10.07.2023

Casting of the tunnel elements for the Fehmarnbelt link now underway

Casting of the tunnel elements for the 18 km immersed tunnel between Rødbyhavn on Lolland in Denmark and Puttgarden on the German island of Femern is underway, which marks a key milestone in the project. The first casting was carried out by a 140-strong team from Femern Link Contractors.  

07.07.2023

Sandvik wins SEK 460 million mining equipment order in Australia

Sandvik has received a major order from a customer in Australia for the supply of underground mining
equipment.  

07.07.2023

Hudson Tunnel Project to receive $6.88 Billion Federal Grant

Hudson Tunnel Project Entered into Engineering Phase of Capital Investment Grant Process, Clearing Way for Full Funding Grant Agreement and Major Construction of Project  

06.07.2023

Sika acquires Thiessen Team USA - strong player in US mining industry

Sika has acquired Thiessen Team USA, a US manufacturer of shotcrete and grouting products for the mining industry in the USA. The company serves the Western US mining industry which produces essential minerals for the growing electric vehicle industry among many other critical minerals. The acquisition will open up significant cross-selling potential and will support Sika’s expansion in the US mining market.  

Market-Place-4.0 Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH

06.07.2023

Return to the Dominican Republic: Bauer Spezialtiefbau completes order on the Monte Grande dam

Return to the Dominican Republic: Bauer Spezialtiefbau completes follow-up order on the Monte Grande dam (Credits: BAUER Group)

The Monte Grande dam in the southwest of the Dominican Republic serves as a key element of the country’s infrastructure – for controlling the Yaque del Sur River's water level, flood protection and generation of electrical energy. Tourism and using dammed water for irrigation of agricultural land also play a significant role.

Diaphragm wall as erosion protection

Bauer Fundaciones Dominicana S.R.L., the Dominican subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, was commissioned in 2019 to construct a cut-off wall to seal off the dam base. By May 2020, Bauer constructed around 26,000 m² of cut-off wall over a length of 1,350 m, down to an average depth of 23 m and with a thickness of 800 mm underneath the dam foundations. In May 2022, Bauer returned to the Monte Grande dam for Phase II which consisted of the construction of a reinforced diaphragm wall acting as a flip lip for the dam spillway, protecting the toe of the dam from erosion.

Panels in different shapes

In total, 55 panels were installed with a thickness of 800 mm. Panel lengths varied between 2.8 m for a single-bite panel up to 7.1 m for a triple-bite panel. A Bauer polymer-based stabilizing slurry was used to assist the excavation work with two rope grabs. Depending on the requirements, different panel shapes were constructed including straight panels as well as L- and V-shaped panels. “In total, we constructed 7,828 m² of diaphragm wall with a total length of more than 320 m. The excavation depth was 24.5 m. Temporary flat steel stop-ends with installed water-bar made of rubber were used, followed by reinforcement cages of up to 15 t per panel. Highly fluid (high slump flowable) concrete was used as the filling material,” remarks Project Manager Nuno Pires.

High rock strength

One particular challenge during this project was the excavation of the existing hard soil and rock layers. The geology encountered was very heterogeneous and the strength of rock, particularly the limestone and sandstone, was very high with values up to 45 MPa. To enable the excavation of the panels with rope grabs, pre-drilling was carried out in some cases. This made it possible to relax the strength of the rock and minimize wear and tear on the grabs as far as possible.

Project Manager Nuno Pires sums it up enthusiastically: “We are very proud of our fantastic team. The work executed by Bauer was successfully completed in March 2023.”

Source: BAUER Group

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