Multifunctional Machine for Tunnel Redevelopment Works in Confined Spaces
For the redevelopment of the Maroggia Tunnel in Switzerland, the Multiripper 220 multifunctional machine fitted with a hydraulic hammer ensured that the amount of time needed to remove the existing masonry and produce recesses in the roof was reduced to a fraction of what is usually required. The machine’s 360° rotating boom particularly facilitated work overhead. Thanks to the compact form of construction, it was possible to keep train services running in the tunnel on one track while work forged ahead.
Maroggia Tunnel Redevelopment
The redevelopment of the Maroggia Tunnel on the Lake of Lugano provided an excellent opportunity to try out the capabilities of the MultiRipper. The SBB had decided to enlarge the tunnel cross-section within the scope of the Four-Metre Corridor Basle–Chiasso/Ranzo” project.
During the project, the old masonry had to be removed and recesses created in the roof to install a crossbeam there. As a result, a great deal of work had to be tackled overhead, for which purpose articulated excavators are only suited to a certain extent. Some 200 trains travelling at roughly 80 km/h used the neighbouring track every day as work forged ahead. In this case too, the telescopic boom turned out to be the perfect choice since thanks to its design, no parts ever protruded into the other track’s clearance profile.
The Marti Company, the general contractor for the project, recognised the potential of the MultiRipper 220’s telescopic boom capable of rotating 360° and leased the machine for the duration of the construction period. For working in the tunnel, the machine was fitted with a hydraulic hammer weighing some 350 kg and set up on a platform carriage. In this way, the construction train could be driven out of the tunnel whenever space was needed to place concrete.
In spite of its compact size, the machine with its boom was able to reach the complete cross-section without having to be relocated, accomplishing the work in the roof with high precision. As a result, Marti decided to purchase the MultiRipper 220 after construction had been completed so that it could be deployed for other projects.