Skip to main content

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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Increasing quarry efficiency in Senegal
    November 2, 2022
    Every year, three million tonnes of basalt rock, from gravel to riprap, are taken from the Gécamines Quarries in Diack, Senegal, for use in public and maritime work sites. The quarry also produces around 500,000tonnes of limestone for use in cement factories and construction projects in the region – making the site essential for infrastructure development in West Africa.
  • Concrete paving at US airport
    October 1, 2024
    A slipformer from Power Pavers has been carrying out paving work at an airport in the US.
  • Better drainage planning with QuAD software
    April 19, 2021
    The QuAD software resilience tool from ACO Water Management allows users to test the efficiency of a proposed maintenance regime for a roadway water channel design.
  • Liebherr tower cranes operating at Santiago airport
    January 14, 2019
    the Santiago Nueva Pudahuel International airport development is benefiting from the proximity of Liebherr’s branch location in Chile. At the moment, 18 of the 23 Liebherr tower cranes are in operation on the large-scale construction site. Of the machines in use, three are high-top models and 15 are flat-top types. The airport in Santiago de Chile is expanding its position as a key hub airport for South America. The operators are extending the site to 265,000m² and have commissioned the construction of a