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71
MARCH 2014
Francisco Asseiceiro
line were carried out, followed by the
appropriate geo-technical tests for the
collection of data and the respective
conclusions.
As Jorge Cruz stresses, “we were only
able to make a start when we were
certain that what we proposed would
be feasible, which is where the test-bed
in Portugal, used for simulations and
testing the methodology on a stretch of
line, came in”.
INNOVATION CONTRIBUTES TO
SUCCESS
“The innovation to be found in the
study actually allowed us to make use
of the potentialities of the drilling and
apply them in combination with other
methods in order to achieve a specific
objective”, explains Nuno Cruz.
“We were able to approach a problem
which
usually
creates
serious
problems in execution by using a
methodology combining information
including the geometric assessment
of the superstructure, the ballast and
the terrain to cover all of the railway
infrastructure”. Further proof of the
repercussions of this work is that we
were able to go from “an emergency
solution to a sustained option which is
suitable for any railway refurbishment
job while minimising the effects on
the line”.
INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE
The idea of publishing the study and
the resulting presentation at the WCRR
(World Congress on Railway Research)
in Sydney, Australia, originated with
LNEC which did not let the opportunity
pass by, attesting once again to the
prestige and recognition of the Mota-
Engil Group both at home and abroad.
“We were interested from the start.
The WRCC is the biggest international
event in terms of railway engineering,
which covers all of the railway
system specialties, from transport to
infrastructure and it therefore made
sense to present the work at an event of
this size”, Eduardo Fortunato points out.
“These studies have two definite sides
to them: first is the scientific aspect
in the sense of our being aware of
what our contemporaries are doing
internationally which obliges us to
develop and to be at the forefront of
our field. Second is the commercial
aspect which is where we attend certain
conferences to demonstrate our skills”,
adds Jorge Cruz.
"The study undertaken on section 5 of
the Nacala Corridor opened doors to
us for other similar jobs, in particular
the Sena corridor in Mozambique and
with the prospect of other projects in
the future".
“In that part of Africa, happen to have
been many lines built at the end of
the 19
th
century or the beginning of
the 20
th
and therefore the problems
which we found on section 5 will be
present on numerous other lines so
we are prepared for new challenges”
concludes Francisco Asseiceiro.
Railway line implementation in Nacala Corridor