamento ferroviario Milano-Verona e fa parte della linea Torino-Trieste che, a sua volta, è inserita nel più esteso sistema che collega la Spagna al confine ucraino. Il progetto, la cui realizzazione è stata affidata al consorzio Cepav Due, è stato commissionato da Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, mentre l’Alta Sorveglianza e la direzione lavori sono state affidate a Italferr. La nuova linea ferroviaria Brescia Est-Verona si sviluppa per circa 48 km, attraversando due regioni e 11 comuni, per lo più affiancando l’Autostrada A4. Il progetto più complesso e articolato dell’intera opera è il tunnel di Lonato, affidato alla Seli Overseas. La galleria sarà lunga circa 7 km e prevede il sotto-attraversamento dell’autostrada A4 e di alcuni edifici e strutture sensibili. Le opere di consolidamento dei terreni ospitanti la galleria - realizzate da Trevi, azienda leader nelle opere specialistiche nel sottosuolo - hanno lo scopo di migliorare le caratteristiche meccaniche dei terreni nell’intorno della sezione di scavo per uno spessore pari a circa 3 m. Grazie alla collaborazione tra Trevi, Seli Overseas, Cepav Due e tutti gli attori coinvolti, gli interventi previsti e le implementazioni tecnologiche necessarie per un progetto così articolato e complesso sono stati completati rispettando le tempistiche stimate.

22 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

clear improvement in the mechanical characteristics of the consolidated soils.

Obviously, the continuation of the interventions will be subject to further post-treatment tests, which will be useful in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the grouting treatments.”

Background and project credits The planned Brescia-Verona HighSpeed/High-Capacity railway line is a key project of the Milan-Verona railway link which, in turn, is part of the TurinTrieste line connecting Spain to the Ukrainian border. Commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the railway is being built by the Cepav Due consortium consisting of Saipem (59.09%), Impresa Pizzarotti (27.27%) and Gruppo ICM (13.64%). Italferr is responsible for high supervision and construction works supervision. Seli Overseas, a subsidiary of Italy’s Webuild, is responsible for the Lonato Tunnel boring.

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G LO B A L D R I L L I N G E X P E R T I S E

TREMIE PIPES

IN VARIOUS SIZES WITH SAFETY FEATURES AND EASY MOBILIZATION

www.sipdrill.it

DRILLING Sandvik

Development drill The Sandvik DD311 has been developed to ensure maximum safety and consistency of the bolting process and is available in three models: the classic version, the “D” full diesel version and the “DE” dual power version

by Stefano Vitali

T

he Sandvik DD311 is a single-boom electrohydraulic jumbo, designed for fast and accurate drilling within drifting and tunneling of 40 m² cross-sections.

The hydraulic controls enable drilling performance of the highest accuracy, ensuring maximum performance vs. customer requirements.

24 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

The new Sandvik RDX5 rock drill now replaces the previous HLX5 model, capitalizing on the existing reliability and efficiency of its predecessor further improving/lowering operating costs alongside an extended service interval.

The robust SB40 Boom ensures that optimal coverage is achieved, with drilling performance also being improved via optional instrumentation.

The last born The DD311 is the last born of Sandvik medium size single boom jumbos, compromising none of the previous unit’s quality, whilst offering a number of improvements including (but not limited to) easier maintenance etc.

This development drill is available in three different version: DD311 (this electro-hydraulic drill operates with diesel tramming and electric drilling); DD311D (this drill operates with diesel engine power making it, the ideal rig in areas where electrical power is not available); DD311DE (this unit can drill both from diesel and electric power). Many are the advantages: efficient drilling at lowest cost with the reliable RDX5 drifter; boom coverage

and various fixed or telescopic feed lengths offer versatile multi-directional drilling capabilities in small to medium heading tunnels; FOPS/ROPS-certified cabin/canopy offers increased safety for operators; compact carrier allows for tramming into small tunnels; troubleshooting, fault finding and maintenance made easy; spare part commonality across product family.

Features and values Because safety is a Sandvik priority, the DD311 has been developed to ensure maximum safety and consistency of the bolting process. This machine provides with safe access to the ore, this is the best guaranty for the clients’ business.

The Sandvik DD311 is a compact rock support drill with modern, simple

and reliable technologies: its bolting head smart design permits a wide range of bolting systems and lengths, and ensures high productivity at low operating cost, at high reach or under low seam. Robust design will ensure untroubled operations in underground mining conditions. The key features: coverage area of 40 m2 (5.8 x 7.2 m), 1 x RDX5, 20 kW, hydraulic rock drill; 1 x TF512, 12-16 ft, drill feed; 1 x SB40 boom; hole length up to 4600 mm; 3000 x 3000 mm drift size class; 3500 mm (TFX6/12) turning width (T-section); 2020 transport width, 2140/3100 transport height (canopy); 2920 mm or 2670 mm transport height (cabin); 12520 mm transport length; 1500018.000 kg total weight (depending on options).

■

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

IL CARRO DI PERFORAZIONE DD311 DD311 è il nome di un carro di perforazione a braccio singolo progettata da Sandvik per eseguire perforazioni rapide e precise all’interno di sezioni da 40 m2 nel settore del tunnelling. La macchina è proposta dal costruttore svedese in tre modelli: DD311 è la versione classica (il motore diesel consente di raggiungere il sito di perforazione, ma la perforazione vera e propria avviene con alimentazione elettrica); DD311D è la versione “full diesel” (anche in questo caso la perforazione viene alimentata dal motore diesel; ciò rende il modello DD311D molto versatile e indicato anche per la manutenzione di gallerie esistenti); la versione DD311DE, infine, presenta una doppia alimentazione, quindi la perforazione può avvenire sia in modalità elettrica che utilizzando il propulsore diesel.

