The state-owned company Russian Highways continues construction of the Tver Northern Bypass on the M-11 Neva motorway. The total length of the Northern Bypass will be almost 64 km.
At present, road construction crews are reinforcing waterlogged slopes of the road embankment. The technical solution for reinforcing and providing erosion protection to the slopes, meeting the requirements for the construction of a modern high-speed motorway, must
- be durable;
- be resistant to petroleum products, UV radiation and mould;
- help extend maintenance intervals;
- increase operational reliability;
- simplify the construction process and reduce construction time.
To address these requirements, the technology of reinforcing embankment slopes with concrete-filled mats (БНМ) “ТехПолимер” in accordance with СТО 56910145-031-2020 was selected. БНМ are seamless, fillable textile fabric used for waterproofing and erosion protection. The fixing points distributed across the fabric reduce the hydraulic pressure of the injected mixture and regulate the mat thickness after filling.
Reinforcement of road embankment slopes using concrete-filled mats is carried out in several stages:
- before installing the БНМ, soil washouts are removed, the embankment base is graded and compacted, and anchor trenches are formed;
- installation of RD reinforcing geogrid in accordance with СТО 30478650-001-2012;
- the mats are sewn into panels and installed on the slope, secured with anchors;
- the mats are filled with an injected concrete mixture through flexible hoses;
- the anchor trenches are backfilled.
Once the concrete mixture has hardened, this technical solution will protect the slope surfaces from weather and climatic factors, water and wind erosion, and provide reinforcement and local stability for the embankment.
The motorway will operate as a toll road, with permitted speeds of 110 and 130 km/h (during the summer season) for passenger vehicles. The official Avtodor website explained: “The Tver Bypass will effectively complete the formation of the federal M-11 Neva motorway, making it possible to connect Moscow and St Petersburg directly, without at-grade intersections with other motorways. Travel time between the two capitals will be reduced from 6 to 5 hours.”