Concreting works at Airbus test bed

Meva Mammut 350, with a load capacity of 100Kn/m2, was the chosen formwork for concreting work on the German Airbus test bed site in Arnstadt near Erfurht.

A spokesman for Meva said the test stand for jet engines comprises four segments. The engines are brought into the testbed through a large, hermetically closed gate and for simulation purposes, air is drawn in through a 23 m high intake funnel.

Therefore, the extreme air pressure and speed demanded exceptionally low porosity in the concrete finish, the spokesman added.

He said, "The smallest particles on the wall surface would in effect turn into little missiles as a result of the extreme pressure. Therefore, the inside walls need to have a hermetically sealed surface corresponding to category four of the classification for fair-faced concrete, published by the Deutscher Betonverein (German Concrete Association)."

The formwork was strong enough to build 750 mm thick walls with a pouring rate of 1 m/hour - in pours of up to 11 m and a total wall height of 32 m.

"It is unique for on-site concreting to pour such wall heights with flowable concrete," the spokesman said.