Sandvik DD311 is a single-boom drill designed for fast and accurate drilling within drifting and tunneling of 40 m² sections

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 25

DRILLING Bauer Maschinen Group

The electrically powered Cube System The company presented an innovation last year that opens up entirely new applications for the future of diaphragm wall construction: the electrically powered Bauer Cube System

by Stefano Vitali

26 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

S

ince the mid-1980s, hardly any other method has changed specialist foundation engineering as markedly as the development of diaphragm wall equipment. One milestone in this process was the introduction of the first Bauer trench cutter, which was used in 1984/85 to seal the Brombach Reservoir in Franconia.

In just four months, this innovation conceived by Bauer engineers was designed, constructed and brought to the site – with resounding success: Despite some initial difficulties, the prototype was used to construct a wall 60 cm thick and 40 m deep.

“This ‘technical adventure’ marked the start of a true success story, which has repeatedly gone beyond the limits of what was previously feasible and that is far from over,” says Leonhard

Weixler, head of the Diaphragm Wall Equipment division at Bauer Maschinen GmbH. Since 1985, he has overseen the development of Bauer cutter technology in various roles.

Special applications for Bauer cutters In the following years, cutter technology at Bauer advanced in great strides. “Always highly pragmatic, but also at times very bold and creative,” recalls Leonhard Weixler. The first cutters were sold to Japan and Turkey.

In collaboration with a French partner, the maneuverable City-Cutter BC 15 was created for work in tight spaces and with working heights of just 5 m. New applications were later opened up with the Low Headroom machine that Bauer introduced on the market at the end of the 1990s. This was used to execute the encompassment of a subway station

in Singapore underneath an existing airport building. Another machine of this type was used in China a few years later, in the Yeleh Dam project, to construct the sealing wall for a reservoir dam in a narrow tunnel. Then in 2014, the CBC 40 Silent Cutter ushered in a new generation of equipment for projects in urban environments.

The equipment performed impressively when it was used for a subway project in Singapore, particularly due to its low noise emissions, but also thanks to its compact dimensions, which were possible because of measures such as attaching the hydraulic power pack on the side. Next in summer 2019, an impressive depth record was set by a Bauer BC 50 cutter on an MC 128 dutycycle crane: During a mining project in Canada, cutter excavation was for the first time carried out up to a depth of 251.4 m.

CONSTRUCTS PILES FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE B15 The aim of expanding B15 federal highway is to relieve the city of Rosenheim from truck traffic. In the course of this extension of the B15 with the Rosenheim west bypass, a new railway overpass is being constructed at Wernhardsberg over the Munich-Rosenheim railway line. The joint venture Spezialtiefbau BW 8.2 Rosenheim, comprising Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH (technical management) and Menard GmbH (commercial management), was tasked with the required specialist foundation engineering works. For the bridge foundation, 74 fully cased large-diameter bored piles are being constructed with a diameter of 1,200 mm up to a depth of 40 m. Due to the unfavorable soil conditions, the load of the structure will be transferred into the subsoil with the help of a mixed foundation consisting of piles, vertical drains and displacement columns.

Not only is all work being carried out during ongoing railway operation, but the construction soil also poses a particular challenge: It consists of Rosenheim marine clay, a fine-grained, soft, water-logged soil with low load-bearing capacity. “This difficult and sensitive soil places very high demands on the pile installation as well as the accompanying documentation”, explains Project Manager Klaus Stauber. “This is because Rosenheim marine clay is highly unstable due to its properties.”

The marine clay was created approximately 10,000 years ago, after the last Ice Age. When the Inn glacier melted, a lake was formed, generating these fine-grained deposits. The vertical drains and displacement columns provide an additional improvement of the marine clay’s load-bearing capacity. The work is being carried out with a Bauer BG 46 and a BG 39. The project commenced in summer 2021 and is expected to continue until summer 2022.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 27

DRILLING Standard equipment in foundation engineering “In addition to all these special applications – some of them in difficult geological conditions – our cutters have also become established as reliable standard equipment in specialist foundation engineering, for example in the construction of diaphragm walls that can serve as retaining structures, for cut-off wall construction or as a foundation element,” emphasizes Leonhard Weixler.

In addition, cutters also play an important role in soil mixing techniques such as Cutter Soil Mixing (CSM): Cutting wheels loosen the soil and mix it with a slurry to form a homogeneous soil-bentonite mortar.

The method can be used to construct cut-off walls and retaining structures in various soil types, including hard soils. Over the decades, Bauer has built and sold hundreds of cutter and CSM units.

“The reliability of our equipment is largely also based on our decades of experience,” says Leonhard Weixler.

“And our customers can also depend

on that.” In recent years, however, the orientation for new developments and enhancements in Bauer cutter technology has been provided not only by customer requirements, but also by two major trends. “The topics of urbanization and sustainability are becoming increasingly important.

They require proactive solutions, such as our first electrically powered cutter unit based on a BAUER MC 96 dutycycle crane, which we presented in 2019 at the Bauma in Munich,” continues Leonhard Weixler.

New applications Finally, Bauer presented an innovation last year that opens up entirely new applications for the future of diaphragm wall construction: the electrically powered Bauer Cube System. This was developed precisely in the dimensions of a container.

