Ecuador: Vibration protection for UNESCO World Heritage Site

In mid-October 2015, Getzner installed a high performance vibration protection solution for the Ecuadorean city of Cuenca's tramway line in order to protect the South American city's historical buildings from vibrations. Cuenca lies south of Quito and is Ecuador's third largest city. The old town of Cuenca has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999: the buildings - the majority of which were built in the 19th century - are extremely sensitive to vibrations.

Mass-spring system for the highest levels of effectiveness
The mass-spring system installed is designed to meet the most stringent technical requirements. It isolates oscillations and vibrations at source, which not only protects the buildings of the old town, but also improves the quality of living and working conditions for residents in the vicinity. Getzner is also providing comprehensive technical support for the project, including installation supervision. “This highly effective solution offers long-term vibration protection for the historical buildings. Thanks to the excellent collaboration with the authorities in Cuenca and French construction firm CIM-TSO, we can incorporate the solution quickly and easily,” says Victor Rodríguez, Getzner Project Manager in Cuenca. He adds: “Until the end of 2016, we will be installing approx. 10,000 square metres of our mass-spring system (stretching over a track distance of four kilometres) as well as 11,600 rail pads.”