ES RUBBER IS IN GDANSK POLAND
ES RUBBER Gaskets are being used in Poland to ensure a leak-free tunnel, an important new highway tunnel beneath one of the country’s major rivers.
The 10 km long Slowacki Route will link the Lech Walesa airport in Gdansk to both the deep water harbor and the motorway to Warsaw, enhancing the city’s position as a major transportation hub in the region. The new connection passes under the Vistula River in a 1.4 km long twin tunnel designed to accommodate two lanes of traffic apiece. A major part of the crossing comprises 1.1 km long tunnels being driven by Spanish contractor OHL using a 12.56 m-diameter Herrenknecht Mixshield. These will be equipped with seven cross passages for emergency use.
The TBM will resist up to 4 bar pressure expected at certain points under the river with only 8m cover. It will also have to manage four percent gradients at each end of the drives. The tunnels are being lined with 1,090 rings of 6+1 segments equipped with ES Tunnelflex rubber gaskets tested to 7 bar.
