The Heidrun, Troll, Draugen and Sleipner platforms, the Sandsfjord bridge, the Bjørvika tunnel and the Øresund Link tunnel have several things in common. They are all prestigious and technically demanding projects. All also have our corrugated steel tubes in their concrete structures.
"Corrugated steel pipes are unique because they have a very high compression strength, so they can better withstand pressure and external forces. The pipes are flexible and can easily be cut and bent," explains Bjørn Erik Ualand, head of Nordic Steel's Infrastructure department.
The steel pipes are often used as casting tubes in tension reinforced structures, as they provide a solid adhesion between the concrete and the rebar.
An example of this is the Sandsfjord bridge in Rogaland, which is a concrete bridge built according to the cantilever method. The bridge has a main span of 290 meters, which is among the longest bridge spans in the world. With such dimensions, it is an advantage with a low weight of the steel pipes, which you get with Simprofile.
"The light weight makes the pipes very manageable and easier to install. In addition, low weight contributes to lower transport and storage costs. The lifespan of the pipes are as long as the one for the concrete mixture that they are cast in," says Ualand.
The Simprofile spiro pipes are also used as a joining for fixing prefabricated concrete elements to be glued/milled to foundations or other elements. They are also used as recesses for guiding anchor rods and tensioned cables in concrete structures. The steel pipes are also used as drawer pipes for cables, wires and water pipes.
