Mini sound protection wall in Ammertal

FACTS

  • Location: Gültstein and Unterjesingen at Tübingen-Herrenberg, Germany
  • Route: Gültstein Km 17.900 – 18.000, Unterjesingen Km 5.000 – 6.005
  • Client: Zweckverband ÖPNV at Ammertal
  • Products: STRAILastic_mSW 360
  • Length: Gültstein 100 m, Unterjesingen 505 m
  • Conditions: S54, wooden sleepers, concrete sleppers 240 cm,different track radii
  • Period: October until November 2022

 

ADVANTAGES 

  • Only 380 mm above top of rail
  • No visual impact for residents and passengers
  • Absorbent acoustic surface 2.0
  • No planning approval procedure necessary
  • Reworking without dismantling of the metal substructure of the mSW 360
  • No material fatigue due to vibrations

 

AT A GLANCE

In the Ammer valley, the Tübingen-Herrenberg railway line was reactivated as early as 1999. Since this line runs through residential areas the railway operator was looking for a sound protection solution that would be as effective and inconspicuous as possible at the same time.

Due to its low height, the mSW 360 from STRAILastic proved to be the optimal solution here. The mini sound protection wall is installed just outside the standard clearance area.

On the railway line in the Ammer valley, there were different types of sleepers such as wooden sleepers and short concrete sleepers as well as large tolerance deviations in sleeper spacing. However, these requirements posed no obstacle to the installation of the mSW 360.

The mini sound protection wall is attached to the metal substructure with just a few screws, which in turn is fixed directly to the rail. To compensate for the large tolerance deviations in sleeper spacing, special rubber bellows were developed by STRAIL and successfully used by the construction workers. Furthermore, there is the possibility of integrating small animal passages.

The installation of the mini sound protection wall proceeded quickly. The railway operator and the residents are very satisfied with the STRAILastic solution, as the residential area is now quiet and the local landscape is not disturbed.

Mini-Lärmschutzwand mSW 360

Picture 1: Due to the low height of the mSW 360, the unobstructed view of the residents is not disturbed.

Einbau mSW 360 im Ammertal

Picture 2: Start of installation of the mSW 360.

mSW 360 mit Metallunterbau

Picture 3: The metal substructure is attached directly to the rail.

Introduction of STRAILastic Australia
at the AusRAIL PLUS

New STRAILastic branch office in Australia

At the beginning of December 2019, we exhibited for the first time at the AusRAIL plus under the name of our newly founded company
STRAILastic Australia Pty Ltd“. An excellent opportunity to present the company to a broad professional audience.
A total of 383 exhibitors from the railway industry were present in Sydney from 3 to 5 December.

In contrast to railway trade fairs in Europe, the 4,481 visitors consisted exclusively of experts and decision-makers.
The topic of noise protection is very important in Australia, which was also reflected in the very good response to our products.

 

Why have your own branch office in Australia? Well, there are several reasons.

By 2030, Australia is set to make the largest investment ever planned in rail transportation. The entire railway infrastructure and as well as the
noise protection systems are to be renewed.
Both our STRAILastic mini sound protection wall, which was awarded the Innovation Prize for Track and Infrastructure,
and our STRAILastic infill panels currently have absolutely unique selling points.

In addition, the Australian railway market requires direct contact between manufacturer and end customer, which is virtually impossible from
Germany due to the time difference. Customers also prefer to purchase the goods directly from the manufacturer and appreciate having a
contact person close by.

 

We were completely satisfied with our first trade fair and will return to the AusRAIL in Adelaide this year with our own stand.

Project Nordhorn –
Installation STRAILastic Mini Sound Protection Wall,
Infill Panels and Rail Web Dampers

AT A GLANCE

After 45 years, the section between Bad Bentheim, Nordhorn and Neuenhaus was reactivated. Not only a challenging project in terms of renovation, but also in terms of sound insulation.

A combination of all sound insulation products from STRAILastic was used in Nordhorn to meet the requirements of a sound expert’s report. One of the reasons for selecting our products was that no planning approval procedure would be necessary.

STRAILastic_A, STRAILastic_IP and STRAILastic_mSW achieve a very good result!

 

FACTS

  • Location: Nordhorn
  • Client: Bentheimer Eisenbahn AG, Otto-Hahn-Straße 1, 48529 Nordhorn
  • Products: 950 pieces STRAILastic_A inox 2.0 (rail web dampers)
  • 22 pieces STRAILastic_IP (infill panels)
  • 112 pieces STRAILastic_mSW (mini sound protection wall)
  • Length: approx. 240 m
  • Period: 05/19 – 07/19

 

1 // GENERAL

At the beginning of July 2019, Bentheimer Eisenbahn AG was able to reopen the section between Bad Bentheim, Nordhorn and Neuenhaus for local public transport. Nordhorn will thus be the last German district town to be reconnected to the rail network 45 years after the line was closed. The four-year planning and preparation period not only meant a lot of work with regard to the restoration and reactivation of the tracks, but also with regard to noise protection for residents and local recreation areas.

For this reason, STRAILastic soundproofing products were used in Nordhorn to protect a new residential area from noise.

As the relevant section of the route crosses a canal bridge, all three STRAILastic products (STRAILastic_A inox 2.0 rail web dampers, STRAILastic_IP infill panels and STRAILastic_mSW mini sound protection wall) could be installed in combination.

The planning, organisation and installation were completely taken over by Bentheimer Eisenbahn AG. The project was completed very quickly and could therefore be finished in only a couple of weeks.

 

2 // INSTALLATION

Based on the findings of the first inspection, minor changes were made to the products. The fastening of the STRAILastic_IP infill panels
was adapted to be mounted on the existing railing with horizontal bars. The mini sound protection wall was installed on a superstructure
with a Y-steel sleeper.

The assembly of the STRAILastic products was carried out in 3 steps.

In the first step, the STRAILastic_A inox 2.0 rail web dampers were distributed and installed in the sleeper compartments.
Thanks to the good preparatory work, four fitters were able to install the 240 meters in one shift.

Subsequently, the ballast work and the assembly of the fastening construction of the STRAILastic_mSW mini sound protection wall
were carried out. At the same time the installation of the STRAILastic_IP infill panels could be started.

Finally, the elastomer elements of the mini sound protection wall were installed.

A two-way track excavator was used to facilitate assembly. With the help of the excavator and three fitters,
four elements of both STRAILastic_IP and STRAILastic_mSW could be installed per hour.

The assembly of all products was carried out without any problems, and the line could be opened for rail traffic punctually on 7 July 2019.

 

3 // RESULT

Due to the fast execution of the project, the smooth installation and the fact that the products do hardly impair the view, all parties involved,
but above all the Bentheimer Eisenbahn AG as client, are very satisfied.