It’s still only November, and the temperature is just at the edge of having to switch to winter tires. But one morning, the drizzle suddenly turns to snow and the water freezes to ice. And then it can be difficult to drive dump trucks and other large construction machines around Northern Europe’s largest construction site.
The FLC consortium is putting the finishing touches on preparations for the winter season.
20 tons of road salt
20 tonnes of road salt have been stored outside the site for combating slippery roads, should it be needed. However, large quantities of salt and concrete casting do not harmonize well with each other, and the salt can, therefore, only be used in areas where it cannot cause problems for production.
40 tons of urea
For the rest of the construction site and particularly sensitive areas, urea is used instead, which has some of the same properties. Urea is also used in agriculture as a specially concentrated nitrogen fertilizer. And the stock of urea is also large at the construction site, which has around 40 tonnes lying around, ready in case King Frost stops by Rødbyhavn this coming winter.
Ready for a hard winter
– It is important that the construction site remains passable and safe for people and machines during the winter. Therefore, our contractors are well underway in building up stocks and making plans for snow removal so that we are ready for even a harsh winter, says Gintaras Vagelas, Health and Safety manager at Femern A/S.
– Fortunately, they have a large amount of machinery that can be used to clear snow. Winter containers with shovels, salt spreaders and urea, have also been set up around the site so that the workers can clear the areas the machines cannot reach, says Gintaras Vagelas.
Mandatory survival suits
The other tunnel consortium, FBC, also has stored salt, so vessels and land areas are safe to travel on. When the water temperature in the Fehmarn Belt reaches 10 degrees, FBC also requires that all employees offshore wear survival suits.
The safety and health of the tunnel workers are also included in the winter preparations. In November, Femern A/S will start a construction site campaign focusing on how employees can best keep warm during work.
