Tauern Tunnel coated with NP®-liquid glass technology
Innovative protective coating significantly reduces cleaning costs and enhances road safety
Hülzweiler/Austria. The old tube of the Tauern Tunnel has reopened following refurbishment!
To facilitate faster and more efficient cleaning and to protect against environmental influences, the tunnel walls in the southern tube have been treated with NP®-liquid glass technology across several thousand square metres. The northern tube is also set to be completed by the end of October by the company Nanopool from Salzburg.
Since 2007, ASFINAG GmbH has successfully used Nanopool’s “liquid glass” technology to reduce maintenance costs on tunnel walls. NP®-liquid glass has already been applied to epoxy coatings in the Tanzenberg and Massenberg tunnels near Bruck an der Mur and on the concrete inner linings of tunnels in Kirchdorf.
Application of NP®-liquid glass system on the Tauern Tunnel walls
The technology is applied to the tunnel walls using pressurised spray systems, forming an ultra-thin liquid glass film that lines even the smallest cracks, preventing dirt and water ingress. This drastically reduces dirt adhesion, significantly minimising the need for extensive cleaning processes.
This results in substantial cost savings for the operator while also making a sustainable contribution to road safety and environmental protection. Chemical cleaning agents are no longer required—only water is used, with the water pressure reduced from 130 to just 30 bar.
The cleaning interval has been reduced from twice a year to just once, meaning that traffic diversions due to cleaning operations are also halved, reducing the associated indirect costs significantly.