As a result, it can be easily used in tunnels with a diameter of just 3 x 3 m, a major advantage for cutter projects in densely populated large cities, for example. “The Bauer Cube System can be used precisely where the

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

IL BAUER CUBE SYSTEM AD ALIMENTAZIONE ELETTRICA Lo scorso anno Bauer Maschinen Group ha presentato un’innovazione che apre scenari e applicazioni completamente nuove per il futuro della costruzione di diaframmi: il Bauer Cube System ad alimentazione elettrica. Questo strumento, come si accenna nella denominazione, è stato sviluppato proprio con le dimensioni di un “contenitore”; di conseguenza, può essere facilmente utilizzato in gallerie con un diametro di soli 3 x 3 m, un grande vantaggio ad esempio nel caso di progetti di fresatura in grandi città densamente popolate. “Il Bauer Cube System può essere utilizzato esattamente dov’è necessario costruire il diaframma: sottoterra”, ha spiegato Leonhard Weixler, responsabile divisione Diaphgragm Wall Equipment di Bauer Maschinen GmbH. Ciò significa che le chiusure su larga scala delle aree urbane potrebbero potenzialmente appartenere al passato.

L’impatto dei cantieri sul traffico, sulle imprese e sui residenti (in particolare) è così ridotto al minimo, anche durante l’utilizzo diurno. Un altro vantaggio è che il sistema ad azionamento elettrico riduce notevolmente il disturbo ecologico del cantiere. Parlando di logistica, le dimensioni compatte del sistema sono un altro grande vantaggio: invece di costosi trasporti pesanti, i singoli elementi del sistema possono essere facilmente trasportati nel luogo di impiego in container convenzionali. “Il Bauer Cube System stabilisce nuovi standard quando si tratta di sostenibilità nella tecnologia di taglio”, ha concluso Weixler.

28 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

diaphragm wall needs to be constructed: underground,” summarizes Leonhard Weixler. This means that largescale closures of urban areas could potentially be a thing of the past.

The impact of construction sites on traffic, businesses, and residents (in particular) are minimized, even during daytime use. Another advantage is that the electric drive system considerably reduces the ecological disturbance of a cutter site. When it comes to logistics, the system’s compact dimensions are another major advantage.

Instead of expensive heavy haulage, individual elements of the system can be easily transported to their place of deployment as conventional containers. “All in all, the Bauer Cube System sets new standards when it comes to sustainability in cutter technology,” concludes Leonhard Weixler.

About the company For almost 60 years, equipment from Bauer has represented the highest performance and quality and constant innovation. The Bauer Maschinen

Group is the world market leader in the development and manufacture of specialist foundation engineering equipment.

Bauer Maschinen GmbH, which is also the holding company for a number of subsidiaries, designs and builds large-diameter drilling rigs, dutycycle cranes, trench cutters, grabs and vibrators as well as the related tooling at its plants in Schrobenhausen, Aresing and Edelshausen. The subsidiaries manufacture state-of-the-art mixing and separation equipment as well as rotary drive systems and equipment for drilling small-diameter boreholes and wells. The Bauer Maschinen Group also operates manufacturing facilities in the USA, Russia, China, Malaysia, Italy, Singapore and Turkey.

Component suppliers within the Group are Schachtbau Nordhausen and Olbersdorfer Guß. The company operates a global sales and service network.

■

In 2019, a depth of 251.4 m was reached for the first time with a Bauer cutter

Detail of Bauer Cube System

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 29

DRILLING Soilmec

Hydromills designed for profitability

30 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

With the SC-135 Tiger Soilmec sets the standard for excellence in the domain of hydromills. Thanks to the increase in productivity, lower maintenance costs and proven reliability, Soilmec gives users a competitive advantage when it comes to achieving profitability

by Ettore Zanatta

T

hrough its extensive onsite experience, Soilmec is well familiar with these challenges. When studying systems for excavating diaphragm walls, it thought about how to offer the best productivity in highly difficult operating scenarios, e.g., excavation of rock masses with high values of RQD (low or nonexistent fracture) and an unconfined compression strength (200 MPa and over). To assure performance Soilmec first studied oil flows and the routing of hoses in order to reduce any pressure drops that could affect the system’s efficiency, resulting in an increase in available power. Along with a careful study of the cutting systems, Soilmec is able to provide the best excavation capacity available on the market today with torques that, depending on the type of milling module, range from 90 to 150 kNm for each wheel.

Thanks to the proven efficacy of the DMS system, now in a 4.0 version, the operator has the guarantee of verticality values with margins of error in the order of 0.2%, even at depths exceeding 150 m. Furthermore, the DMS manager, among other functions, provides predictive maintenance and a project advancement report, both very important to establish better timing and planning of the job site.

More production, less downtime The Soilmec hydromill module’s hydraulic motors do not require periodic maintenance for up to 1500 hours, and experience on site has determined that they can achieve 2000 hours. Even on complex, “non-standard” job sites where the ground contains rock masses with high strength values (100 MPa and over), the motors have demonstrated no need for overhaul prior to 1000 working hours. Moreover, disassembly and reassembly of excavation wheels are greatly simplified thanks to a hexagonal conical housing with only six bolts, so the task can be completed in two hours instead of a much longer interval. This also has an effect on the method and timing for performing excavation, may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 31

DRILLING because in the case of mixed terrain (e.g., clay/rock) the cutting drums can be changed based on need without impacting job site schedules.

The SC-135 Tiger has a double hydraulic system fitted with independent tanks; a solution no other manufacturer offers, unless by including an external auxiliary unit. Should pumps become contaminated or the milling module blocked when inside the excavation, the double circuit enables the crane to extract it, thereby reducing the time it is immobilized, or in a worst-case scenario the possibility it must be abandoned.

The user can thus resume work within a time period that, depending on the extent of the problem, is 50-70% less on average than what has been historically

The SC-135 Tiger has a double hydraulic system fitted with independent tanks; a solution no other manufacturer offers, unless by including an external auxiliary unit

experienced before on the market, which translates into greatly reduced costs of repair and restoration. The crane’s main components have also been studied to afford easy access; the combustion engine, pumps, electrical panel and all other parts have all been positioned keeping in mind the technician who is to repair or replace them.

