{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"Mapei UTT: Supporting underground sites globally","date":"2023-07-13 08:33:59","id":4749,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2023/07/1688811436721_Dal Negro_new_senza cartina copy.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

Mapei’s UTT (Underground Technology Team) division offers an extensive range of solutions dedicated to underground construction applications, including various waterproofing systems and admixtures. Enrico Dal Negro, director of UTT line, explains some of the main considerations when developing these products and shares insights on several important projects as well as the latest innovations for the market.

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1). When was the UTT division created and how has the product line grown over the years?

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Enrico Dal Negro (EDN): The UTT business unit was created in September 1999, the year I joined Mapei. Initially it consisted of products already in the company portfolio with a cross-section of areas of use and applications, and then it was gradually extended with the introduction of specific products to support excavation and completion of each work.

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The first project we worked on was the renovation of the Mont Blanc tunnel following the fire in March 1999. This was a very important project, where we were given the opportunity to demonstrate the versatility and reliability of our products, many of which were developed in a very short space of time.

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The line today is more complete and is gradually being extended with new products, driven by our intuition and the demand from both the mechanised tunnelling and traditional excavation markets.

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2). Mapei UTT has been involved in a number of major projects around the world. Can you share some of them?

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EDN: In our domestic market Italy, we are involved in many projects, thanks to the national investment plan for the coming years in both renovation works and new construction projects. We are working on high-speed rail projects, such as the third Milan-Genoa link and the Naples-Bari and Catania-Messina stretches, as well as the Brenner base tunnel and the 106 Jonica highway.

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Overseas, we have done a lot of works in Norway and northern Europe as a whole. We have also seen considerable growth in Canada and the US, and we are constantly working on projects in South America. We are also starting to see more growth in Australia.

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As far as Asia is concerned, we work a lot in Singapore and Hong Kong, and we are also seeing strong growth in India.

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The projects we work on are quite diverse, from underground railways to mines, from rail tunnels – a sector undergoing particularly strong growth for environmental sustainability reasons – to road tunnels, hydraulic tunnels and sewer systems.

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3). In recent years, sustainability has become a main focus for the global construction industry. How much attention is paid to the environmental compatibility of Mapei UTT products?

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EDN: Environmental compatibility is a fundamental characteristic of our products. We realised right from the start that this aspect would be highly important for the market and we made very quick progress, including with respect to our competitors. We were the first to establish a reference standard, especially in the field of soil conditioning for TBM excavation works, a sector in which the need for eco-sustainable products is particularly important.

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We managed to combine high-performance products and respect for the environment, something that is not always easy to achieve, and this has led to us building trust with our clients. For example, we have the Polyfoamer Eco family of foaming agents, which over the last few years has developed from Polyfoamer Eco 100 to Polyfoamer Eco 100 Plus and then Polyfoamer Eco 1000 Plus, with a progressive improvement in environmental performance characteristics.

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We can also say the same for all the products from the line that now come with WGK (Wassergefährdungsklasse) certification, which evaluates the impact a product has on groundwater and classifies the risk of contamination on a scale of 1 to 4, with all our products having a rating of between 1 and 2.

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4). The durability of structures is another critical aspect of the industry. What is the approach to this concept across the UTT product line?

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EDN: In terms of durability, it is very important that products are used and applied correctly. At Mapei, we have the possibility of offering high-level solutions that are able to minimise their impact in the event of poor use – often because of the difficult environments where the actual work is being carried out – and guarantee, nonetheless, proper durability.

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Nowadays, large-scale projects are required to have a service life of at least 100 years, apart from a few exceptions, such as the Brenner tunnel, where a service life of 150 years is required. This long arc of time is due to the high cost of building and repair projects, and also the desire to minimise their social impact, because interrupting a service provokes considerable disruption for its users.

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5). Mapei always puts emphasis on innovation and research. What are the most recent and cutting-edge UTT products from a technological perspective?

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EDN: Undoubtedly the products from the Polyfoamer Eco family of foaming agents, as well as the admixtures for concrete – which focus on maintaining the concrete’s high performances while looking to reduce cement consumption. With our products we try to reduce their impact on the environment to a minimum.

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By ‘low impact’ we mean not only low emission of CO₂ during the production phase, but also less impact at the time they are actually applied. And it is here that chemistry is an enormous help in making products more sustainable. In this sense, it is worth remembering that chemistry is not synonymous with pollution, but rather with research, development and the possibility of making people’s lives easier in a sustainable way.

