Following the move of the Bauma construction equipment fair from it’s central Munich home to the new Trade Fair Centre in 1998, it would be tempting to think that the market could stand no further expansion. Wrong! The new site seems to have given a new stimulus to further interest with record visitor numbers of 390,000, most of whom benefited from a new underground extension of the Munich metro to stations at both ends of the main exhibition centre. Much better than the bussing and station chaos of 1998.
Underground construction forms a significant part of the event, prompted by short conferences on tunnel construction and microtunnelling, and by the important part tunnelling plays in the infrastructure economy of Germany and countries neighbouring Bavaria. The success, however, was despite a problematic domestic economic situation in Germany, especially affecting housing construction.
International participation is increasingly important, both in the conferences and in the exhibition, with trade visitors from 152 countries, and exhibitors from 42 countries (totalling 2341). In view of the fragile central European market, German government and trade organisations have been forming links with overseas interests. A focus of the show was the ‘Partner Region Latin America’ which involved delegations from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, and official agreements were signed between the VDMA (German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers Association) and the countries of Chile and Colombia. Other ‘markets of the future’ where show organisers Messe München had concentrated its promotional efforts, included Eastern Europe and Asia.
Barometer
Commenting on the show, Udo Köstin, managing director of the Fachverban Bau- und Baustoffmaschinen, said: "Bauma may not be able to boost the general economic situation, but it has always been a barometer of trade, a kind of gauge for the level of investment interest in the sector worldwide. Also, as an innovations platform, it sets out the state of the art in technology for the coming years."
So it is in the area of technical innovations, or at least new products, that T&T International is reviewing the show. From our new ‘big red bus’ base, shared with sister magazine Cranes Today, T&TI was well placed in a busy zone between indoor and outdoor exhibits, not far from the massive Caterpillar presence.
One tunnelling innovation, which attracted considerable attention even before Bauma started, was the Tachus tunnelling system. As yet, only available as an impressive model, the system is due for prototype launch in September, according to managing director Dr Thiemo Hagedorn. Promoted as an alternative to shotcrete methods of lining in similar ground conditions such as soft rock, the Tachusmatic is an automated system featuring a boom-type articulated cutterhead for excavation, mounted within a cylindrical frame. Advantages claimed are the lack of material loss such as by shotcrete rebound, and that there is no need for support arches. The permanent concrete support is cast in situ, but the timing of operations means that much attention has been given to an appropriate mix that has an early load-bearing capacity. Excavation by the boom cutter, on an inclined face, takes place under the protection of an advanced support of adjustable slipformers, and so is inherently safer. The system also provides immediate closure at the invert.
Microtunnelling
Lovat concentrated on the facilities of its recently established German company, Lovat mts GmbH, based in Valluhn, which adds a range of microtunnelling systems to its capabilities. Lovat mts models range from the mts 400 auger-based system for installation of pipes of 150-400mm id, to the mts 2000 for long distance pipe jacking and/or difficult geological conditions. Two cutterhead arrangements are available in the latter. For size 1600mm id and larger, the slurry pressure chamber features an hydraulically adjustable crusher gap said to be particularly effective for wood embedded in cohesive soils. In diameters of 1200mm id and above, the cutterhead can have a peripheral drive, giving space for an access hatch. This makes it possible to exchange cutter tools. The cone-shape cutter chamber is equipped with nozzles to break up cohesive soils. The mts 1000 is a range of auger-based or slurry-shield microtunnelling systems for pipe diameters up to 1650mm id.
Among many advanced shotcreting systems on show was the new Meyco Mamba Spraymobile from MBT (see T&TI May). Among material featured was a new fire-resistant coating for tunnel linings, and foaming additives for better TBM face support. The latter have been used in over six projects in Spain, including contracts on Madrid Metro extensions, the Singapore north east metro line, the Bangkok metro south, two projects in France and others in Turkey and Hong Kong.
The Sandvik Mining & Construction stand featured a drill jumbo sold to the contractor Lemmikainnen of Finland, plus a new hydraulic radial cutter, the ATH 150, from Voest-Alpine Bergtechnik. Mounted to any suitable hydraulic carrier (minimum 150kW), the ATH 150, available with drives of 40-200kW, can be used for tunnel profiling, scaling, trenching and soil mixing (with cement) for ground improvement. It can also be used for underwater work.
Drills
Not to be outdone, the major exhibit on the Atlas Copco stand was also a triple boom drill jumbo sold to a Finnish contractor, YIT Construction, in this case. Atlas Copco also announced a new COP1838 high-frequency hydraulic drill which, while delivering the same impact per blow, produces approximately 20% higher performance. This is achieved with a better valve system and modifications to the piston, plus higher capacity power packs for optimum oil flow. Group drill steel specialist Secoroc showed off the Magnum SR drifter system, launched last October at MinExpo in Las Vegas, and designed to withstand the higher work rates of the new generation of powerful rock drills. The bits feature an unusual conical shape, 35mm in diameter at one end and 32mm at the other. This places more material at the normally comparatively weaker thread end, to prevent breakage and reduce ant tendency for deviation when collaring. Atlas Copco also introduced the SDR system to improve rock-bolting productivity in soft and fractured strata, or when installing spiling and forepoling. Also, currently undergoing field trails, was the new generation of Swellex exhibiting 25% greater elongation before breaking as well as a greater breaking load.
Spanish ventilation specialist Zitron exhibited a jet fan equipped with its new ventilation monitor unit (VMU). The unit can be mounted directly on the fan, or several fans can be connected to a central monitoring station. Developed from a system for the mining industry, the Zytron VMU checks functions such as fan vibration, drive motor power and operation and temperature to ensure safe, continued working.
Now part of the Schmidt, Kranz group, GHH Fahrzuege introduced new, high capacity load-haul-dump (LHD) vehicles and articulated dump trucks. The LHD on show has an increased capacity of 4.5 tonne within a vehicle of the same dimensions as the older models. It also features a higher crowd force, and an optional water-cooled diesel engine instead of an air-cooled Deutz. Future options will include an electric drive with hydraulic transmission. The new dump trucks, with all-wheel drive, are available in capacities of 15-50 tonne.
PERI featured a tunnel arch formwork on its stand. Whether for cut-and-cover work, customised portals, bored tunnels or super-surface shields (such as for avalanche protection), PERI says it provides solutions which increase lining efficiency through reduced manpower and faster transport times. Recent applications include the north ramp of the 4th Elbe Tunnel (Hamburg), the d’Areuse motorway tunnel in Switzerland, the north portal of the Niederhausen Tunnel in Germany, and the Mondorf-les-Bains twin motorway tunnel in Luxembourg.
The usual massive Caterpillar presence at Bauma included new wheel loaders and articulated trucks, whose previous models are widely used in underground construction. The 988G has a long wheelbase and boom-style loader linkage, and can be matched to off-highway trucks from 36-tonne payload. It replaces the 988F Series I with bigger capacity and more power from a Cat 3456 EUI 354-kW diesel engine. The loader linkage provides higher breakout and lift forces, and improved visibility to bucket corners. The new 725 and 730 Cat articulated trucks, with 22.7 and 27.2-tonne ratings, respectively, are the first models in a new range designed to replace the D250E Series II and D300E Series II.
