Construction of East West Highway in Algeria 

 

BASF has contributed a range of products and solutions to the construction of the new East-West Highway in Algeria, currently one of the world’s largest public construction projects.

The new six-lane highway with a total length of 1,216 kilometers runs from the Tunisian border in the east of Algeria to the Moroccan border in the west and marks a major step  forward in the infrastructural development of the country. It will link Algeria’s large cities – including Algiers, Setif, Constantine and Oran – and form part of the Autoroute Transmaghrébhine which transverses Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauretania. To be completed in 2010, the project weighs in at a total investment volume of $5 billion and is expected to generate around 100,000 jobs, not only during construction but also for provision of maintenance and service industries connected with the highway after its completion.

Eleven tunnels and 25 viaducts will be required along the entire length of the new highway. It was here that BASF products and solutions were applied, most of them for the first time in Algeria.  For example, the superplasticizers Glenium® 27 and Rheobuild® 850 were used to modify the concrete for bridge construction, while concrete repairs were carried out using Emaco® S88 C and Emaco® R303. Masterflex® waterstop tape and Masterseal ® 550 were used for waterproofing the tunnels, Concresive® 1414 for connecting precast concrete parts and Flowcable® grout for fixing anchor bolts. Rheofinish® 202 provides a smooth surface for precast concrete parts, superplasticizers with air-entraining agents Microair® 120 and Microair® 111 along with the evaporation protection agent Masterkure® 106 secure a high level of concrete quality and MEYCO® SA 160 helps stabilize tunnels and slopes.

In addition to the quality of the BASF products and solutions, however, it was above all the comprehensive on-site service which made collaboration on this project a success. The BASF team in Algeria not only provided expertise on technical issues, offering swift solutions to problems: it also acted as a communication link between the Algerian clients and the Chinese contractor.