High Speed Rail (HSR) moves significantly faster than traditional rail traffic. As of 2018, China has the longest highspeed rail network in the world with over 29,000 kilometres of high-speed rail laid. Their HSR transports billions of passengers and billions of tonnes in freight every year.
High speed railway engineering time is very challenging due to water effect, especially in the middle of the tunnel. Waterproofing problems will not only influence the project’s consistence and durability, but also directly affect the normal usage and safety of the whole railway.
When a high-speed railway tunnel in Guizhou Province, South-West China developed a consistent and massive leak, The China Railway Corporation needed a long term, durable solution with a short application time to ensure as little disruption as possible to railway operations.
The leak was massive. Water flow was over 30 litres per minute due to the immense pressure created from one hundred metres of earth above the tunnel.
Exacerbating the problem was the fact that the tunnel’s concrete surfaces were designed with extremely high standards of firmness and bonding strength to ensure the safety of trains moving though the tunnel in excess of 250 km per hour. Any loose, flacking or falling material could cause catastrophic damage to the trains. Finished repairs would require the same exacting standards to ensure safety. Moreover, all the operating platforms and repair work should be finished within 3 hours between 24am and 3am.
Beijing Huatie Hengrui Technology Co., Ltd. working with Tianjin Hongba Waterproofing Material Co., Ltd. provided the solution the China Railway Corporation was looking for; Kryton’s safe and efficient repair system.
The first step was to clean up the crack and remove loose concrete and other detritus. Next, grinders were employed to create a groove or “chase” at the leaking point, shaped for application of Krystol Plug. The plug completely stopped the water flow. Krystol Repair Grout was then used to fill the chase flush to the surface of the tunnel wall. After the repair was completed, Krystol T1® Concrete Waterproofing was applied to prevent further concrete deterioration and leaks.
Kryton’s repair products have assured China Railway Corporation that their HSR trains could once again move quickly and safely through a completely dry tunnel.
Krystol T1 is a surface applied crystalline slurry treatment that transforms new or existing concrete into a permanent waterproofing barrier.
As part of the Krystol Leak Repair System, Krystol Plug is a rapid-setting hydraulic cement product that when mixed with water is used to stop flowing water and repair leaking cracks, holes and joints in concrete.
As part of the Krystol Leak Repair System, Krystol Repair Grout is a crystalline concrete waterproofing product that stops the flow of water to permanently repair leaking cracks, holes and joints in concrete, and can also be used to resurface and waterproof defective, damaged or deteriorating concrete. The grout employs advanced fiber technology and shrinkage controlling additives to prevent cracking.