Tunnel expertise in demand

In Rijeka, Croatia, an ambitious infrastructure project was successfully completed after some two years of construction work. During the large-scale rebuild of Brajdica freight station, the 400-metre-long Sušak tunnel was also extended and repaired.

The development of the multimodal platform of the Port of Rijeka, Croatia's third largest city with almost 130,000 inhabitants, and the link-up with the Adriatic Gate container terminal, is a joint project of the Port Authority of Rijeka, HŽ Infrastruktura d.o.o. and the consortium KOLEKTOR KOLING d.o.o. and EUROASFALT d.o.o. The total value of the project located at Kvarner Bay on the northern coast of Istria is € 35.6 million. It includes the construction of a new container terminal, the reconstruction and renovation of the existing Rijeka Brajdica freight station and the extension of the existing Sušak railway tunnel.

 

Faster construction progress with setting accelerators from MC

The tunnel project specifications included the challenge of carrying out the requisite expansion measures as far as possible without disrupting regular rail traffic. For the lining and coating of the interior of the tunnel, EUROASFALT d.o.o. from Bosnia put its faith in MC's know-how in tunnelling solutions coupled with the application expertise of specialist contractor Lepen d.o.o. The work involved placement of 400 tonnes of MC-Montan Shotcrete HA 01 to cover the inner walls of the tunnel. MC’s alkali-free setting accelerator has been especially developed for shotcreting, whether by wet or dry spraying, and specifically for shoring measures in tunnelling and mining. It provides for high early strength and, by enabling layer thicknesses of 15 to 20 cm per pass, facilitates significantly faster work progress, as well as helping to reduce dust formation.

Tunnel linings visually upgraded

In the second phase, the interior wall surface of approximately 12,000 m² was primed with the water-dispersed epoxy resin sealant MC-DUR 111 D transparent, followed by a permanent waterproofing coat of MC-DUR 111 D in RAL 9001. This provided the mineral substrate with protection against mechanical stress and chemical attack while also imparting an attractive visual appearance. MC-DUR 111 D will adhere even to slightly damp mineral substrates and is resistant to water exposure, dilute acids and alkalis, plus a variety of organic chemicals.

 

Work on the Rijeka Brajdica project was completed in July 2020. Since then, the technical advantages that have come with this major project have facilitated integration within the trans-European rail network, the aim being to switch more container traffic to rail and thus reduce road traffic volumes and the associated air pollution.