Project description

The ambitious Metro expansion and modernisation project aims to improve urban mobility in Lisbon. Works began in the first half of 2021 with a public opening scheduled for 2024.

A sum of €210.2 million has been invested in the project, which will be completed in two phases. During the first phase, which is currently under way, the Green line will be extended by 1900 m from Rato to Cais Sodré, including the construction of the two new stations Estrela and Santos, and thus be converted into a circular line. During the second phase, the Red line will be extended by 4 km with four new stations.

Maquinter and ZAGOPE are spearheading the first works with Putzmeister equipment

The first part of the contract, valued at €48.6 million, was awarded to ZAGOPE, the leading construction company in Portugal, who is currently implementing it. For the first concreting works this past May, ZAGOPE relied on Putzmeister equipment rented from Maquinter, the official Putzmeister dealer in Portugal.

“ZAGOPE and MAQUINTER have a business relationship spanning over 20 years – it is an honour to be working together on this large-scale project that will improve the daily life in our city,” commented João Gouveia, Managing Director of Maquinter.

Two Putzmeister PM500PC shotcrete robots are already engaged in preparing the tunnels between Rato and Estrela. Between Estrela and Santos, and at Estrela station itself, they will be joined by a PM407 at a later stage in the project.

Lowering the equipment down to the tunnels in the narrow, cobbled Lisbon streets is a challenge. To overcome it, ZAGOPE has begun by constructing access shafts that are reinforced with shotcrete using Putzmeister equipment, specifically two PM702E and the two robotic PM500PC.

In addition to the mentioned equipment for spraying concrete, the project is also making use of four trailer concrete pumps from the Putzmeister BSA 1400 series.

Figure 2. Putzmeister PM702E and Putzmeister PM500PC spraying concrete on a structure close to the Estrela shaft, which is 60 m deep and 30 m in diameter, to allow machinery for digging the tunnel to be lowered.

Figure 3. Access tunnel for the main tunnel between Rato and Estrela through the PV208 shaft

“We are not only offering the best shotcrete equipment in Portugal, but also providing technical advice for ZAGOPE with regard to concrete engineering, supporting the necessary maintenance so that the machinery is always working at 100% and delivering instruction sessions for machine operators during the construction phase,” added Mr Gouveia, who is a trained engineer and has analysed the project in great detail in order to provide a complete service and adapt to the necessary requirements.

Figure 4. João Gouveia, Managing Director of Maquinter, and Francisco Sousa, Regional Sales Manager at Putzmeister, together with the robotic PM500PC shotcrete machinery near the construction works at Estrela