The SC-135 Tiger Compact set-up allows you to reach an excavation depth of 90 m containing the tail swing radius of the machine in 6200 mm 32 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

A “comfortable work environment” Unlike with a drilling rig, the operator of a hydromill can work long shifts, sometimes stretching over ten hours.

This is because the phases of excavating and casting the elements to make a panel are influenced by several factors, not always predicted with any certainty (extremely hard rock masses, difficulties in handling the cages, delays in casting, etc.). This explains why seat comfort, climate control, ergonomics of the controls and optimum visibility of the instrumentation of the area nearest the machine are key features intended to put the operator in the best working conditions. The cab of the SC-135 Tiger reflect these priorities. In addition, they feature proportional and highly precise commands that, besides improving the quality and response to project specifications, allow the operator to be in total control, helping to alleviate stress (and accompanying fatigue) due to an imperfect response of the commands.

Inner-city construction sites The machine has been designed with a modular architecture that allows you to maintain its powerful features with smallest dimensions. Switching between standard and compact version is easily obtained by simply changing the upper platform and mud wheel.

The SC-135 Tiger Compact set-up allows you to reach an excavation depth of 90 m containing the tail swing radius of the machine in 6200 mm.

This design geometry allows to work on construction sites with

The SC-135 Tiger has a double hydraulic system fitted with independent tanks; a solution no other manufacturer offers, unless by including an external auxiliary unit

space constraints as metropolitan construction sites.

Between September 2021 and February 2022, TREVIICOS has been involved in the South Station Tower project in Boston.

One of the main challenges faced was a very tight site working between historic South Station head house and active passenger platforms for Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail lines.

Thanks to the possibility of using a high-performance machine despite the tight spaces, the work was completed on schedule.

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ITALIAN ABSTRACT

IDROFRESE AD ALTA REDDITIVITÀ Con la SC-135 Tiger Soilmec alza l’asticella della reddittività nel settore delle idrofrese. Un modello sviluppato per offrire alta produttività, minori costi di manutenzione e affidabilità. Per garantire potenza disponibile sempre elevata sono stati studiati i flussi dell’olio e il percorso dei tubi flessibili, riducendo sensibilmente le perdite di carico che potrebbero influire sull’efficienza del sistema. Dovendo lavorare in terreni difficili e formazione rocciose Soilmec ha allestito i moduli fresanti con gruppi di scavo a elevato valore di coppia, il maggiore oggi disponibile sul mercato, che vanno da 90 a 150 kNm per ogni ruota. L’SC-135 Tiger ha un doppio impianto idraulico, brevetto Soilmec, dotato di serbatoi indipendenti. In caso di contaminazione delle pompe o blocco del modulo di fresatura all’interno dello scavo il doppio circuito consente alla gru di estrarlo, riducendo il tempo di immobilizzazione o, nel peggiore dei casi, la possibilità che venga abbandonato. L’utente può così riprendere il lavoro entro un lasso di tempo che, a seconda dell’entità del problema, è mediamente del 50-70% in meno rispetto a quanto storicamente sperimentato prima sul mercato, il che si traduce in costi di riparazione e ripristino notevolmente ridotti. La macchina è stata progettata con un’architettura modulare che consente di avere una macchina di ingombro ridotto e allo stesso tempo mantenere le sue prestazioni. L’allestimento SC-135 Tiger Compact consente di raggiungere una profondità di scavo di 90 m contenendo il raggio di rotazione della coda della macchina in 6.200 mm. Questa geometria progettuale permette di lavorare in cantieri con vincoli di spazio come cantieri metropolitani. Tra settembre 2021 e febbraio 2022, TREVIICOS è stata coinvolta nel progetto South Station Tower di Boston: una delle principali sfide affrontate è stata un cantiere molto stretto che lavorava tra la storica sede della stazione sud e le piattaforme passeggeri attive per le linee ferroviarie per pendolari Amtrak e MBTA. Grazie alla possibilità di utilizzare una macchina performante nonostante gli spazi ristretti i lavori sono stati completati nei tempi previsti.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 33

TUNNELLING Robbins

Single Shield completes Canada’s Largest Outfall

On March 3, 2022, a 7.95 m (26.1 ft) diameter Robbins Single Shield TBM completed a record-setting run below Lake Ontario

by Stefano Vitali

A

Robbins Single Shield TBM completed a recordsetting run below Lake Ontario: the machine, for the Southland/Astaldi JV,

34 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

bored 3.5 km (2.2 mi) in sedimentary rock for the Ashbridges Bay Outfall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The TBM launched in March 2021 from an 85 m (280 ft) deep, 16 m (53 ft) diameter shaft

and began its bore in predominantly shale, with limestone, siltstone and sandstone. During its excavation, the TBM and its experienced crew bored a city-wide record of 30 rings in one day, or about 47 m (154 ft) of advance. The machine and crew surpassed a previous best day of 21 rings at a project with similar specifications. “We are proud to have completed another successful tunnel with Robbins and greatly appreciate their field service support,” said Joe Savage,

Project Manager for Southland. “This is a wonderful type of geology for our machines; during the entire excavation, a total of 7 cutters were changed. The wear behavior is incredible, between 2 and 5 mm, and everyone is amazed by the cutter performance,” said Alfredo Garrido of Robbins Field Service.

Cause for celebration The crew had been operating the machine in two shifts of 12 hours from Monday to Friday. A Robbins continuous conveyor system including vertical conveyor transported muck behind the machine. “Every 25 machine cycles, it was necessary to stop the excavation to probe drill hole in front of the cutterhead to check for possible water. This drilling was done basically every day, stopping the machine for a few hours, but it was very necessary,” said Garrido.

