The casting of the 79 standard elements for the Femern Tunnel is, for the most part, progressing as planned in the giant casting halls in Rødbyhavn. In the casting halls, the temperature can be regulated to ensure curing occurs exactly as it should, and at the same time, the operations are well protected from weather and wind.
Taller and wider
The situation is different for the ten special elements. The special elements are equipped with a “basement” for technical installations and must also have lay-bys for rescue and maintenance vehicles. Therefore, the special elements are five meters wider and three meters taller than the standard elements. However, they are “only” 39 meters long, whereas a standard element is a full 217 meters long.
First special element ready by summer
FLC is concurrently working on casting the first two special elements. The expectation is that the first will be ready by this summer.
“The first special element is #10, and at the moment we are working on casting the upper outer walls. The next special element is not as far along. Here we are still working on the base plate and the lower outer walls,” Femern A/S reports in an email to FemernReport.
Weather hampers crane work
The extra width and height of the special elements mean that they cannot be manufactured indoors in the casting halls. This makes the work more exposed to weather and wind, and there has been quite a bit of that in recent months.
“The weather has been a bit of a nuisance, especially the crane work has been affected by the wind. It’s a known downside of casting in the open air, so this has been accounted for in the planning,” Femern A/S assures.
300 people work on the production of the special elements alone.
Work on the tunnel portal – the entrance to the tunnel – in Rødbyhavn is also well underway. It is expected that it will be possible to walk the first meters into the tunnel also within this year.
