Project Name:   Gilon Railway Tunnel

Location: Rail track between Akko and Carmiel, Israel

Application: Precast concrete – traffic block elements

The Gilon Tunnel is located on the 23 km long section of Akko to Carmiel and is a double-edged railway tunnel with a length of 4700 m and a diameter of 8.50 m per tube.
These prefab concrete parts are mainly used in railway tunnels and laid between the tracks. In case of use of rescue vehicles in the tunnel, they can easily enter and exit the tunnel, saving valuable time to rescue people.

The main reason for the use of macrofibers was the geometry of the finished parts. The 1,29 x 1,22 x 0,20 m large elements are provided with recesses, which lie exactly on the concrete sleepers. Conventionally, reinforced with steel bars, the production of such elements is complex and therefore cost- and time-intensive. On the other hand, the pouring of the formwork with high performance synthetic fiber concrete is simple and offers various advantages for the manufacturer, installer and the future owner of the tunnel, such as cost reduction, protection against spalling during transport and installation thanks to 3-dimensional reinforcement and durability.

Before the start of the production of totally 22.500 elements, detailed breakage and load tests were carried out on the test bench using sample elements. The displacement of the block elements on the tunnel construction site was carried out in a simple manner using a truck crane.

Outcomes:

• 3 Dimensional reinforcement, best protection during handling and transportation
• Increased production speeds of precast traffic block elements
• Reduces element weight to within safe design levels

Author:  Robert Bader robert.bader@contecfiber.com