The last kilometer of tunnel, bored below a series of 50 risers under Lake Ontario, was challenging but ultimately successful. “The team really worked together to overcome some tough ground conditions and high water inflows in the tunnel,” said Savage.

The success of the TBM is just one cause for celebration. The project won accolades from the Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC) in late 2021 for its allremote machine acceptance enacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The machine acceptance, the first of its kind, enabled communication and confirmation

between the machine’s assembly location in Mexico, suppliers in the U.S. and those involved in Canada. “It was a challenge for all the people involved due the pandemic travel restrictions; howe-

Robbins, Southland, and other personnel celebrate the completion of tunneling at the Ashbridges Bay Outfall Tunnel in early March 2022

The 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long Ashbridges Bay Outfall Tunnel is Canada’s largest outfall and connects to 50 risers in Lake Ontario. During tunneling in predominantly shale, the Robbins TBM and its crew bored a city-wide record of 30 rings in one day, or about 47 m (154 ft) of advance. The Ashbridges Bay Outfall won accolades from the Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC) in late 2021 for its all-remote machine acceptance, the first of its kind, enacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic

ver, due to good planning and communication we were able to go through the Acceptance Test successfully. I think this might become quite common in the near future,” said Robbins Project Manager Javier Alcala.

The completed outfall will connect to the 50 in-lake risers to enable efficient dispersion of treated effluent over a wide area of the lake, making it the largest outfall in the country. The project for the City of Toronto will improve the city’s shoreline and Lake Ontario’s water quality by replacing a 70-yearold existing outfall.

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ITALIAN ABSTRACT

UNA TBM ROBBINS SOTTO L’ONTARIO UnaTBM a scudo singolo Robbins ha completato un intervento da record sotto il lago Ontario, in Canada: la macchina, fornita a JV Southland/Astaldi, ha scavato 3,5 km nella roccia sedimentaria dell’Ashbridges Bay Outfall a Toronto. La TBM è stata avviata nel marzo 2021 a una profondità di 85 m e ha iniziato la sua perforazione prevalentemente in presenza di materiale quale scisto, calcare, siltite e arenaria. Durante lo scavo, la TBM e il personale preposto hanno fatto registrare avanzamenti record e tutti sono rimasti stupiti dalle prestazioni offerte della fresa. L’equipaggio ha utilizzato la macchina in due turni giornalieri di 12 ore, dal lunedì al venerdì. L’ultimo chilometro di tunnel, scavato sotto il lago Ontario, è stato impegnativo ma alla fine è stato eseguito con successo. Il progetto – che ha ricevuto diversi riconoscimenti dalla TAC (Tunneling Association of Canada) - migliorerà il litorale della città e la qualità dell’acqua del lago Ontario, sostituendo uno scarico esistente da 70 anni.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 35

PILE DRIVER Orteco

Technology solutions for installing piles for guardrails Reliability, processing accuracy and operator safety are the key qualities that make Orteco machinery such top-selling products the world over. At Intertraffic 2022 visitors were able to view the HD 1000 and SMART 800 tracked vehicles

by Ettore Zanatta

A

fter much waiting, Orteco is set to return to the trade fair circuit again. The Bologna-based company and international leader in the design, production, and distribution of pile driving machines for various industries, has long been involved in road safety (guardrails), as one of the areas in which it took

36 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

its first steps and where it has been a leading name in the market for 50 years. Intertraffic, the international fair scheduled in Amsterdam last March, has been focused on this very aspect and Orteco exhibited, as always, with a dedicated display area in which its solutions were showcased, which are now known and exported worldwide.

Showing innovations The display featured one of the company’s best-sellers, the HD 1000 tracked pile driver, whose sturdy structural work, high power and stability, combined with extreme manoeuvrability mean it is particularly suited to continuous heavyduty use. More specifically, the model due to be on display features a column that can drive in 4.5-metre long piles and an

Orteco pile drivers are nowadays recognised as synonymous with reliability and safety

automatic verticality system that ensures column-to-ground perpendicularity at the mere press of a button, guaranteeing higher productivity and greater accuracy and efficiency during work. Alongside this model at the Orteco stand we found a SMART 800 tracked pile driver, in a Hatz Stage 3A motorised version and featuring a dual-action (lifting and hammering) extractor kit to remove piles that are either damaged or no longer securely installed. With the capacity to install piles up to 4 metres in length, the stability of this machine

guarantees great precision during work; equipped with a 950 J hammer, it is an excellent choice for those who need a lightweight (3 tonnes) efficient machine.

Like all Orteco tracked models, both machines can be manoeuvred by a single operator (who can oversee both the piledriving and the machine’s movement at once) and are designed to be able to disassemble the pile driver from the tracked undercarriage. In this way, the pile driver can be easily mounted on a truck for ease of use during road maintenance work.

What’s more Orteco has stood out for its cuttingedge technology offerings since its origins, as is demonstrated not only by these solutions but also by the patents it has filed over recent years. These include, amongst others, a barrierreinforcing machine for restoring the anchorage of already installed guardrail piles, and the “Pick and Ram”, an automatic pile driver equipped with an electromechanical arm for lifting photovoltaic poles from the ground and a system for gripping and handling tree stakes for orchards. Produced entirely in Italy with high quality materials and components, Orteco pile drivers are nowadays recognised as synonymous with reliability and safety, thanks to

The display featured one of the company’s best-sellers, the HD 1000 tracked pile driver, and a SMART 800 tracked pile driver

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 37

PILE DRIVER

Today Orteco operates successfully in the pile-driving industry in various fields, such as road safety (guardrails), renewable energy (photovoltaic arrays), and agriculture (vineyards, orchards)

solutions such as the “free” hammer; as this hammer rests on the pile rather than being connected to the column with a fixed joint, it does not transmit vibrations to the machine, contributing to a longer life for all its components.

