Concrete ring facility nears completion at Bella Vista
01.04.2014
The North West Rail Link is approaching another milestone with the high-tech facility making concrete linings for Australia’s longest rail tunnels.
Work on this custom-designed factory started around Christmas and by next month it is expected to start producing the first of 100,000 concrete segments – which will be assembled underground into 16,000 rings, to be installed as the tunnel boring machines move along the route.
The concrete for these segments will be made on-site, avoiding the need for thousands of concrete trucks on local roads.
As the tunnelling machine cuts through the rock, a ring is put into place while the machine continues moving forward. The tunnel boring machines will cut about 120 metres on average every week.
More than 140 tonnes of steel was used to build the frame for the Bella Vista facility, which is 147 metres long, 60 metres wide and 17 metres high at its tallest point.
The building has been enclosed with special acoustic cladding, which will allow the facility to make segments 24 hours a day without adversely impacting neighbouring properties.