Dextra Group | Reliable Connections

Grand Paris Express – Line 15

Grand Paris Express – Line 15

The Grand Paris Express is currently the largest transport project in development in Europe.

The new 200km, 68-station automated railway network consists of a ring route around Paris (line 15) and three additional lines (16, 17 and 18) connecting adjacent neighborhoods.

These 4 new lines will circle the capital and link to 3 airports and many business districts. It will transport 2 million commuters a day. The lines are planned to open in stages, with the full completion of the project scheduled for 2030.

The construction of line 15 started in 2015, with its first section between Pont de Sèvres Métro station and Noisy – Champs RER A station.

Dextra was involved at that stage by providing 100,000 Fortec rebar couplers to connect the columns of the stations’ structure.

Additionally, Dextra supplied 15,000 meters of Sonitec sonic tubes to facilitate the structural integrity testing using the CSL (Cross Sonic Logging) method, thus ensuring the homogeneity of concrete within the deep piles and diaphragm walls that are being constructed for the future underground stations.

The first section of line 15 is scheduled to open in 2020.

Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) – Phase 2

Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) – Phase 2

The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) is a used water infrastructure project being developed by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore to meet the country’s long-term clean water needs.

DTSS deploys deep tunnels to convey used water to 3 centralised water reclamation plants (WRP) located in the coastal areas.

The used water is then treated and further purified into clean water to be supplied under the brand name NEWater, with excess treated effluent discharged to the sea through outfall pipes.

The project involves the construction of two large tunnels, 6.5m in diameter and with a total length of 80km, located about 50m below the surface, to carry sewage to 3 centralised WRPs.

The project is developed in two phases. The first phase was completed in 2008 and comprises a 48km-long underground tunnel system to channel the flow of water from existing gravity sewers to the Changi WRP in the east and Kranji WRP in the north.

The second phase will extend the tunnel system to the west through a 30km-long south tunnel, 60km of link sewers, the Tuas WRP and a 12-km deep-sea outfall.

For the second phase, Dextra supplied 1,210 rock bolts for stabilising the tunnel excavations and 8 GFRP Soft-Eyes for TBM breakthrough.

Soft Eye & Rock Bolt

On completion of phase 2, anticipated to be in 2022, the NEWater factory at the Tuas WRP will contribute to 55% of the total water demand of Singapore.

In addition, the Tuas WRP will treat 800,000 cubic meters of used water per day, making it the largest membrane bioreactor facility in the world.

Tel Aviv Red Line, the first Light Rail system in the city

Tel Aviv Red Line, the first Light Rail system in the city

The Red Line is the first section of the new Light Rail system currently in development in Tel Aviv, Israel. The line will run from Bat Yam in the southwest to Petah Tikva in the northeast.

The total projected length of the line is 24km, comprising 34 stations, 10 of which are underground, including an interchange with Israel Railways services.

For this project, Dextra is currently supplying products for the construction of six of the underground stations including Bialik, Abba Hillel, Arlozorov, Shaul HaMelech, Yehudit and Allenby.

More than 200,000 Bartec rebar couplers were supplied for diaphragm walls and for the construction of the station boxes.

Dextra also provided 50,000m of Sonitec ST50 to facilitate the testing of the structural integrity of foundation piles using the CSL (Crosshole Sonic Logging) method.
Sonitec is an easy-to-assemble and time-saving sonic tube solution, preferred among piling and general contractors worldwide for more than 20 years.

The line is currently scheduled for completion in October 2021, making it the second underground service operating in Israel.

Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) MRT Line

Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) MRT Line

The Malaysian SSP Line is the second line of Klang Valley’s MRT System. The main purpose of this project is to provide a better railway infrastructure and transport system in order to serve Malaysia’s growing population.

Commuting through the heart of the Capital

The Malaysian SSP Line will connect Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya, running through the center of Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs. With its 35 stations, among which 11 will be providing connections to other lines, the SSP Line will allow commuters to transfer with ease to and from existing and planned rail lines.
The rail transit system involves the construction of more than 52 km: 13.5km of underground line and a 38.7km of elevated rail. Once operational, it is expected to have a ridership of 529,000 passengers per day.