All needs have been thought through at the drawing board, as is shown by decision to mount the hammer about 30

cm from the guide skid to allow stakes to be installed beyond the guardrail in vegetation thickening works; while the lifetime of the machines is guaranteed, for example, through the use of folded (and not welded) sheets for the supporting structure and replaceable wear parts, as well as with a fast-response service centre, with remote service included.

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

INFISSIONE DI TECNOLOGIA Negli ultimi anni Orteco è cresciuta a un ritmo importante e anche l’ultimo periodo ha confermato il trend positivo. In termini di prodotto, negli ultimi tempi l’azienda ha presentato diverse novità, tra cui una macchina per la raccolta e infissione del palo realizzata per una delle più importanti realtà nazionali nel settore delle energie rinnovabili, una soluzione innovativa che si contraddistingue per importanti novità tecniche, come la possibilità di avere un operatore a bordo di una cabina climatizzata e conforme a tutti gli standard di sicurezza per la raccolta del palo da terra e la conseguente infissione nel terreno. La macchina è guidata dal sistema Orteco GPS machine control, che le consente di spostarsi con guida autonoma e di raggiungere il punto esatto di infissione previsto dal progetto con una precisione di 1 cm a terra. Recente è anche la macchina per la posa automatica dei pali a terra realizzata per un’importante multinazionale americana, che consente di distribuire i pali in uno specifico punto previsto dal progetto del cliente. La macchina, grazie a un apposito software e al citato sistema Orteco GPS machine control, si muoverà autonomamente all’interno del campo, senza la guida diretta di un operatore, che potrà controllare l’operato della stessa avvalendosi di un computer a distanza. Inoltre, grazie a una serie di sensori questa soluzione garantirà la massima precisione di lavoro e sicurezza per gli operatori presenti in campo. Orteco ha colto l’occasione del 50° anniversario festeggiato nel 2021 per presentare una nuova comunicazione e una rinnovata immagine, a partire dal logo aziendale, con l’obiettivo di trasmettere grande energia per il futuro e di posizionarsi sempre più come una realtà di riferimento nel settore.

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A long story A single-shareholder private limited company, Orteco was founded in 1971

by Sergio Tassinari, the company’s current chairman, and is located in the industrial district of ​​Bologna. During these first 50 years of activity, Orteco has developed and grown, providing its customers with products and services offering ever greater value. Today Orteco operates successfully in the pile-driving industry in various fields, such as road safety (guardrails), renewable energy (photovoltaic arrays), and agriculture (vineyards, orchards), with high performance products that offer superior quality and reliability. Its range includes tracked pile drivers, pile drivers for truck mounting, excavators, cranes, and highly automated machines such as barrierinstalling machines and quadruple core borers. To date, over 2,000 units have been sold in over 50 countries in five continents, through a dense network of dealers and distributors.

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NEWS GEOSYSTEM

The Ercolino 4.0 A new drilling machine was born that solves all the problems so far unsolved, suitable for work in confined spaces and ideal for renovations. Thanks to the telescopic antenna and thanks to the carriage rotatable through 180 ° with the possibility of working also on the side, this model has great freedom of movement, in fact it can maintain maximum stability thanks to the front and rear stabilizing arms, it is built in extremely small dimensions for sites that are more difficult to access and lower in height. Its compactness even allows you to go through the doors thanks to the wagon that can be extended from 70 to 90 cm, and work inside buildings with inter-floors of less than 200 cm. The new Ercolino 4.0, at the moment, is conceived in a single version: equipped with an on-board petrol engine with electric ignition to facilitate movement and stabilization of the vehicle, it is equipped with a separate diesel control unit, which gives the possibility of also work in closed spaces. Not only that, thanks to the great versatility of its components, this model is also perfect for carrying out tie-up work. The drill rig is configured with a telescopic antenna that can automatically vary from 180 to 320 cm. Equipped with a remote control (on request it can also be equipped with a remote control) it is also equipped with a simple (or double on order) hydraulic vice of new conception and reduced dimensions.

In order to best meet the needs of all customers, in fact, many options are available: different rotation heads: from the specialized one for high torque micropiles (up to 500 Nm), to the one equipped with a hammer for inserting rods self-drilling holes of type 32-38-51 mm.

TOOLS SIP&T

Geovertical style SIP&T rotary drilling tools are engaged in Calabria for the bored piles of the Straface Viaduct

by Pietro Gabrielli

T

he current 106 Jonica state road has some infrastructural limitations.

The work in progress aims to equip this artery with

40 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

modern and safety works. Geovertical is the protagonist in the construction of the bored piles, and because of the difficult soil stratigraphy it has involved SIP&T for the supply of equipment

capable to complete the work properly and in a timely manner. Bored piles have been installed using two hydraulic drilling machines, Comacchio CH650 and BAuer BG36 Premium Line, with,

respectively, a torque of 262/365 kNm max, drilling speed of 40/52 rpm max, main winch pull of 250/376 kN, and weight at working conditions of about 71/148 Ton. Geovertical has drilled the piles by arming and cementing them with steel cages. The process involved the use of rotating tools, all made by SIP&T. To guarantee the highest quality, Geovertical uses many verification methods including integrity test on the pile length, bidirectional load test on the bored pile, and digital recording of the execution parameters. CH650 and BG36 used by Geovertical are equipped with instruments that monitor all piling aspects such as depth, correct rotary tools rotation, penetration, and extraction speed.

