18.10.2022
The Aluminium Association presented innovative solutions for bridge construction at the 10th International Trade Exhibition and Forum Road 2022. The Forum was held in Kazan supported by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. The Federal Road Agency’s Information Centre for Roads (FSBI INFORMAVTODOR) was the operator of the Exhibition and Forum.
During the exhibition and forum, the Aluminium Association presented advanced solutions in the field of bridge construction: pedestrian and road bridges, standard designs and exclusive bridge projects that meet customers’ demands for higher quality infrastructure construction in the capital cities and other regions of the country. Examples of such bridge structures can be seen today in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Samara and Tula. The bridge in Tula was built as part of the ‘Safe Quality Roads’ national project. Aluminium structures are innovative not only in Russia, but all around the world as well. This is partly thanks to fact that the use of aluminium in bridge construction responds to the current green building trends and the demand for increased use of materials with a low carbon footprint.
At the booth of the Aluminium Association in Pavilion 2 of IEC Kazan Expo, Krasnoyarsk Metallurgical Plant (KraMZ), Sespel from Cheboksary and Supporting Systems from Novosibirsk presented their products.
The Krasnoyarsk company also presented aluminium supports for outdoor lighting in car parkings, parks and other amenities. An aluminium structure is three times lighter than a steel one, making it easier to transport and install. In addition, aluminium is highly corrosion-resistant; thus supports made of aluminium last for more than 50 years. Another thing to be mentioned is the design possibilities of the supports: they can be anodised, painted and decorated.
A translucent aluminium structure, in the form of a pedestrian gallery (10 metres long and 4.3 metres wide), was the largest exhibit at the booth. It was designed and made by Novosibirsk-based company Supporting Systems. Extruded parts for translucent structures made of the AD35 and AD31T6 alloys are produced at KraMZ. The structural parts are joined together in a star shape, and the glazing is installed on an aluminium frame: an assembly technique that makes work easier and minimises human errors.
The material from which all the exhibits at the booth are made is their common feature. Aluminium and aluminium-based alloys have unique characteristics that make them the perfect construction material for bridge structures. The finished products are lightweight, have a high specific strength and are resistant to corrosion and temperature fluctuations. Another important factor is that the use of aluminium in bridge structures allows for cost savings over the entire life cycle of the structure.
On the final day of the exhibition and forum, Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, accompanied by Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, visited the Aluminium Association’s booth. Evgeny Vasiliev, Head of Transport Infrastructure at the Aluminium Association, told the visitors about the advantages of aluminium bridge structures, examples of their implementation and promising projects in various regions of the country.
The exhibition devoted to solutions for aluminium bridge construction was visited earlier by Igor Levitin, Adviser to the Russian President; Roman Novikov, Head of the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor); Vyacheslav Petushenko, Chair of the Russian Highways State Corporation; Ivan Pivkin, Minister of Transport and Roads of the Samara Region; Rodion Dudnik, Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of the Tula Region; Alexander Gerasimenko, Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of the Mari El Republic; Nikolay Tashlykov, Director of GU TULAUPRADOR (Moscow); Evgeniy Tashlykov, Head of Technical Committe TC 418 Road Facilities; Nikolay Bystrov, Head of Working Group Bridges and Water Pipelines DC 11; Nikolay Ilyushin, Head of Technical Committe TC 465 Construction; as well as other representatives of federal and regional authorities and branch experts.
The Aluminium Association’s bridge-building projects presented at the exhibition and forum received positive feedback from heads of the federal and regional ministries and agencies, as well as representatives of the expert community.
‘We are taking part in the Road 2022 Exhibition and Forum for the first time and are proud to present unique and innovative world-class designs, the production of which has been mastered by Russian companies,’ commented Irina Kazovskaya, Co-Chair of the Aluminium Association.
FOR REFERENCE
The Road Exhibition and Forum is the largest industry discussion platform in our country, bringing together respected international experts and key representatives of Russia’s road transport complex from the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Rosavtodor, the Main Directorate for Road Traffic Safety of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and executive authorities of the Russian regions. The guests and participants in the event included producers of materials and road construction equipment, representatives of science and business. The exposition part of the forum presented cutting-edge road construction equipment and road service and street lighting facilities. The business programme of the exhibition and forum includes plenary sessions, thematic conferences, workshops and presentations by major industry companies. Among the key topics of the business programme of the Road 2022 Exhibition and Forum were: functioning of the road industry under sanctions; development of the backbone network of highways of the Russian Federation; implementation of the national project Safe Quality Roads; Moscow–Kazan–Yekaterinburg as a strategically important transport route; development of human resources in the road sector, transport education; auto tourism and road services.
ABOUT THE ALUMINIUM ASSOCIATION
Established in 2015 with the participation of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and UC RUSAL, the Association of Aluminium Producers, Suppliers and Consumers (the Aluminium Association) brings together companies that produce aluminium and aluminium-based products. The Association’s activities are aimed at creating optimal conditions for the development of the aluminium industry and related branches. The Association supervises more than 30 large-scale projects aimed at expanding the consumption of aluminium in Russia, increasing the share of domestic aluminium products in the domestic market and increasing the export potential of Russian aluminium companies. Aluminium alloy bridges are one of the strategic projects of the Aluminium Association. Since 2017, 12 aluminium bridges have been built in Russia with the active participation of the Aluminium Association.