20 March 2009 - Sochi, Russia is preparing itself for the Olympic Winter Games which it will be hosting in 2014. As part of an ambitious infrastructure improvement plan another order for a Wirth heavy duty roadheader, type T3.20 has been placed by the company OOO Tonneldorstroy (TDS), the tunnel contractors for the city of Sochi.
24 Mar 09
Sochi is located between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains which rise up directly behind it. The city’s geographic situation is one of the rea-sons behind a major logistical challenge, namely major traffic jams. All transport travelling along the coast has to pass through the city. As result there are traffic jams on a daily basis. These traffic jams are expected to increase as 2014 approaches.
To overcome this, Sochi has an ambitious infra-structure improvement plan. This plan involves a bypass road around the city and a new main road passing through (or mainly underneath), the city. This new road will involve the construction of no less than 15 tunnels and a number of bridges and fly-overs. The bypass road is currently under con-struction and parts of it have already been com-pleted.
Almost all the tunnels on the bypass road have been constructed with the help of four Wirth Paurat roadheaders, heavy duty machines specifically designed for tunneling in medium to hard rock up to 150 MPa. Three of the four machines are operated by the company OOO Tonneldorstroy (TDS). TDS has now placed another order with Wirth for a new heavy duty roadheader, type T3.20.
“This order acknowledges the long term planning and strategic thinking of TDS. By investing in this equipment, it is ensured that the future tunnels for the city’s infrastructure can be constructed safely and efficiently,” says Hans Greve, EVP of Wirth GmbH.
Wirth supplied its first roadheader to Sochi in 2002. The new T3.20 roadheader will be delivered from Germany in May 2009.
About the T3.20
The T3.20 roadheader is a heavy duty roadheader with 300 kW installed cutting power and a weight of approx. 120 t. Due to its flexibility in its operation and movement; roadheaders are ideally suited for tunnels in rock up to 120 - 150 MPa compressive strength. The tunneling method used with road-headers, is the NATM. Opposed to the conventional drill and blast method, roadheaders provide a much safer working environment. Instead of blasting the rock with explosives, the cutterhead of the road-header excavates precisely the profile that is re-quired, without unnecessary overbreak or rock dis-turbance. Roadheaders usually have a higher ad-vance rate in comparison to drill and blast.
The planned tunnels in Sochi are all relatively short, i.e. less than 3 km but often only a few hundred meters. For these tunnels, roadheaders are ideally suited. They can be supplied swiftly with mobilisa-tion and erection on site taking a maximum of two weeks.
Ends
For further information, please contact:
Media:
Karen Romer, VP communications, Aker Solutions. Tel.: +47 67 51 32 60, Mob: +47 95 07 49 50
Investor relations:
Lasse Torkildsen, SVP Investor Relations, Aker Solutions. Tel: +47 67 51 30 39, Mob: +47 911 37 194
Suppliers:
For further information about sourcing and potential subcontracts for this project, please contact BA Global Sourcing Champion, telephone number found here: http://www.akersolutions.com/Internet/SuppliersCentre/Contacts/SupplyManagementContacts.htm.
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Aker Solutions ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Aker Solutions"), is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. Aker Solutions' business serves several industries, including oil & gas, refining & chemicals, mining & metals and power generation. The Aker Solutions group is organised in a number of separate legal entities. Aker Solutions is used as the common brand/trademark for most of these entities.
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Aker Solutions is part of Aker (www.akerasa.com), a group of premier companies with a focus on energy, maritime and marine resource industries. The Aker companies share a common set of values and a long tradition of industrial innovation. As an industrial owner controlling 40.27 percent of the shares in Aker Solutions through Aker Holding AS, Aker ASA takes an active role in the development of Aker Solutions.
Wirth GmbH
Wirth is one of the leading manufacturers of heavy drilling equipment and machinery. For the last 110 years, Wirth has been supporting the establishment and development of a modern and efficient infra-structure, promoting flexibility, speed and conven-ience.
In March 2009, Wirth became a fully controlled subsidiary of Aker Solutions ASA, a global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions.
This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com.
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