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

  • RIA airport in Liberia announces major renovation project as Rwanda unveils a $5.9m upgrade of Kamembe airport
    September 30, 2014
    Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) is inviting expressions of interest in the expansion and renovation of the current Roberts International Airport (RIA). The Liberian government wants to create a “state-of-the-art airport facility.” This will help the facility to handle at least 450, 000 per annum in the near future and become a key hub for air transport in West Africa region. The construction works will entail setting up of cargo handling facility, cargo storage and processing facilities. According to Afric
    Read More
  • Concrete - a competitive option for road construction?
    February 10, 2012
    The use of advanced control technology help boost the percentage of roads built using concrete - Mike Woof reports New technologies mean that concrete offers a highly competitive option for road construction.
    Read More
  • Recycling advances from Wirtgen
    June 18, 2012
    German firm Wirtgen is retaining its lead in road recycling technologies – Mike Woof writes Tests on cold recycling with a new layer thickness using Wirtgen's sophisticated WR 4200 machine have shown impressive results according to the firm. The road construction and traffic authority Landesbetrieb Mobilität (LBM) Cochem-Koblenz commissioned a pilot project as part of its plan to optimise the cold in-place recycling process (CIR). The aim was to examine the extent to which the layer thickness can be reduced
    Read More
  • Winter maintenance challenge
    February 29, 2012
    Many countries had their most severe winter for years, but it could have been much worse without the right equipment and technology as Patrick Smith reports. As many countries faced up to the 2010-2011 winter, hard-pressed maintenance teams did their best to keep things moving on the roads. With some of the lowest temperatures and heaviest snowfalls on record, the UK, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, Germany, and Belgium were among those affected. Russia, eastern Europe and the USA did
    Read More

Highlighted Content