12 units of Putzmeister SPM 500 WETKRET concrete spraying systems providing rock-support in the Suhua Highway upgrade project in Taiwan

The Suhua Highway, located in the northeastern part of Taiwan, is said to be one of the most dangerous highways worldwide. Due to the weak geology in this tropical area, heavy rain and typhoons during the rainy season cause a lot of landslides and interruptions, and the curved road located right between the precipitous mountain and the seaside provokes a lot of accidents. In order to increase security and boost tourism in this area, especially from China, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is building 38,4km of tunnels and bridges to replace the three most dangerous sectors of the highway. The Project started 2011 and is expected to be completed in 2018.

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MOTC has compared geological data from 275 drillings during the past 30 years and 27 recent drillings to make sure the soil and water conditions are adequate to support the construction. The building firm Kung Sing Engineering Corp., based in Taipei, which is one of the biggest construction companies in Taiwan, was assigned to plan the Suhua Highway Improvement Project. With its experience and expert knowledge of more than 50 years it plays a significant role in the important field of public works in Taiwan and the mainland.

Putzmeister was commissioned by Kung Sing Engineering Corp. to provide them with 12 units of SPM 500 WETKRET concrete spraying systems for structural support in the roadway heading of the Kuanyin (B2 section) and Ku-feng tunnel (B3 section). The equipment was sold to Kung Sing Engineering Corp. through Putzmeisters Taipei-based distributor in Taiwan, Antung Group, which also provides spare parts and after-sales service.

The two tunnels have an overall length of approximately 13km, with the construction works being 7,94 km and 4,66 km each and the corresponding costs for the 2 tunnels being NT$ 7,2 and NT$ 9.208 billion. The tunnels are being built by the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), with excavation by drill and blast. The top-heading-and-bench method is being used, whereby a smaller tunnel (top heading) is excavated first. Once it has advanced some distance into the rock, workers begin excavating immediately below the floor of the top heading creating a bench. One advantage of this method is that engineers can use the heading tunnel to gauge the stability of the rock before moving forward with the project. The construction works attack the tunnels from both sides in 12 hour working shifts, with the base of the construction company being close to the jobsite.

The SPM 500 WETKRET series is used in a large number of tunnelling projects all over the world. With a vertical spraying reach of 17m and a concrete flow of 30 m3/h, the machine is suitable for both medium and large section tunnels, galleries and slopes.

About Putzmeister Underground Division
For over 30 years, Putzmeister has been designing, developing and producing concrete spraying equipment for mines and tunnels. The main components of Putzmeister spraying equipment: the chassis, concrete pump, spraying arm and control software, are designed, developed and produced in-house in order to offer perfectly synchronised equipment in line with customers´ requirements and the rough working conditions in tunnelling and mining.

Email: kraussc@putzmeister.es