Extreme conditions
Paver laying asphalt - snow-covered mountain peaks in the background.

Tough Mission in the Himalayas

Two Vögele Pavers Involved in the Construction of the Zoji-La Tunnel in India.

A mission like no other: Deep in the inaccessible Himalayan mountains, at an altitude of more than 11,400 ft, a SUPER 1400i and a SUPER 1800-3i from Vögele were involved in the construction of what is probably India’s most ambitious tunneling project to date. The Zoji-La Tunnel, named after the mountain pass of the same name, provides a year-round, weather-independent connection between the regions of Ladakh and Kashmir and, with a length of approximately 8 miles, is the longest road tunnel in Asia.

Ladakh | India: It takes more than three hours to cross the Zoji-La Pass – and between November and May, the route is completely impassable. Heavy snowfall and avalanches make it impossible to cross the pass, meaning that, up until now, the border region of Ladakh was dependent on airfreight for six months of the year. In light of this, the significance of the new tunnel for the local economy is all the greater, as it now reduces the time to drive between Srinagar and Leh to around 15 minutes.

Ideal Pavers for Tough Conditions

The asphalt work was carried out by one of the country’s largest infrastructure companies: Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL), based in Hyderabad – a globally-active company and a specialist for projects in challenging environments.

For the paving work inside the tunnel, the company used a SUPER 1400i Universal Class paver from Vögele: Over a distance of 9.6 miles, the paving team laid down a 19 ft 8 in wide layer of dry lean concrete (DLC) with a thickness of 7 inches. For the paving of the 10.2 mile long and 34.4 ft wide section outside the tunnel, including access roads and bridges, the company deployed a second Universal Class paver, a SUPER 1800-3i with an AB 600 TV extending screed. As the most powerful tracked paver in its class, it is the ideal choice for a wide range of applications and impressively demonstrated its unique strengths even in the harsh geographical conditions of the Himalayas.

Three Layers in Two Lanes

The Universal Class paver paved the new surface in three layers: The 3.9 in cement-treated sub-base layer (CTSB) was followed by a 4.3 in binder course (crack relief layer, CRL) with a mix formulated especially for the terrain. Finally, a 2.4 in surface course of bituminous concrete (BC) was paved on top.

Particularly Cost-Efficient and Sustainable

The mix used for the surface course consisted partly of material removed during the upgrading of the tunnel. Due to the heavy traffic, the section could not be closed off completely. MEIL therefore decided to pave the road in two lanes with widths of 16.4 ft and 18 ft to ensure that one lane would be open to traffic at all times.

Paving under difficult geographical conditions and at temperatures as low as 14°F:
The powerful SUPER 1800-3i impressed the paving team with its outstanding paving capacity and consistently excellent paving results.

Powerful Leveling Technology for Paving True to Line and Level

To ensure true to grade and slope paving of the three layers, the paving team took advantage of the Niveltronic Plus system for automated grade and slope control from Vögele. This fully integrated system is tailored to the machine technology of the SUPER pavers and offers a field-proven selection of sensors for every situation on construction sites. A cross slope sensor and a height sensor were used in the rough terrain of the Zoji-La road construction project with its many bends and uphill and downhill gradients. In combination with the cross slope, the measured height on one side of the screed delivers consistently accurate paving results, true to grade and slope, across the entire working width. This meant that the road level could be maintained at all times, despite the numerous bends.

India is one of the most important growth markets and is expanding its nationwide transport infrastructure with numerous road construction projects. The Wirtgen Group has maintained a presence in the country for over 20 years with local sales and service centers, and also has a production facility near Pune. The machine models manufactured here supplement the product portfolios of the German brand headquarters for the local market.

Facts & Figures of the Zoji-La Tunnel Project
General Information
Project:
Zoji-La Tunnel project
Overall length:
19.9 miles
Paving outside the tunnel:
10.2 miles
Paving in the tunnel:
9.6 miles
Machines Deployed
Vögele pavers:
SUPER 1400i | SUPER 1800-3i
Job Details
Paving in the tunnel
Paving width:
19 ft 8 in
Layer thickness:
7 in
Paving Outside the Tunnel
Paving width:
Two lanes, 16.4 ft and 18 ft
Paving thickness:
Base course:
3.9 in
Binder course:
4.3 in
Surface course:
2.4 in