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2003
PR-INFO-TUNNEL ROBOT–A WORLD PREMIER INNOVATION IN THE WESER TUNNEL
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| Fire protection - a must for tunnel construction The construction work on the Weser Tunnel between Dedesdorf and Kleinensiel near Bremen is now nearing completion. Tunnel robot - a world premier innovation in the Weser Tunnel The world's first drilling and installation device, a tunnel robot built by KAEFER Isoliertechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen, is fitting the fire protection cladding in the tunnel in a rational and time-efficient work procedure. The robot was developed in cooperation with the company fischer Befestigungssysteme, Waldachtal. Norbert Schmelzle (Chairman of the KAEFER board of managers) and Stephan K. Radermacher (Chief Executive of KAEFER) see the use of the tunnel robot as a further innovative project of the in-house π² strategy. Both are of the opinion that: "Innovative technologies must be used increasingly in our core business and in the activities connected with it". At KAEFER π² stands for the integration of Products and Processes (P) and for Innovation and Installation (I). Recent accidents have made responsible parties more aware of the importance of fire protection in tunnels. 22,000 m of fireproof cladding is to be fitted in each of the two 1.6 kilometer tubes of the Weser Tunnel. Whereas installation teams have manually fitted around 12,000 fireproof panels in the north tube, the tunnel robot has accelerated and facilitated work in the south tube considerably. KAEFER is using the robot for the first time as a mechanical drilling and installation unit for fireproof panels. The tunnel robot, which was developed by fischer, in cooperation with experts from handling and installation engineering, greatly rationalizes the amount of work required for drilling and anchoring the fireproof panels. The tunnel robot also reduces the noise and dust levels. "This innovation opens up new dimensions", says Klaus Schilling, Chief Executive of Marketing and Sales at fischer Befestigungssysteme. The tubbing rings are lined with the fireproof panels above the three meter high impact walls. The panels (62.5 x 300 cm), made of fiber-glass reinforced lightweight concrete, are designed to prevent the flames from beating directly against the reinforced concrete tubbing rings in the event of a fire. The water contained in the reinforced concrete could evaporate at very high temperatures, causing the reinforced concrete to spall and to become unstable. The fireproof panels demonstrate fire resistance duration in accordance with RABT guidelines. It goes without saying that the anchors for the 20 mm thick panels in the high-strength concrete must also meet these fire protection requirements. Extensive static calculations and fire experiments performed by the fixing specialists have verified that this is the case. The entire 44,000 m of fireproof cladding is held in place by around 350,000 stainless steel nail anchors of the type FNA 6x30. The fireproof panels are fitted in a polygonal pattern starting from the ridge of the tunnel in a radius of 5.15 m down to the level of the impact walls. The tunnel robot is based on a mobile four-way stacker. KAEFER defined the special requirements for panel mounting in tunnel construction when designing the work platform. Two specially trained fitters fix the fireproof panels using the mechanical drilling and installation unit. Careful work preparation is important for this innovative procedure. The tunnel robot picks up the fireproof panels using the integrated forklift and transports these through the opening onto the work platform. The vehicle can lift a pallet with up to 30 fireproof panels. After the tunnel robot picks up the pallet, it moves to the first work position. The positioning of the machine is laser-supported. The machine is held in this work position by four hydraulic supports and is automatically leveled horizontally. The work platform is positioned by vertical and transverse movements. Three fireproof panels can be fitted from a single work position. When the top panel is removed from the pallet for installation, the pick-off level is automatically readjusted to a constant 90 cm. The top panel is lifted by vacuum suction devices. A so-called backing strip is attached to the surface and side walls of this panel. The backing strip (100 x 10 mm) prevents the flames from penetrating the butt of the panel in the event of a fire. In the next step, 12 through holes are drilled by rotary action. The panel is now lifted and swung into the curve of the tunnel. A compressed air-supported balancer function minimizes the amount of force required by the fitters for positioning the fireproof panels. Once the panel has been positioned, it is pressed against the wall and 12 holes are simultaneously drilled in the concrete by hammer action. The drilled holes are automatically monitored and drilling faults are optically displayed to the fitted. A drilled hole depth of 45 mm is required for FNA 6x30 nail anchors from fischer. The drilling machines are fitted with a suction facility to minimize the amount of dust. Four nail anchors are inserted by a pneumatically driven setter to initially fix the panels. The other nail anchors are inserted during the next drilling step or in a later work procedure. After this clearly defined work sequence, more fireproof panels are fixed in three new work positions, starting always from the ridge of the tunnel. Due to the high degree of fitting accuracy - tolerance of +/- 1 mm - only the ridge panels, which contain many cutouts, and the panels adjoining the impact walls are fitted manually. Tunnel fire protection projects are nothing new for KAEFER, who was responsible for the planning, construction and installation of a completely new type of smoke extraction ceiling in the fourth tube of the Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg. Fire protection concepts from KAEFER ensure a safe journey to the light at the end of the tunnel. The KAEFER Group has around 6000 employees in over 30 countries and achieved an annual sales turnover of around EUR 516 million in 2002. KAEFER also boasts extensive expertise and a great deal of international project experience in the field of fire protection in other areas, such as construction, industry and shipbuilding. We would be happy to send you further information on request. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tunnel robot - technical specifications
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| Zeichen: 6893 August 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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