Rebar couplers for D-wall and slab

For this large metro project, the contractor joint venture MMC-Gamuda has chosen Dextra’s popular rebar reinforcement solution Bartec, supported by 3 sets of bar-end high-productivity equipment. Approximatively 200,000 pieces have been delivered as of April 2018.
Dextra Bartec have been used for productivity reasons. Couplers were embedded in the diaphragm walls surrounding the underground stations, providing horizontal connection points at a later stage of the project. After excavation, couplers are used to connect bars and start the station’s slabs.

For more information about our solutions in Malaysia, please contact Dextra’s Kuala Lumpur office.

Ahmedabad Gandhinagar metro line India – Phase I

Ahmedabad Gandhinagar metro line India – Phase I

The Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro Rail Project is a new mass-transit rapid transit system in Gujarat, West India. The project is being implemented by Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) and aims to meet the city’s growing population while providing commuters with a better transport system.
The total length of the metro’s first phase is 39.3km, with 33.3km of elevated section and 6 kilometers underground. The metro will connect suburbs in Ahmedabad along east-west and north-south axis, and the route will also be extended to Gandhinagar in Phase-2.
The construction of the first phase, comprising 32 stations connecting the four corners of the city, has been in progress since 2015. Being expected to operate in 2020, the first trial run of the metro line is scheduled for January 2019.

Steel sonic logging tubes for concrete integrity tests

For the first phase of the Ahmedabad metro, Dextra was involved in supplying its CSL solution Sonitec for the 6-kilometer long viaduct. Sonitec is Dextra’s sonic logging tube system for Cross-hole sonic logging tests. CSL method allows the contractors to verify the concrete integrity in D-walls, bored piles, drilled shafts, barrettes or in concrete piles. Sonitec helps facilitate the assembly and installation of long tubes in reinforcing cages by its Instant Connection characteristic. Thanks to its large bell-mouth, the tubes can be easily connected seamlessly.

Bangkok MRT Pink Line & Yellow Line

Bangkok MRT Pink Line & Yellow Line

The MRT Pink Line & Yellow Line are elevated mass rapid transit line being built and operated by the BSR joint venture (BTS Group Holdings, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction STEC, and Ratch Group RATCH) in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Nonthaburi Provinces, Thailand.

The MRT Pink Line monorail will be 34.5 kilometers long and have 30 stations. It will connect the northern districts of Bangkok and Nonthaburi with 5 mass transit lines that run along a key east-west transportation route.

The 30.4-kilometer Yellow Line will have 23 stations and will connect 6 other mass transit lines. It will provide mass transit along the heavily congested Lat Phrao road and Srinagarindra road corridors.

Dextra was involved in these 2 MRT line extension projects by providing Bartec splicing systems. More than 440,000 pieces of the couplers, size 16-32mm, were installed inside connecting slabs to connect guideway beams.

In addition, the contractor chose Dextra’s Headed Bars as an alternative to rebar hooks to avoid steel congestion in severely reinforced areas such as beam-column connections. Around 530,000 small headed bars were supplied to the construction sites.

The MRT Pink Line is expected to be operational by June 2022, with the Yellow Line following a year later.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), India

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), India

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is a gigantic infrastructure project by Indian Railways in the Himalayan Mountains, designed to provide rail connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir valleys. This project aims to enable access to the rail network from all parts of the country and connect faraway areas with the rest of India, in response to Prime Minister’s vision of a New India by 2022.

The project is divided into three sections – the 25 km Udhampur-Katra, the 129 km Katra-Qazigund and the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla tracks. Parts of the lines have already been completed and made operational.

For this massive project, Dextra supplied 3,000 sets of Self-Drilling Rock Bolts to stabilize loose rock mass after excavation.
The Self-Drilling Rock Bolt is a bolting solution for unstable ground conditions and fractured rock formations. The loosening of the rock strata is prevented by drilling a hole in the rock, placing standard sacrificial drill bit and a hollow bar (made of steel or FRP): cementitious grout is then injected into the hollow bar.

