Project details
Road tunnel S19 Babica - Rzeszów South
Via Carpatia
Location
S19 expressway Rzeszów South – Babica.
Infrastructure
Key element of Via Carpatia route.
Status
✓ Completed
Project details
Via Carpatia
S19 expressway Rzeszów South – Babica.
Key element of Via Carpatia route.
Project details
PROJECT INFORMATION
Consortium: Mostostal Warszawa and Acciona Construcción
Implementation period: 2022 - 2025 | Work system: continuous production
Resources: Transbet TCS team
One of the longest road tunnels in Poland
The construction of the tunnel on the S19 expressway is one of the key infrastructure investments in Poland, carried out as part of the Via Carpatia route. The 2,250-meter tunnel, drilled using one of the largest TBM shields in Europe ("Karpatka"), is a strategic element for improving transport accessibility in the Podkarpacie region.
Its implementation requires the use of the most modern technologies and precise coordination of activities in difficult geological conditions. The project is unique both in terms of scale and complexity. It includes the construction of a twin-tube tunnel with a drilling diameter of 15.2 meters, in which each ring consists of ten segments (tubings) with individual reinforcement.
Implementation in numbers
The ring consists of 10 tubings, each segment has individual reinforcement, differing depending on the type (A1–A7, B, C, K) – segment K serves as the key.
Transbet TCS was responsible for:
Production and delivery of prefabricated steel for the production of reinforcement cages, including the entire process of cutting and bending bars
Production and delivery of ready-made reinforcement cages for the tunnel lining, including the development of cage production technology from bar cutting to welding
Technological and repair project, including assembly instructions, welding and quality control
Development of universal molds, enabling production of light and heavy cages
Storage system, ensuring access to cages at the right time
Certified welding technology qualification (EN ISO 17660-2) and quality control
Steel tracking system, enabling full identification of each reinforcement cage in terms of production date, type of steel used and its location in the warehouse
The production of reinforcement cages for the S19 tunnel was a task requiring precision and high flexibility in schedule management. The biggest challenge turned out to be delays in tunnel drilling, which forced frequent changes in the production plan for concrete elements.
Downtime and limited storage space necessitated dynamic adjustment of the work pace to avoid excessive accumulation of cages on outdoor storage yards. Storage in the open exposed structures to weather conditions, which increased the risk of corrosion, so a cage warehouse management method compliant with the FIFO principle was introduced.
Each bar had to meet rigorous tolerances, especially in terms of maintaining a 6-centimeter concrete cover. Tolerances from the inner side: +0.5/-0 cm, for others: ±0.5 cm.
The bending radii of the arcs had to be perfectly matched to the molds to avoid problems during assembly. This required precise measurements and close cooperation with the client.
✓ Despite the difficulties, thanks to a well-developed storage system, workstation ergonomics, certified welding technology and efficient logistics, it was possible to maintain production continuity and meet all quality requirements.