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6). Does the UTT division also provide site supports?

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EDN: Our support service, which we call Technical Service, starts at the preliminary laboratory phase where we carry out a series of tests based on real site conditions to identify our best proposal in order to meet the requirements of a particular project. We propose our most suitable products along with their relative dosage rates and application parameters.

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Once we have been awarded a contract, we go over the tests and parameters again to define certain fine details where required. We then pass to the application phase; we are also present during this phase to make sure the product is used correctly and in the best way possible. We follow sites during each and every phase. The technical service is an important element with highly skilled personnel at the service of clients, who also have ability to develop, if and when necessary, bespoke proposals for a specific site.

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Note: This article has also been published in the Jul/Aug 2023 issue of Southeast Asia Construction (SEAC). Click here to read online or here to download the PDF file (pages 40-41).

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The interview courtesy of Realtà Mapei International 95.

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The new La Son-Tuy Loan Expressway in Vietnam, featuring 77.5 km long, is a link between Thua Thien-Hue Province and Da Nang City. When fully operational, the road would play a fundamental role in the economic and social development of the two regions.

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With four lanes of traffic, the new expressway connects La Son Town in the Phu Loc District of Thua Thien-Hue Province and the intersection with the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway in Da Nang’s Tuy Loan Village. The project forms part of the 3,000-km Ho Chi Minh Highway that passes through 28 towns and cities.

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Construction work on the La Son-Tuy Loan Expressway is being carried out by local contractors, Song Da 10 and Son Hai Group. It commenced in 2015, including various tunnels along the route. Among them are the Mui Trau twin tunnels in the Hoa Vang District, which are believed to be one of the most modern road tunnels ever built in Vietnam. Both tunnels are 2,260 m in total length, 10.8 m wide and 7.2m high, providing two lanes of traffic.

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Strengthening the concrete structure

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In this project, Mapei was commissioned to supply its admixtures to enhance the quality of the concrete used for the tunnels. The company provided the Mapequick AFK 888 accelerator along with the Mapefluid N 100 SP, Dynamon Easy 11 and Dynamon SR2 VN superplasticisers.

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The Mapequick AFK 888 is an alkali-free, inorganic salt-based liquid accelerator for producing shotcrete characterised by rapid setting times and a quick development of its strength. Concrete mixed with this system can adhere better to surfaces on which it is applied, offers a higher capacity to penetrate between the various layers and reduces waste.

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The Mapefluid N 100 SP is a liquid superplasticising admixture for quality concrete (watertight, durable and high-strength). Due to the high workability obtained without excess water in the mix, concrete with Mapefluid N 100 SP admixture is easy to place while fresh and has high performance characteristics when hardened. This system is mainly used for ready-mix concrete, pumped concrete and mass concrete.

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The combination of Easy 11 and SR2 VN represents a new and innovative improvement in concrete admixture technology, compared to the use of just one admixture in a traditional concrete mix.

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The Mapequick AFK 888 and Mapefluid N 100 SP systems were used to produce shotcrete, which was sprayed on the tunnel walls. The Dynamon Easy 11 and Dynamon SR2 VN systems were applied on the tunnel linings. In total, the four products covered an area of 2,260 m long. Mapei was involved in the project from 2015 to 2019.

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(The article courtesy of Realta Mapei International no. 83)

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The Golden Bridge is one of Vietnam’s latest iconic landmarks, set amidst the magnificent nature of Ba Na Hills in Da Nang City. It spans 12.8 m wide and 150 m long, featuring two giant hands. Nested on the Paradise Garden, the bridge serves as a transit to take visitors from the mountain foot or French village to Le Jardin D’Amour gardens.

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Opened in 2018, the Golden Bridge is owned by Sun Group and was designed by TA Landscape Architecture. It has eight arches, the longest of which measures 21.2 m. The guardrails are covered with gold, hence the name ‘Golden Bridge.’

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According to TA Landscape Architecture, the design embodies the hands of the Mountain God drawing from inside a rocky mountain a golden sash to carry villagers to the Paradise Garden, perfectly matching the fantasy and fairy theme of Ba Na Hills.

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The giant hands look like they are carved from stone, but they are not. The skeleton of the hands was built with steel meshes and then covered with fibreglass.

