Jul 2 2007
MetroTorino is Italy's first automated VAL metro. The construction of the first phase, known as "Linea 1" began on December 19, 2000 and the first train officially came into service at 12:10 pm February 4, 2006 (just in time for the start of the Olympic Winter Games 2006). The 20 VAL208-Torino trains travel the 7.5km distance beneath the Corso Francia in just 11 minutes representing a novel and fast way of moving around town.
Like its counterparts at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, MetroTorino sports a system of driverless, lightweight vehicles that offers passengers frequent services that can be adjusted to changing traffic volumes during rush hours, holidays, etc. As a subterranean system, innovative techniques in underground construction were used such as glass platforms in the tunnels which made it possible to build open plan stations with extra visibility between the different levels.
One other use of such innovative technologies was the Penetron system of waterproofing. Mr. Enrico Fornari, Project Executive for Systra/Geodata (the joint venture company awarded the project) confirmed the successful use and application of the system to the underground concrete work. Since the tunnels were made from a precast segmental concrete liner, the companies of Systra and Geodata chose to rely on the the Penetron system to waterproof all construction joints and concrete structure defects (leaking construction joint, cracks, concrete "bugholes") in all "Linea 1" stations.
"We are proud to be able to count this project as one of the many sucessful tunnel projects we have been a part of across the globe," said Robert Revera, CEO and Managing Partner for ICS Penetron International Ltd, "We are pleased that the Penetron System has lived up to the high specifications set by Systra/Geodata and the demands of MetroTorino and the people who will use it."