ACCIONA Construction has given a presentation on tunnelling in complex terrain at World Tunnel Congress 2018.

ACCIONA took part in latest edition of the World Tunnel Congress, the sector's most important international event, held this year in Dubai from 21 to 25 April.

During the 5-day event, experts in tunnels and underground spaces from around the world met to present and discuss the latest innovations in the sector.

ACCIONA tunnel specialist, Rolando Justa, gave a presentation on the use of two-component mortar in rocky formations.

To illustrate ACCIONA Construction's extensive experience in this type of infrastructure, Rolando Justa highlighted some innovative tunnelling methods, especially in terrain where excavation is complicated. Finally, he looked at the two-component mortar technique, which has overtaken conventional mortar in the past five years in most countries.

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This innovative system, successfully used by ACCIONA Construction on several projects, is extremely useful in difficult terrain that is technically very complex in terms of excavation.

The key to successfully using this method in these works is to inject a mortar made up of two components, A (cement, bentonite and retardant) and B (silicate). These components react when they come into contact with each other, causing the mortar to set and harden quickly, giving the terrain immediate stability.

The use of two-component mortar provides a highly waterproof layer with greater plasticity, less settling or movement of cladding during construction, and greater impermeability against ground water, among many other benefits.

In closing, Rolando Justa discussed several projects in which ACCIONA Construction has used this technique, such as the Legacy Way tunnels in Australia, the Campoberros tunnel built for the Spanish high-speed rail line between Madrid and Galicia, and the Follo Line rail tunnels in Norway.

(MH)