Works and Geotechnical Framework The Straface viaduct extends for a total length of 632 m. The project involves the use of bored piles of Ø1200 and 1500mm, up to a depth of between 42 and 50 m. The soil stratigraphy is composed of terraced marine deposits, consisting of layers of gravel in a sandy matrix alternating with layers of silt-clayey sands. Surface deposits consist of current and recently stabilized alluvial deposits; a difficult stratigraphy, very hard in some places due to the presence of boulders greater than 0.7m in grain size.

The Importance of SIP&T Tools Experts opinion is that SIP&T tools were crucial for the piles construction.

Top of the range buckets and core barrels were supplied, along with equipment manufactured by the German industryleading company Betek. The tools design is the result of the development of years of experience in several construction sites, whose different performances have been gathered for analysis.

The geometry of the cutting edges is optimized to achieve excellent drilling performance, the tool length has been specifically designed to obtain the best loading/unloading characteristics of the material, and suitability is thought for high torque. The optimized cutting

Geovertical is the protagonist in the construction of the bored piles, and because of the difficultsoil stratigraphy it has involved SIP&T for the supply of equipment capable to complete the work properly and in a timely manner may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 41

TOOLS

The tools design is the result of the development of years of experience in several construction sites, whose different performances have been gathered for analysis

The management of Geovertical greatly appreciates the collaboration with SIP&T because it allows them to respect the project Gantt, the budget and the client satisfaction 42 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

geometry allows high drilling speeds.

With excellent breakout characteristics, and the blades inclination at which the Betek equipments are installed increases or decreases according to the soil nature.

Maintenance is reduced and simple: the wear plates are in hardox HB600 (or similar), easily replaceable and highly resistant to wear, while the special angle allows the Betek chisels to sharpen as they turn, reducing significantly the frequency of replacement, which is still extremely easy and fast. These tools have high operational reliability: the quality and design are the culmination of 25 years of expertise in design and manufacture of rotary drilling tools. The casing is designed to be a solid structure in high quality welded steel; the joints are made of alloy steel with high wear resistance. Two different lines of casings are available: standard and reinforced.

The latter (such as the one used by Geovertical), uses a special alloy steel that gives the joints a high mechanical yield value. The connection between the male and female joint is secured by means of conical bolts, and by threaded and conical rings manufactured by the

German company Betek. Moreover all the connections are water sealed by o-rings. The different types of cutting teeth applied to the casing shoes are also produced by Betek and chosen according to the soil stratigraphy they work with.

In any case, it is possible to customize design and type of equipment in accordance with the client need. Tremie pipes are used once the reinforcement cage has been installed, to then proceed with the casting of the concrete. The use of these pipes is necessary to prevent the concrete casting from breaking or in any case presenting discontinuities, and to avoid contamination of the concrete when water and mud are used in drilling.

Tremie pipes are made of drawn sheet metal in order to obtain strong and light elements. Those supplied to Geovertical were of two diameters: 254/219 and 310/273 mm. Tremie pipes model is with “wire cable”, in order to speed up the assembly/ disassembly of the elements during the casting phase. Two o-rings guarantee the sealing against water infiltrations. Due to the involvement of people during the casting phase, SIP&T draws its equipment with particular attention to safety. Non-slip surfaces forced closures in the personnel maneuvering area, and container lifting systems are some examples of the safety of the equipment against accidents.

Safety on site is very important to SIP&T and it is also reflected in the production of other items. The desired result is a high production despite a demanding stratigraphy. Geovertical has installed up to 4 piles per day with a diameter of 1200 mm and 3 with a diameter of 1500 mm, at different depths up to 50 meters. The drilling phase for a single pile took about an hour and a half, while the pile completion phase with the laying of the metal cage and concrete with consequent extraction of the casings took about an hour.

Excellent productivity and smart planning are leading to completion of the project on schedule. For these reasons, the management of Geovertical greatly appreciates the collaboration with SIP&T because it allowds them to respect the project Gantt, the budget, and the client satisfaction.

■

The project involves the use of bored piles of Ø1200 and 1500mm, up to a depth of between 42 and 50 m

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

STILE GEOVERTICAL Gli utensili SIP&T sono impiegati in Calabria per la realizzazione del Viadotto Straface, dove Geovertical è protagonista nella produzione di pali trivellati con perforatrici idrauliche Comacchio CH650 e Bauer BG36 Premium Line. Il progetto prevede pali Ø 1.200 e 1.500 mm fino a una profondità compresa tra 42 e 50 m.

La stratigrafia del suolo è difficile, il terreno talvolta molto duro, con presenza di massi con granulometria superiore a 0,7 m. L’opinione degli esperti è che gli strumenti SIP&T sono stati cruciali per la realizzazione dei pali. Bucket, carotieri, tubi rivestimento e tubi getto sono stati forniti nella versione top di gamma con equipaggiamento realizzato dalla tedesca Betek. Un’eccellente produttività e una pianificazione intelligente stanno portando al completamento del progetto nei tempi previsti. Geovertical apprezza molto la collaborazione di SIP&T che si è dimostrata sua alleata per il rispetto del Gantt del progetto, del budget e per la soddisfazione del cliente.

may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 43

COMPONENTS Flash Battery

The future of industrial electrification is “made in Italy” Born out of a garage in 2012 from an idea of Marco Righi (CEO) and Alan Pastorelli (CTO), Flash Battery is today a leading company in the field of lithium batteries for industrial machines and electric vehicles

by Pietro Gabrielli

A

fter closing 2021 with a turnover of 17.3 million, up 25% on the previous year, Flash Battery, company based in Sant’Ilario d’Enza (Italy), continues its international rise, thanks to a made in Italy technology, that has turned

44 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

innovation and R&D into its greatest strengths. We talk about it with CEO and founder Marco Righi.

Why did you decide to take the leap on lithium batteries ten years ago?

