"Look here, you have to take a picture of this." Tunnel site manager Martin Hefre at Hæhre Entreprenør points to a Foamrox element shaped to the tunnel vault inside an emergency exit. "I was curious how you would manage to adapt the transition between the tunnel vault itself and the Foamrox element, but this turned out great. Yes, it actually looks nice."
We are inside one of the tunnels that will be part of the new E39 between Kristiansand and Mandal, one of Nye Veier's projects where Hæhre is the main contractor. The room we are standing in is an important part of safety in tunnels, namely a lock in the emergency exit. But this part is a little different in that it is made of a completely unique material called Foamrox. The elements are composed of two components, cellular glass and polyurea. Cellular glass is made of 100% recycled glass and helps strengthen the circular economy, is both environmentally friendly and sustainable and is certified to fire class EI60.
As the escape tunnels from Foamrox are supplied with a waterproof membrane, there is no need for further waterproofing in the roof and the rail system from Hilti makes installation of electrical wiring quick and easy. There is no waiting time for any drying of elements, as soon as the construction is fully assembled it is available for the next phase of the project, such as the installation of electrical components.
The products are delivered flat-packed and assembled in the form of elements. They weigh on average 90% less than concrete, are therefore easy to handle and can be installed manually. Neither a crane nor a truck is needed for the assembly, which contributes to improved HSE on the project.
"We like people who try something new, and I believe Foamrox has a great advantage in saving time on installation—and for us, time is money. The fact that it is also an environmentally friendly product is just a huge plus for us."
Martin Hefre, tunnel site manager at Hæhre Entreprenør
He says he first saw Foamrox in use when he was working in the Vadheim Tunnel in Sogn og Fjordane. The tunnel opened in 1972 and was ready for an upgrade where all the electronics, lighting and emergency equipment would be replaced. Foamrox supplied the drawbridges and frames for emergency cabinets in the lightweight, non-combustible material and Hæhre was interested in trying it in other projects, such as the tunnel we are now in at Mandal.
Here, fire barriers have been installed throughout the vault, as well as an emergency exit and emergency kiosk in Foamrox elements, and Hefre is very pleased with the job. “We like people who try something new, and I think Foamrox has a big advantage in that it saves time on installation, and for us, time is money. The fact that it is also an environmentally friendly product is just an extra plus for us.”
It seems easy to install the prefab elements yourself, but due to low staffing at the time, Hæhre chose to let Foamrox take on the job of assembly. Hefre explains; "It was quick to get the lock in place, the Foamrox team are service-minded and tidy people, they have great faith in the product and I think that's good. We will definitely consider using them again in other projects in the future."
The tunnel is scheduled for completion in December 2021, while work on E39 Mandal East – Mandal City is projected to be finalized by 2022. Read more about the project on Nye Veier's website: E39 Mandal East – Mandal City | Nye Veier AS
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