Largest wheel in Blickle's history

Marti Technik AG, Austria, a subsidiary of the globally operating Marti Group, develops customised solutions for demanding construction projects, particularly in tunnelling and special foundation engineering. The company specialises in the following areas: conveyor technology, electrical engineering, infrastructure facilities, formwork and special-purpose machine construction.

The construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel is a milestone in European transport infrastructure. The Pfons-Brenner H53 sub-project, with a total length of around 25 kilometres, is the last and also the largest section in the Austrian part of the project. Marti Technik AG needed special wheels for the construction of a massive bridge with a concrete base. These wheels not only have to carry a considerable dead weight, but also offer high load capacity and stability at almost static speed. As is usual in tunnel construction, the ambient conditions are humid and temperatures are low, which the wheels must be able to withstand. The wheels are first installed in bogies by Marti Technik and then transported to the tunnel construction site. There, the two 2-axle front undercarriages are each loaded with 60 tonnes and the two 2-axle rear undercarriages with 75 tonnes.

In order to meet the high requirements, Blickle developed a heavy-duty hub fitting wheel with an impressive diameter of 1,310 millimetres in close cooperation with Marti Technik AG. This dimension is also a new milestone in Blickle's company history and posed particular challenges for the production process. The heavy-duty casters are equipped with the Blickle Softhane polyurethane tread and a welded steel wheel centre. The polyurethane tread ensures a long service life of the wheels and considerably reduces maintenance costs. The customer's requirements in terms of corrosion resistance and high-quality welding seams have also been met. Thanks to the high reliability of the Blickle heavy-duty hub fitting wheels, Marti Technik was able to efficiently organise the construction logistics and meet the project schedule. With this solution, Blickle has set new standards and contributed to the progress of the Brenner Base Tunnel project. The successful cooperation with Marti Technik paves the way for future projects with demanding requirements and extraordinary dimensions.