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Construction of the entire bridge took about a year, during which it faced many problems due to the project’s location in the forest and mountainous areas, where access was limited.

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For one, it was impossible to mix concrete on site. In addition, transporting ready-mixed concrete for such a long distance at high temperatures yet maintaining the required mechanical strengths for pillars and foundation to support the bridge’s weight was also a big challenge.

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Following site trials, evaluation of product quality and cost effectivity, Mapei Vietnam - the local subsidiary of the Mapei Group - was commissioned to supply concrete admixtures for all pillars and foundation of the bridge.

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Mapei provided its Dynamon SR2 VN system (its counterpart on the international market is Dynamon SR2), a superplasticiser based on acrylic polymer for ready-mixed concrete, which is ideal for applications that need strong water reduction, along with relatively high mechanical strength. The product’s performance makes it particularly suitable to carry out casting at high temperatures and when the concrete must be transported over long distances.

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Note: The article courtesy of Realta Mapei International no. 83

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Concera admixtures from GCP Applied Technologies create control flow concrete that bridges the gap between conventional and self-compacting concrete. Its labour-saving benefit could prove valuable as Asia’s labour market grows increasingly tight.

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“Control flow concrete shows promise in decreasing labour demand and time for concrete placement. It also reduces the risk of segregation,” said Dr Hua Zhong, Asia Pacific’s product director at GCP.

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Unlike self-compacting concrete, which is considered costly to produce because it requires a specialised mix design with high powder content and small coarse aggregates, control flow concrete offers many desirable characteristics of conventional and self-compacting concrete without the corresponding negatives, explained GCP.

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The company added that like self-compacting mixes, control flow concrete flows and places easily without losing stability, which prevents aggregate segregation. It can be placed with minimal vibration, which helps to cut labour costs. And it does not require extensive quality control to produce, so it eliminates some of the costs that come with self-compacted concrete. It is manufactured using conventional mix designs, with lower powder contents and larger coarse aggregates, further reducing material costs.

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“Control flow concrete has distinct rheological behaviour compared to conventional concrete and self-compacting concrete,” said Dr Zhong. “The range of Concera admixtures creates control flow concrete and works with conventional mix designs.”

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\n $\"Untitled$

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The image above shows a comparison between conventional mix design with Concera admixtures (first image) and one without Concera admixtures (second image).

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GCP also highlighted that, like self-compacting concrete, control flow concrete is higher flowing than conventional concrete, and can be placed into forms with minimal vibration needed, making it an ideal solution for construction slabs and walls, where a smooth surface is vital.

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“Adding Concera admixtures to conventional concrete results in highly flowable, segregation resistant concrete that can help improve placement productivity and provide an aesthetically pleasing finish,” added Dr Zhong.

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Traditional construction of tunnels, high rises and supporting columns on bridges is labour intensive because conventional concrete needs to be pumped to flow through the heavy steel reinforcement that is required. With control flow concrete, contractors could reduce labour costs since it flows easily and can be easily pumped. With minimal vibrations needed to place the concrete, fewer workers are needed on the jobsite, plus additional cost savings is achieved since vibration equipment is not needed or minimised.

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“Concrete quality is related to the mix and the actual installation. With control flow concrete, since it’s highly flowable, it doesn’t require as many skilled workers to move and place the concrete,” said Dr Zhong.

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Control flow concrete is also ideal for creating precast concrete beams, columns and underground elements, said GCP, because it is durable and the high flow concrete speeds up placement into forms while reducing the labour and equipment required. The ease of placement also enables precast producers to manufacture more daily, leading to improvements in productivity.

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“The global precast construction market is projected to reach US$185 billion by 2022, spurred by increased construction spending and increased urbanisation,” explained Dr Zhong. “With Concera admixtures, precast producers could meet the increasing demand without increasing their investment thanks to the admixtures’ ease of placement and high flowability.”

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GCP works with concrete producers and contractors to tailor the right Concera admixture for every project. The company has a network of specialists across Asia with knowledge of local construction methods, materials and building environments, to ensure its customers are able to receive the right product for their project.

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According to GCP, the first projects using the new technology have already been completed with favourable feedback. Concera admixtures have been featured in a range of primary applications including horizontal slabs, elevated decks, vertical walls and columns.

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For a trial mix of control flow concrete featuring Concera admixture, contact GCP Applied Technologies at: asia.enq@gcpat.com

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Website: www.gcpat.com

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