Canadian air

Compressors from Atlas Copco are proving highly useful in highly diverse applications, on a bridge project and a quarry in Canada. Water ingress over 30 years has damaged a road bridge in Quebec City, Canada, deteriorating the concrete and breaking down the rubber expansion joints at both ends of the 150m long structure. City highway authority, Transportes Quebec, awarded local contracting company Inter-Structures the contract to replace the deteriorated concrete and fit new membrane seals. The bridge, clos
February 8, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
Compressors from 161 Atlas Copco are proving highly useful in highly diverse applications, on a bridge project and a quarry in Canada. Water ingress over 30 years has damaged a road bridge in Quebec City, Canada, deteriorating the concrete and breaking down the rubber expansion joints at both ends of the 150m long structure. City highway authority, Transportes Quebec, awarded local contracting company Inter-Structures the contract to replace the deteriorated concrete and fit new membrane seals. The bridge, close to the St Lawrence river and Quebec City, links highway 440 West and the Boulevard de Chutes to provide access to a residential area and the renown Montmorency park and waterfall.

To ensure access to the damaged seals across the full width of the bridge, the contractor has removed more than 300mm x 200mm x 200mm on each of the nine beams at both ends of the bridge and the 200mm thick concrete slab; relying on two Atlas Copco XAS185 air compressors, including a recently delivered unit on rental from Equipment LAV.

On the Inter-Structures project, both XAS 185 portable air compressors are supplying a free air delivery of 89litres/s at 7bars to each provide compressed air for three breakers.

Meanwhile a newly formed Canadian quarry drill and blast contractor, Forexplo, has taken delivery of a second Atlas Copco XRVS 1000 CD6 air compressor.

Formed at the beginning of the year, 2455 Forexplo has established itself as a drill and blast specialist in Canada's Quebec Province. A key factor in meeting the production targets, is the on-demand high pressure air provided by the two Atlas Copco compressors for two large drill rigs. The firm now has drill and blast contracts with Beauval for the quarries in Valleyfield, Ange Gardien, some 55km south of Montreal and Herbertville on Lac St Jean. The XRVS 1000, rated at 25bars, is powered by a 178 Caterpillar C13 diesel and is said to be highly economical on fuel.

The Ange Gardien quarry was acquired by Beauval in in 1981 and has reserves for at least another 25 years, featuring micritic limestone and a black argillaceous slate. The site has three bench levels along the lkm long quarry andis Forexplo are drilling and blasting 8-12m deep bench heights. Depending on Beauval's requirements, Forexplo is typically drilling 56 holes for a blast to provide some 20,000tonnes. Using Atlas Copco standard or Speedbit 140mm bits, Forexplo is drilling up to 30m/h.

Road Structures

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