BIGUMAtor®- MB on a mobile building site

Premiere on the A1 in Switzerland: The innovative ASTRA Bridge is being used for the first time in the repair works which are being carried out between Recherswil and the Luterbach junction, which started in February 2022. Whilst the construction works are being carried out under this mobile construction bridge, the vehicles are rerouted via the ASTRA Bridge in two lanes. This allows long traffic jams to be reduced.

The dga Group is also involved in this pilot project, in which the road surface on both lanes is being replaced by a low-noise surface and the central reservation tarmacked, via its Swiss partner company Febrag AG. The processing machine BIGUMAtor®- MB, for example, is being used. Thanks to its compact construction and low height, the BIGUMAtor®- MB takes up a particularly small amount of space under the ASTRA Bridge, which is max. 4.30 metres high, 7.30 metres wide and 236 metres long. In addition, the machine can only be operated by one person, which again saves space and reduces personnel costs.

Precise sealing of the tarmac connections
The BIGUMAtor®- MB enables the BIGUMA®- Band to be laid precisely, which is also being used on the A1. The BIGUMAtor®- MB, which is fitted with the tape, is first brought to operating temperature and placed on the joint flank to be processed and the connection nozzles are aligned and fitted with total precision. The subsequent contact with the new tarmac mix causes the joint tape to melt again and thus creates a strong connection between the connection flanks.

The height of the bearing layer, connection layer and outer surface of the tarmac road varies depending on the construction area, meaning that the joint tape also needs to be affixed in different sizes.
A joint tape height of up to 10 cm is possible with the BIGUMAtor®- MB.
In total, the BIGUMAtor®- MB is laying 40 kilometres of BIGUMA®- Band in this repair project.

Building site of the future
The increased volume of traffic on the motorways sometimes makes it impossible to carry out construction works in the daytime. The window of time available for working at night is also becoming smaller and smaller for a range of reasons. As a “mobile construction site”, the ASTRA Bridge is the ideal solution as it allows traffic to pass over it at a reduced speed on the side of the road where the construction work is being carried out. And, as a general rule, neither lane removal nor reduction of the lane width or speed is necessary on the other side of the road. Traffic can flow without any major disruptions and traffic jams are reduced. In addition, with its 18 portals that are connected with each other using interim segment plates, the ASTRA Bridge can also be adapted to the desired length of the respective construction site. Up to 100 metres is then available for the actual construction works.