HBM worked in three phases on the modernization of the southern connecting railway bridge, on the commission of Hídépítő Ltd. The works were ordered by NIF Ltd. and carried out by Duna Aszfalt Ltd. as general contractor. The construction required extremely precise preparation from all parties to guarantee the safety of the working environment and the undisturbed continuity of train traffic.
HBM started the project at the end of 2019 by making test piles, and then built the structural piles in three phases. From April 2020, the task was to complete the existing foundation on the Buda side. In the first phase, five piles were made for the northernmost bridge, and a year later, in April 2021, piling on the middle bridge was continued.
“The biggest challenge was the organization of the works.” Dávid Zsibrita, site manager, told our magazine. The railway track crossing the bridge is the busiest section of the railway in Hungary, so ensuring the continuity of railway traffic was also a key aspect during the civil engineering works. “We had to prepare the track lock schedule a year in advance in consultation with all participants. Since there were only track locks in the given time interval in the first and second phases, scheduling of the works was a very important consideration. Some of the works was done at night to minimize disruption to rail traffic.” the site manager added.
HBM started to work on the third phase in late November 2021, when it built nine piles on the south side. Most of the piles could already be built here without track closure constraints, but working in narrow spaces near overhead lines still required serious preparation and precise organization to allow machines of about 100 tons to move safely. The civil engineer completed the third phase in mid-December and handed over the work site to Hídépítő Ltd so that it could continue to build the new bridgehead.
“It is an interesting aspect that although HBM has already prepared the foundations for six bridges over the Danube, the end of last year was still an exciting period from a professional point of view of bridge construction. In addition to the southern connecting railway bridge, we also worked on two other bridges over the Danube at Paks-Kalocsa and at the Athletics Stadium. It is a valuable experience for us to use in the design and construction practices of the future.” explained David Zsibrita.
HBM classifies the construction of the railway bridge as one of its green projects, as the support and development of railway transport greatly promotes environmental sustainability, and in addition, the civil engineer used low-carbon cement during construction.
HBM also expressed its gratitude to the employees of Duna Aszfalt Ltd and Hídépítő Ltd for their high level of professional support in the preparation and implementation of the project. The civil engineer praised the work of the concrete plant and the rebar plant, who provided the foundation work with raw materials also at night time, ensuring a smooth completion of the works.
Source: Magyar Építők
