Tunnel blocks

Item No.: 6001187
Product information Tunnel blocks

TUNNEL BLOCKS

Practical support for tunnel construction

Our tunnel blocks made of hanit® recycled plastic are an all-around secure and reliable solution for storing and transporting tunnel segments, and they were developed especially for this purpose, even exceeding the strict requirements of tunnel construction. Our blocks guarantee no corrosion during storage and remain dimensionally stable, even under high loads of up to 3 N/mm². The tunnel blocks are manufactured with a radius tailored to the project, precisely matching the shape of the tunnel segments and offering full-surface support. By comparison, when storing segments on a wooden bearing, the radius has to be milled into the block later, which is an expensive process.

Tunnels are created by positioning rings alongside each other. These rings form by assembling pre-fabricated tunnel liner segments. Transporting and storing these concrete segments poses a specific challenge in mechanical tunnel construction due to usually being kept in rings stacked on each other. These are extremely heavy, meaning the piece at the bottom of the stack and the bearing blocks (supports), typically oak, beech or tropical timber, bear a heavy load. The issue is that wooden bearing blocks tend to warp, leading to undesired heavy line and point loads. When assembled, precision is essential down to the millimetre, so preventing any damage or deformation is of utmost importance.

Durable and dimensionally stable

Our tunnel blocks come with markings that indicate the installation direction. The bearing blocks are also available with locking knobs on request. These specify where the parts should go, resulting in precise vertical load dissipation, preventing eccentricities that the concrete can't withstand in the maturing phase, which can lead to cracks and even failure. The three-point bearing prevents torsional forces and supports the segments without putting them under stress. That's how tunnel blocks made of hanit® reliably avert damage and deformation to segments, reducing the costs of tunnel construction projects and keeping them on schedule.

The shapes and sizes can easily be adapted to specific project requirements, making our bearings convenient for tunnel construction and other areas where precast concrete parts must be stored and transported.