Y35 compressors produce air for the drilling of bridge pier piles

January 9, 2019

The Vekaransalmi bridge project to replace the old ferry connection with a permanent bridge started in early 2018. In addition to the bridge, roughly 1.5 kilometers of new public road with private road arrangements will be built. The aim is to improve traffic flow. Once finished, the 639-meter long Vekaransalmi bridge will be the 5th longest bridge in Finland. The width of the bridge will be 9.5 meters with overhead clearance of 24.5 meters. The construction of the bridge will be complete by the end of 2019.

The project was commissioned by the Finnish Transport Agency, and the implementing company is Graniittirakennus Kallio Oy. Destia Engineering subcontracts the bored piles, 4–8 for each pier in the middle water. Preliminary work is the most time-consuming part. First, a float bridge to support the machinery and to enable working had to be constructed. Sheet pile walls (T2 and T5) and caissons (T3 and T4) will be constructed around the base plates for the piers in order to keep water out of the concrete pouring area. The drilling itself will be done from the float bridge through water and moraine into the bedrock, describes Mika Inkerö, Project Manager, Destia. Drilling the piles into the rock requires 240 m³/minute of compressed air. Six Atlas Copco Rental's Y35 oil-injected air compressors were used for the drilling. High amount of air enables more drilled meters with lower overall costs per meter. Using six DrillAir Y35 compressors should enables Destia to keep the planned schedule and cost-effectiveness. The company has been able to reduce the number of machines at the construction site due to the Y35 compressor's high yield, Inkerö continues.

We have a lot of experience on shoring underwater drilling work. This autumn, we have invested particularly in the availability of Y35 compressors and supplementing electric compressors in Europe, such as the E-Air T900 compressor

Stefan Koskinen , Atlas Copco Rental Territory Manager for Finland
The Y35 compressors produces oil-injected air in up to 35 bar and 40 m3/min air streams. The compressor is equipped with a powerful Stage IV motor which helps reducing harmful emissions. The Stage IV motor reduces particle emissions and NOx content by 50–96% more than the previous models. Its fuel consumption is also significantly smaller. It can provide air for various industrial uses while maintaining optimal efficiency regardless of streaming speed. Read more about the bridge building project

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Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers through its innovative compressors, vacuum solutions, generators, pumps, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and services focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2017, Atlas Copco (excluding Epiroc AB) had revenues of BSEK 86 (BEUR 9) and about 34 000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopcogroup.com. Specialty Rental is a division within Atlas Copco’s Power Technique business area. It serves customers in all industry segments around the world with temporary air, power, flow, steam and nitrogen rental solutions. The specialty rental services are offered under several brands. The divisional headquarters is located in Belgium.