A VIBRATIONLESS TRAM-BUSWAY IN CONTINUOUSLY REINFORCED CONCRETE WITH COLOURED SURFACE

The Flemish Public Transport Authority, “De Lijn”, assigned to the consulting firm TECHNUM the studies and supervision of construction for the realisation of a new combined tramway and bus lane linking the main railway station of Gent (Belgium) with the exhibition halls at Flanders Expo. The principle criteria for the design included the durability of the pavement, a pleasing appearance compatible with the renewal of the public space and vibration and noise abatement measures in the pavement structure. These considerations led to an ambitious design for a tramway carriageway consisting of continuously reinforced concrete having a three layer structure. The first layer, made of continuously reinforced concrete, forms the supporting slab for the tram rails, which is necessary as no ballast is used. The second layer is likewise reinforced and is anchored to the first layer by means of stirrups. The finishing layer on top of the second layer provides a fine-grained exposed-aggregate surface speckled black and white, which harmonizes with the similarly coloured paving stones of the footpaths alongside the tramway. This daring and ambitious project has proved to be very successful. It unites several different engineering techniques and disciplines on a single site, resulting in a combination uncommon in light rail construction.

• INTRODUCTION

• THE COMBINED FLANDERS EXPO TRAMWAY/BUS LANE PROJECT

• CONCLUSIONS

• REFERENCES