Safe Drilling On The Shoreline

Presented by Mincon

Mincon’s Spiral Flush Technology has been leveraged for Crown Bridges light rail project In Helsinki, Finland.

The Crown Bridges Light Rail (Kruunusillat) project is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Finland in recent years. When the project is finished in 2027, a total of three new bridges, including a 1,200-metre-long bridge that will be the longest one ever built in Finland, will connect Helsinki downtown to the expanding suburbs of Laajasalo and Kruunuvuorenranta, shortening the travel distance from 11 km to 5.5 km. This new scenic route is designed for light rail and pedestrians only, encouraging people to use public transport and travel by bicycle.

Construction started in 2021 and Mincon’s drilling expertise has played a significant role. With the foundations of the bridges drilled right at the shore banks using the DTH method, it is important that air flow is controlled. Our patented Spiral Flush technology prevents the air from escaping into the soil, thus making the drilling safer in complex ground conditions, like seashores in this case. This was well observed by the constructor company, YIT, which compared Mincon’s Spiral Flush ring bit system with a competing wing bit alternative without air control.

Site manager trainee Tommi Pentikäinen said, ”With Mincon’s Spiral Flush products, there is not as much air coming from the ground as with the systems we used previously, so you dare to drill in a city environment. Mincon’s pilots have also lasted longer.”

The responsible YIT site manager, Antti Eskelinen, also continues, “The reliability of Mincon’s Spiral Flush products and the assistance from Mincon’s customer support has been first-rate and matched our expectations and wishes. Also, the difference between Mincon’s products and the systems we used previously has been like night and day.”

Monicon machinery used on the Crown Bridges project. Source: Supplied.

In addition to Spiral Flush, Mincon’s contribution to the project involves an M-Wall solution at the construction site of one of the two shorter bridges. The M-Wall solution is used to fortify the shore bank and prevent its collapse into the sea while acting as a bedrock foundation for the 422 metre-long bridge.

This is a good example of Mincon’s commitment to develop and offer high-quality tools that help our customers to succeed in their projects promptly and safely. As Mr. Eskelinen put it, “Based on what we’ve seen, the difference in durability of the current pilots and the previous systems is substantial. With Mincon’s products, we gain efficiency and cost savings, even though the point price of one pile is higher.”

For more information about the project, contact Monicon.

The Crown Bridges project. Source: Supplied.