Handling Tunnel Segments

Accelerate the hardening process of your concrete product Would you like to increase your productivity? Use a low-pressure steam generator! Under normal conditions the final hardening level is reached after 28 days. By the aid of a low-pressure steam generator we accelerate the hardening process without quality loss of the concrete. The concrete product is already hardened enough to be demoulded after 12 hours. It is no rocket science to see that this machine can increase your production output tremendously! The low-pressure steam generator is used for heating, curing, hardening, defrosting, cleaning and disinfecting.

Aerolift designs custom made precast concrete lifting solutions for many situations. During production, storage, internal transport, storage, transhipment, and construction. Precast concrete elements are ideally suited for lifting by vacuum technology. Vacuum lifting technology offers unique benefits compared to other concrete lifting methods. Demoulding of concrete without damage Thanks to the unique properties of vacuum handling, it is possible to demould, lift and turn precast concrete products all in one operation. Moreover, no embedded hoist facilities are required, and the surface is not deformed in any way. The load remains fully intact, without disassembling or destroying the mould. Also, due to the divided surface pressure of a suction pad the curing time of the precast concrete before demoulding is considerably shortened. Instead of at least 24 hours, demoulding is possible after 8 till 10 hours! After removing the concrete product from the mould

We designed a solution for the complete lifting process of the precast concrete sections of a grandstand. From production to construction. The solution consists of two different vacuum lifters. One for the production area to demould, lift and turn. And another which is used at the stadium construction area. Why lifting by vacuum instead of hooks? By origin, all handling during both production and construction was done by hooks. The hooks were installed during production and removed after construction. By vacuum lifting no hooks are required, saving manpower, time, and investment. Moreover, no damage comes to the concrete element and stays smooth and untouched.

The complete lifting solution we designed for inside a tunnel boring machine (TBM) consists of two vacuum lifters. The first vacuum lifter transports the tunnel segments and keystones to the segment feeder of the erector. To meet the erector’s position the suction pad is able to rotate 90 degrees during the transport. Vacuum lifter as part of the erector The second vacuum lifter operates as part of the erector and perfectly matches the interface of the TBM. To meet every required position the lifter is able to turn 360 degrees.