{"id":5495,"date":"2019-02-14T11:02:20","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T11:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foamitgroup.tempurl.host\/foamitfinland\/news\/covering-finnish-national-road-3-in-hameenlinna\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T11:03:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:03:35","slug":"covering-finnish-national-road-3-in-hameenlinna","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/foamitgroup.fi\/en\/news\/covering-finnish-national-road-3-in-hameenlinna\/","title":{"rendered":"Covering Finnish national road 3 in H\u00e4meenlinna"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project was part of a larger redevelopment of central H\u00e4meenlinna. When Finnish national road 3 was covered over, an access ramp and slip road were also constructed. Once the cover was complete, construction began on a shopping centre, part of which was built on the cover over the road. The worksite was in a very central location, and the traffic volumes are substantial, both on the Finnish national road and in the city\u2019s street network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva-1024x791.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-900\" \/><figcaption>Lighter embankments with foam glass aggregate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The\nproject involved two old bridges, which were demolished and replaced by new\nbridges. During demolition and construction, traffic was routed over the\nsections of the cover that were already built adjacent to the bridges. The\ncover is located high about the surrounding ground level. At most, the ascent\nonto the cover was approximately eight metres, so four ramps were built with a\ntotal length of approximately 350&nbsp;metres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\nwas not possible to build the ramps in the form of gravel embankments and\ngravel infill between sheet piles due to the stability problems and the lateral\nloads acting on the piles. Foam glass aggregate was used to build the ramps in\nthe form of lightened embankments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ground conditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In\nthe tunnel, there was an old layer, 1\u20133&nbsp;metres thick, of motorway infill,\nmainly containing sand and gravel. The thickest layer of infill was around the\nTuruntie and Paasikiventie bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current road structures have natural foundation beds, and any peat has presumably been removed from beneath the structures. Outside the road area, there are areas with 1\u20132.5\u00a0metres of peat, partly beneath the current infills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva6-874x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-901\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Underneath\nthe layer of infill and peat is a layer of silt and lean clay 10\u201317&nbsp;metres\nthick. The boring resistance of the cohesion soil increases substantially at a\ndepth of about 10&nbsp;metres below the surface. The soil samples taken from\nthe silt and clay layers contained 17\u201372% water. The unreduced, undrained shear\nstrength, determined using vane apparatus on the softest uppermost layer of\ncohesion soil, is 12\u201332&nbsp;kN\/m<sup>2<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The top surface of the moraine is located an average of 13\u201315\u00a0metres below the surface. The moraine layer has a thickness of 0\u20135\u00a0metres. Based on pressure ram sounding, the moraine is very loose and, in places, rocky. The rock surface, as determined using motorised dynamic sounding, is at a depth of 13\u201321\u00a0metres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-899\" \/><figcaption>The groundwater is partly pressurised. In general, the groundwater level is approximately 0.5 metres below the surface.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Normal\ngravel infill between sheet piles was not possible, as it would have caused\nstability problems and lateral loads on the piles. It would also have increased\nthe amount of material and requirements for the sheet piles and anchors. Using\npiled structures as the foundations for the transport routes used during\nconstruction would have been a very expensive solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For\nthese reasons, foam glass aggregate was chosen, not least for its technical\nproperties and the ease of construction and reuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks\nto the low density and large angle of repose offered by foam glass aggregate,\nit was possible to reduce the load acting on the subsoil and the sheet pile\nwalls, while limiting lateral loads on the piles of other structures. Due to\nthe large angle of repose offered by foam glass aggregate, it was possible to\nconstruct high embankments without any intermediate layers or supporting\nstructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A\ntotal of approximately 10,000&nbsp;m<sup>3<\/sup> of foam glass aggregate was\ndelivered to the worksite to fill four embankments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lack of working space around the demolished abutments called for a narrower structure, which was realised by compacting the foam glass between two sheet pile walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dimensions and structure of the access ramp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A characteristic value of 40\u00b0 was used for the angle of repose of the foam glass aggregate. The calculations used a bulk density of 4\u00a0kN\/m<sup>3<\/sup> for the foam glass aggregate. The thickness of the layer of foam glass aggregate between the sheet pile walls was 3.5\u20137.3\u00a0metres, with a maximum value of 3.5\u00a0metres within the embankment structures. The structural layers of the road on top of the foam glass embankment consisted of approximately 650\u00a0mm of aggregate and 50\u00a0mm of asphalt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva5-1024x936.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-896\" \/><figcaption>Cross-section of the access ramp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An inclined embankment was used in the area with sufficient stability to resist the collapse of the ground and less restricted working space. The inclined embankment was built from foam glass aggregate without requiring separate supporting embankments. The embankment was up to 85\u00a0kN\/m<sup>2<\/sup> lighter than an equivalent gravel structure, and the soil pressure was reduced by approximately 60%. The solution was designed and modelled using several geotechnical calculation applications, including Plaxis and Geocalc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva4-1024x654.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-897\" \/><figcaption>Longitudinal cross-section of the access ramp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sheet pile was of a normal type, and the sheet pile walls were extended by welding. The sheet piles were anchored to each other using 32\u00a0mm corrugated bars at two or three support levels, depending on the height of the embankment. The installation depths of the sheet piles depended on the local stability requirement. Near the excavations for the bridge abutments, the sheet piles were embedded 5\u201310\u00a0metres deeper than on the other side, where the natural ground level was higher. The maximum sheet pile length was approximately 20\u00a0metres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The demolition and excavation of the bridge abutments and the driving of new piles and construction of pile slabs right next to the sheet pile wall of the foam glass structure required the use of long, extended sheet pile walls to ensure local stability. Further challenges were the tight schedule and worksite logistics, exacerbated by the heavy traffic in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Construction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The foam glass aggregate embankment was built in 0.7-metre layers and compacted using a tracked compactor, after which it was possible to drive lorries over the compacted layer. The layers were arranged in such a way that the draw bars were installed in the top surface of the compacted layer. A vibrating compactor was used at the edges and corners to ensure that the material was compacted. The compaction was successful, and the tyres of the lorries driving on the new layer did not cause the aggregate to subside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/foamit.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VT3-Kuva3-1024x539.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-898\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The\nmaterial was delivered on lorries with traction units carrying 40&nbsp;m<sup>3<\/sup>\npallets and trailers containing two more 40&nbsp;m<sup>3<\/sup> pallets. This\nsolution reduced the amount of lorry traffic to one-quarter of the amount\nrequired for a conventional gravel delivery by lorry. The embankment was built\nat a rate of more than 1,000&nbsp;m<sup>3<\/sup> per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Foam\nglass aggregate made it possible to build an inclined embankment several metres\nin height without edge supports or intermediate layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5289,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"country":[],"news-category":[119,122],"class_list":["post-5495","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-infrastructure-construction","news-category-references"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Covering Finnish national road 3 in H\u00e4meenlinna - Foamit Finland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/foamitgroup.fi\/en\/news\/covering-finnish-national-road-3-in-hameenlinna\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Covering Finnish national road 3 in H\u00e4meenlinna - Foamit Finland\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The project was part of a larger redevelopment of central H\u00e4meenlinna. When Finnish national road 3 was covered over, an access ramp and slip road were also constructed. Once the cover was complete, construction began on a shopping centre, part of which was built on the cover over the road. 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