Skip to main content

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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • 'Quiet' work in Stockholm
    July 24, 2012
    Aquajet's new Ecosilence Power Pack has been tested to its limits on the tunnel/bridge renovation work in the city's historic Old Town and has exceeded all expectations, according to E-Schakt's project supervisor, Andreas Nordstrom. Equipment from the Swedish company, including Ecosilence making its debut, is being used in the tunnel and on the 1.2km Central Bridge (or 'Three Bridges'), which was built in the 1950s and which links the northern district of Norrmalm and the southern district of Södermalm. It
  • Bridge engineering worldwide
    July 1, 2013
    Guy Woodford looks at vital bridge construction, repair and inspection projects in China, Europe, North America and Australia The Heron Road Bridge in Ottawa, Ontario in Canada is a vital link within the City’s transport network, as it crosses the Rideau River, which divides the east and west parts of the City. Constructed in 1966-1967, the Heron Road Bridge is approximately 275m long and includes six lanes.
  • Minnich’s concrete barrier wall drill slides along the barriers
    April 18, 2017
    Minnich Manufacturing, a maker of concrete dowel pin drills, concrete paving vibrators and vibrator monitoring systems, has developed a concrete barrier wall drill. The tool drills vertical holes for the pins used to secure temporary concrete traffic barriers. Minnich, based in Mansfield, Ohio, said the air-driven and self-propelled drill straddles and rides along the top of the temporary wall. A tethered controller enables the operator to simultaneously drill three accurate, consistent pin holes — through
  • Minnich machines helping upgrade Venice airport
    September 13, 2016
    The Marco Polo Airport, which serves the Italian city of Venice, is in the midst of a major upgrade to boost capacity. The work is being handled by the SAVE Group and involves a €630 million expansion and renovation of the facilities. This will increase capacity with one major phase of the plan being the 2015-16 extension of the apron. This challenging task has been tackled by NORDPAVI, an Italian concrete contractor that specialises in airport work. The firm is based in Bolzano in Italy’s South Tyrol an