Wirtgen machines at Beijing’s new airport

Slipform pavers from Wirtgen have played important roles for the Beijing New International Airport project. The four Wirtgen slipform pavers have been used for the construction of the apron area for the new Chinese airport.
June 10, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Designed for over one flight movement per minute: the traffic areas need to withstand high loads

The airport is scheduled to start operations on September 30th, 2019 and when it is complete, Beijing New International Airport will become be the world's largest airport. The huge new facility will play a key transport role as Beijing is a major air passenger hub for Asia. The new airport is located 67km from China’s capital city, along the border to Hebei province. It will relieve pressure on the existing airport northeast of Beijing, currently the world’s second-largest in terms of passenger volume. The new airport is expected to handle 45 million passengers at first but will have a total capacity of 100 million.

W_photo_SP500_01227_PR.jpg
A fleet of Wirtgen slipform pavers has been used at Beijing New International Airport in Daxing to construct the apron area, with a parking capacity of 268 aircraft

Low temperatures of around 0°C during the cold winters in Beijing were one of the challenges the Beijing Sino-Aero Construction Engineering Co, team faced during the construction period of the large apron area. A total of four 2395 Wirtgen SP 500 slipform pavers were used for paving single-layer concrete slabs 5m wide and 420mm thick over fixed forms. Levelling and steering parameters were communicated to the Wirtgen machine control system using string-line sensors. To withstand the high aircraft loads, the concrete slabs have been reinforced by means of steel dowels. High productivity and machine availability meant that the strict daily production targets were achieved, allowing the tight timeline to be met.

Cost factors are important for large projects and when choosing an equipment fleet, a contractor has to consider several factors. Minimising manpower was one of the main criteria considered by Sino-Aero Construction Engineering. The firm concluded that the Wirtgen slipform pavers would meet the demands of the automated concrete paving work to be carried out.

The paving work was carried out within the necessary parameters, as scheduled. The paving mold slipformed the concrete, exceeding the required specifications. Electrical vibrators were used to provide the high-frequency vibrations needed for optimum compaction of the concrete during the slipforming work. And the oscillating beam and super-smoother then provided the required finish for the new pavement.

Concrete milling, paving & compaction

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Going Digital helped the Government of Malaysia leverage digital twins to deliver trusted information for better project and asset management.
    March 30, 2020
    In 2014, the government of Malaysia announced a plan to fully develop and upgrade the two-lane trunk road across Malaysia’s largest state, Sarawak, to accelerate socioeconomic growth in East Malaysia.
    Read More
  • New concrete surface for Arizona freeway
    November 15, 2013
    In Tucson, Arizona, contractor McNeil brothers is using a two-track GOMACO concrete slipformer on a 3.2km stretch of highway. This project is for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and involves widening Interstate 10 to four lanes of traffic in each direction between Ruthrauff Road and Prince Road in Tucson. This new stretch was needed to better handle increasing traffic demands in the city and includes rebuilt entrance and exit ramps to improve access to the city.
    Read More
  • Safe and efficient urban mobility for Africa
    May 17, 2023
    Transitioning to zero-carbon transport globally is essential to keep climate change in check. Yet seven years after the Paris Climate Agreement, transport emissions are still rising. In a new op-ed, Nina Elter argues that a radical shift in our approach to transportation sustainability is required. Every year, governments around the world invest more than US$700 billion in road infrastructure. While these investments yield significant economic and social returns, transport continues to generate large costs on societies, in the form of harmful emissions, traffic injuries and lost time due to congestion.
    Read More
  • IRF Announces Winners of its 2020 Global Road Achievement Awards
    January 26, 2021
    IRF has announced the winners of the 2020 IRF Global Road Achievement Awards, a global competition to recognise outstanding achievement by road professionals.
    Read More

Highlighted Content