Mapei: Platinum Sponsor of the World Tunnel Congress 2019

Mapei is Platinum Sponsor at WTC 2019, the Annual Congress dedicated to Tunnelling and Underground Construction, which this year will be held in Naples at the Mostra d’Oltremare exhibition and conference centre from the 3^rd to the 9^th of May.

During the congress, Mapei will be proposing to operators from the sector their cutting-edge technologies and extensive experience in the field of TBM Technology. They will also be presenting their range of POLYFOAMER, foaming products for ground conditioning, from their stand (35/36/37, Exhibition 1 - Pavilion 10) and presenting papers at various technical seminars:

-Monday 6^th of May: at 3:40 pm in the Sala Europa hall at the Palacongressi conference centre, Mapei will be presenting a paper on “Management of the Muck Produced by EPB TBM Tunnel Excavation: Environmental Aspects and Consistency Control for Efficient Handling”;

-Wednesday 8^th of May: at 11:00 am in the Sala Ischia hall at the Palacongressi conference centre, Mapei will be presenting a paper on the “Main Advantages and Operational Aspects of Two-Component Backfilling Grout in Mechanized Tunnelling with Hard-Rock TBM: Example of the Saint-Martin-La-Porte TBM Job-site at Lyon-Turin”.

“For Mapei, tunnelling represents a very important market and, as a company, we invest significant resources into the development of quality technologies and solutions that become a reference point for operators from the sector. We have been sponsoring the WTC since 2000 and we carry on supporting it because it is the reference event for all those operating in this sector. And we are particularly happy that this year’s event is being held here in Italy and will be celebrating the technology that Italian companies have to offer in this sector”, commented Enrico Dal Negro, Director of the Mapei Underground Technology Team.

POLYFOAMER

Amongst the Mapei products featuring at WTC are foaming agents with a very low level of impact on the environment, which are used for conditioning every type of ground to be excavated with a TBM technology, POLYFOAMER ECO 100 and POLYFOAMER ECO 100 PLUS.
Both foaming agents contain biodegradable anionic surfactants and natural polymers and have zero glycol content. They form highly stable foam over time with excellent lubricating properties that help reduce friction between soil particles and minimise wear of tunnelling equipment. Unlike traditional foaming agents, however, POLYFOAMER ECO 100 and POLYFOAMER ECO 100 PLUS are non-bioaccumulable and have a very low level of ecotoxicity.
What is more, POLYFOAMER ECO 100 PLUS, when used in combination with MAPEI SOLVER Q33 in the phases immediately following tunnelling operations, progressively reduces the amount of surfactants present in the soil until there is only a minimal amount.

ATEX AUTOMATIC WELDING MACHINE

Amongst the waterproofing solutions available for tunnels Mapei, in collaboration with the companies Miretti and Leister, will be presenting a newly-developed instrument for welding synthetic membranes used for waterproofing tunnels that have been converted for use in environments with potentially explosive gases. The welding machine complies with ATEX directives covering the use of equipment and machinery in areas with an explosive atmosphere to safeguard the health and safety of operators.
The welding machine, commissioned by Mapei, built by Leister and then converted by Miretti Group, is an innovative, compact, lightweight machine that is simple to use and is protected from explosions caused by the presence of explosive gases or dust. The welding machine has been developed and converted to provide the maximum level of safety for operators.

Since 1999 Mapei has been contributing to the growing market demand with dedicated solutions and technologies for tunnelling and underground constructions and a dedicated technical support service, the Mapei Underground Technology Team.
The Mapei UTT support network extends all around the world and takes part in the most important national and international underground construction projects, providing a consultancy service, technology and high-performance solutions, from digging to finishing operations.

Nowadays, Mapei is able to offer an extensive range of systems for operators from the tunnelling, mining and underground construction sector:

-solutions and systems for mechanized TBM tunnelling;
-solutions and systems for injecting, consolidating and anchoring;
-admixtures for concrete and shotcrete: super-plasticisers, accelerators and synthetic fibres;
-solutions and systems for waterproofing: from synthetic membranes to spray-applied membranes, as well as an extensive range of accessories;
-solutions and systems for rehabilitation and maintaining tunnels and underground constructions;
-solutions and systems for the protection and final coating of tunnels and underground constructions.