Expo Ferroviaria. GCF’s advance solutions
Stand B70. Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie, experience that innovates
70 years of experience in the railway sector, in Italy and abroad. Hundreds of armouring, signalling and electrification sites. Men and means engaged in designing and performing renewal and restructuring activities, in building new railway or underground railway lines, in experimenting in the construction of more and more performing infrastructures.
Born from experience, “GCF’s catalogue” presents at Expo Ferroviaria, some of the most innovative solutions and projects for the railway sector.
Result of thousands of hours spent to develop efficient methods and techniques, to evaluate more effective operating procedures, to conceive new solutions, to design and manufacture innovative tools and projects, to ensure excellent performances.
Omnia cantilever, Rigid catenary, Dynamic Weighting System, electronic disc relay are only a few items, examples of solutions born and perfected on field, suggested by the practical experience guided by innovation skills, improved by the constant attention to efficiency and functionality results.
Omnia System cantilever: unique for all the lines
The recent installation of Omnia system cantilever on Venice-Mestre line
Starting from Omnia System Cantilever. The cross bar able to satisfy any type of need and use in the Electric Traction sector is now used all over the world.
Born from 40 years of practical experience on field concerning railway infrastructures and analysis of typical problems of traditional tubular horizontal cross arms, Omnia cross arm was designed and built as permanent and innovative solution destined to any type of airborne line of electric traction.
Today, Omnia cantilever - compliant with the requirements set forth by all main railway operators - is produced and installed on any type of catenary line: 3 kV d.c. traditional railways, HV/AC 25 kV a.c. railway lines, Urban Transport lines- trolley buses, underground railways, streetcars.
Made in aluminium alloy, it is practically indestructible. It consists of only 4 elements and is easy and quick to install, versatile, flexible and powerful, and is able to reduce the wear of contact wires by 70%. It is fully recyclable, meaning it boasts zero environmental impact.
Rigid catenary: more space, safer
Lavis underground station, along Trento-Malé line: one of the first applications of rigid catenary
The same interest has been raised by the rigid catenary, one of the most innovative systems that GCF designs and installs.
Many advantages offered in upgrading traditional lines and in building new tunnel sections. These advantages concern the safety and operating reliability level, greater energy transmitted to the trains, less overall sizes and reduced maintenance costs. In the tunnel sections of the historic lines, the less overall sizes of the piping represent the best quality of the electrification system with rigid catenary compared to the system with traditional catenary (with tensioned wires): the space saving allows adapting existing tunnels to the passage of trains with gabarit compliant with technical inter-operability specifications and attaining- in case of construction of new tunnels- remarkable savings on the cost of civil works that may represent characteristics of lower structural impact.
Another important advantage of the electrification system with rigid catenary consists in eliminating anchoring structures and adjusting the tensioning of essential piping, instead, in the traditional electrification system, that translates in lower overall sizes and easier maintenance.
Rigid but removable: the catenary for workshops
RFI’s railway workshop, in Mestre: excellent example of use of the removable rigid catenary
In its “removable” version, the rigid catenary obtained excellent results in setting up railway maintenance workshops. The Venice-Mestre workshop is a remarkable testimony.
In the 8,500 square-metre shed, each of the 4 tracks raised on posts, is surmounted for the entire length of 250 metres, by a rigid catenary supported by 24 movable arms; 12 motors managed by the Programmable Logic Controller, enable the deviation of the catenary, clearing the space above the train and enabling access to the roof.
Double advantage: trains can run through the storage shed autonomously without being pulled by other tractors and-after quickly removing the catenary- can undergo maintenance operations from the top through suitable service platforms.
Total dynamic innovation
The Dynamic Weighting System, weighting system of railway loads through optical sensors
Expo Ferroviaria will also present the Dynamic Weighting System, the innovative dynamic weighting system of railway loads based on a network of 10-12 optical sensors magnetically anchored to the track, which is less expensive and less invasive compared to traditional weighting systems and, above all, boasts unmatched precision and reliability.
Lastly, REDI, innovative Electronic Disc Relay that ensures safety in the operating logics of railway Signalling Systems (IS), mainly to establish the occupied/ clear status of CdB (Rail Circuits).