“Because a battery that was five times lighter and delivered three times the

lifecycles of a lead-acid battery was revolutionary at the time. There were big reliability issues, but this was more of an electronics problem, nothing to do with the chemistry. That’s why our initial focus wasn’t on producing the battery but on the electronics behind it. After perfecting the electronics, we started

producing complete, turnkey battery packs and since then, our technology has never stopped evolving. Just think that 35% of our employees are active in the R&D department and engaged in constant research activities”.

What are the main advantages of Flash Battery lithium technology and how do they differentiate you from competitors?

“We made ourselves stand out from competitors right from the beginning with our applied technology. The Flash Balancing system - our own Battery Management System which is patented in Italy and European patent pending - is definitely one of a kind. It acts both actively and passively with a balancing power (20A) that by far exceeds conventional BMS systems.

This translates into several advantages, such as ultra-quick balancing time (under 30 minutes) and maximum run time for Flash Battery lithium batteries. Another differentiating tool is our proprietary Flash Data Center, a remote-control software integrated inside all our batteries, which monitors 24/7 the health status of each battery produced, thus performing selfdiagnostics and predictive maintenance.

Just now, some competitors are coming around to this system, but clearly the time advantage and our focus on R&D help us to maintain the lead. As a matter of fact, we will present at Bauma 2022 a new 4.0 release, implemented with an improved interface and artificial intelligence algorithms”.

Marco Righi (left), CEO & Founder of Flash Battery, with Alan Pastorelli, CTO & Co-founder

You specialise in the production of lithium batteries for industrial machinery: have you ever thought about “automotive” industry?

“We always kept a clear focus on our benchmark market: whilst a lot of our competitors produce all types of batteries, from those for bikes to those for industrial machinery, our target has always been industry, industrial vehicles and special industrial machinery, consequently producing medium-large batteries from 6 up to over 300 kWh. We chose to focus on industry, because ten years ago it was more receptive than the automotive world. Many industrial vehicles were already electric at the time and this protects us from the big

potential investors the battery world is attracting. The automotive industry would certainly offer a good opportunity for growth, but as I see it, the big automakers will end up producing their own batteries while the industrial world, on the other hand, has lower numbers and high customisation needs”.

How customisable are your batteries?

“Totally, that’s what sets us apart from the giants. So far, we have produced more than 500 different customised battery models, which fit the exact space requirements of each individual application and offer capacities and voltages tailored to the working requirements. We brought

Example of Flash Battery customised for an electric vehicle (358,4 V 100 Ah 35,8 kWh) may 2022 - ONSITEUNDERGROUND 45

COMPONENTS

Flash Battery custom lithium batteries

customisation to an industrial level and we are able to guarantee high quality and performance in the supply with validated and standardised processes”.

At what stage is the market where you are currently active and which are your prospects for development?

“Market is definitely getting ready.

In recent years we have been experiencing an increasing number of manufacturers, willing to take the decisive step towards electrification of their vehicles. Up until five years ago, we would have never thought of electrifying an excavator or an

ITALIAN ABSTRACT

IL FUTURO DELL’ELETTRIFICAZIONE INDUSTRIALE È “MADE IN ITALY” La nuova frontiera dell’elettrificazione industriale passa dall’Italia, precisamente a Sant’Ilario d’Enza (RE), dove nel 2012 è nata Flash Battery, oggi punto di riferimento a livello internazionale nella produzione di batterie al litio per macchine industriali e veicoli elettrici. Dopo aver chiuso il 2021 con un fatturato di 17,3 milioni di euro (+25% rispetto al 2020), l’azienda celebra il suo decennale di fondazione continuando la sua crescita, grazie a una tecnologia proprietaria che ha fatto di innovazione e ricerca e sviluppo i suoi punti di forza. Il 35% del team Flash Battery è attivo in R&D, per lo studio di nuove tecnologie volte ad anticipare le richieste di mercato e ottimizzare i processi produttivi. A puntare sul litio, nel 2012 sono stati Marco Righi, CEO, e Alan Pastorelli, CTO dell’azienda, che superando gli allora limiti dell’elettronica hanno sviluppato un BMS unico nel suo genere con un sistema di bilanciamento attivo e passivo delle celle brevettato, che permette una carica ultrarapida e lunghi cicli vita. Flash Battery possiede inoltre un software di controllo remoto, il Flash Data Center, che monitora 24/7 i parametri di vita della batteria inviando i dati a un cloud che in tempo reale li analizza, svolgendo autodiagnostica e manutenzione predittiva. Flash Battery ha prodotto oltre 500 diversi modelli di batterie customizzate, che rispettano gli spazi e gli ingombri richiesti dal veicolo e offrono capacità e tensioni studiate ad hoc per le esigenze di lavoro delle più diverse applicazioni industriali, dall’edilizia alla logistica, all’agricoltura, al material handling, alle piattaforme aeree, ai mezzi aeroportuali e a molti altri settori industriali che stanno man mano abbracciando l’elettrificazione.

46 ONSITEUNDERGROUND - may 2022

Lithium batteries for electric vehicles

agricultural machine, but today we have several electric prototypes in the construction and agricultural sectors, to name but a few. There is therefore a clear interest in the electrification of increasingly large vehicles, with high-voltage batteries and high power in terms of kW. Our prospects for development are very much linked to foreign markets, both directly and indirectly. Indeed, 35% of our output is currently directed abroad. However, if we consider that the batteries supplied to Italian customers are installed in machines that will be exported all over the world, we can say that more than the 80% of Flash Battery Production is internationally oriented. In addition, the numerous partnerships established with powertrain system integrators from the most electrification-oriented countries in Europe, such as Efa France in France, Atech GmbH in Germany and Q-tronic in Benelux, will further support our international growth”. ■

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