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SINERGIA 44
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
carried out on the existing line”, explains
Francisco Asseiceiro, the director of
studies and projects at MEE Ferrovias
and one of the participants in the study
undertaken by Mota-Engil Engenharia
in partnership with the LNEC (National
Laboratory of Civil Engineering).
“The conclusion was reached that
there were geo-technical conditions
which would make possible the use
of the sub-structure of the existing
platform. This would allow the work to
be carried out at a greatly reduced cost
as there would no longer be any need
to build a temporary line in parallel
with the existing one and at the same
time would ensure that there was no
shortage of earth and other natural
materials required for the execution of
the initial project.”
STUDY BY MOTA-ENGIL
AND THE LNEC DECISIVE
FOR AWARDING OF
THE WORKS ON
SECTION 5 OF THE
NACALA CORRIDOR
Presented during the biggest international
railway engineering event, in Australia
Refurbishing a 100-kilometre stretch
of an old African railway line with a
minimum of interruptions to operations,
a limited budget and a very tight schedule.
This was the challenge raised by Brito
dos Santos, director of Mota-Engil
Engenharia Ferrovias and one of the
leading Portuguese specialists, with an
extensive knowledge of railways gained
over 30 years, who sought a realistic
solution based on the refurbishment of
the line and at a reduced cost.
“The initial study of section 5 on the Nacala
Corridor – one of the most important
jobs for the Mota-Engil Group in Africa
- proposed a type of solution which,
although not the most suitable, assumed
the need to construct a provisional line to
run alongside and onto which traffic would
be diverted temporarily while work was
The work would be based on
the refurbishment of the line
which would mean replacing
the structure, ballast,
sleepers and rails with any
necessary work carried out
on the platform in areas
where geotechnical tests had
shown up reductions to the
rigidity of the sub-structure.