As the mega infrastructure project nears completion, the USBRL will link Jammu with Kashmir, opening up a new page for the Indian transportation system.

Anderson Road Quarry

Anderson Road Quarry – Underpass

The Anderson Road Underpass is part of a larger land rehabilitation project taking place at the Anderson Road Quarry. The vast land of the quarry, located North East of Kowloon, will ultimately be used to house as many as 25,000 people over a 12 hectare area.

New age of the Quarry

After more than 60 years of supplying aggregate, asphalt, stone and concrete to infrastructure projects, the vast land of the quarry will be transformed in Hong Kong’s newest residential and commercial area. The ARQ will be capable to accommodate 25,000 people over a 12 hectare area.

Dextra’s steel rock bolts for ground engineering and tunneling

The Anderson Road Underpass is a tunnel project lead by the joint venture of contractors Chun Wo, STEC and Vasteam JV, supervised by consulting firm Aurecon.
For this project, Dextra supplied to subcontractor Shun Yue Engineering Company Ltd. steel rock bolts used for the tunnel roof support. More than 1,500 steel rock dowels, along with 100nos lattice girders and 500 umbrella piles were successfully installed on this project.

Dextra was chosen for this project for its extensive ground engineering and tunneling experience in Hong Kong, having supplied numerous large road and metro tunnel projects in Hong Kong over the past 20 years.
For more information about our ground engineering solutions in Hong Kong and Macau, please contact our Hong Kong office.

MRT Orange Line (Thailand Cultural Centre – Min Buri)

MRT Orange Line (Thailand Cultural Centre – Min Buri)

Bangkok’s MRT Orange Line is one of the planned rapid transit lines of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). The main purpose of this 39.5-kilometer railway line is to improve the connection between western, central and eastern parts of Bangkok, and consequently ease the Thai capital’s traffic congestion. This project is also part of Thailand’s plan to stimulate the national economy and improve the infrastructure.
The MRT Orange Line is separated into two sections: from Bang Khun Non to Thailand Cultural Centre, and from Thailand Cultural Centre to Min Buri – comprising 22 underground stations and 7 elevated stations.

Dextra GFRP Soft-Eyes for tunnel construction

For the Thailand Cultural Centre – Min Buri section, the contractor Joint-Venture of Italian-Thai Development and CKST opted for more than 40 units of Dextra’s turnkey solution for tunneling FRP Soft-Eye.
Being well-known for its unique cut-ability technology, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Soft-eyes facilitates break-ins and break-outs of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). This is in fact the best alternative to conventional steel reinforcement – which would require mobilization of additional manpower and equipment.

Dextra Sonitec for Crosshole Sonic Logging (CSL) tests

In order to verify the integrity of concrete in deep foundations, Italian-Thai Development, CKST JV and Unique Engineering have also chosen Dextra’s cross-hole sonic logging tubes – Sonitec. These CSL tubes are available in several diameters, and have been specifically designed for easy and fast handling to accelerate construction speed. Over 30,000 tubes have been delivered to the project as of March 2022.

Complete rebar splicing solutions applied for the metro’s D-walls

To optimize the reinforcement of the Diaphragm Walls (D-Walls), Bartec, one of Dextra’s mechanical rebar splicing systems, was installed. Thanks to its easy-to-install characteristic, Bartec helps accelerate the projects schedule and reduce inventory as the standard coupler can also be used for Position splices. More than a million of Bartec couplers have been delivered to the site.

Moreover, around 7,000 headed bars were applied at the end of the reinforcement bar as an alternative to hooks in congested areas of the structure.

For more information about our solutions available in Thailand, please contact our Bangkok office.

High Speed 2 (HS2), United Kingdom

High Speed 2 (HS2), United Kingdom

The UK’s ambitious High Speed 2 (HS2) project, encompassing 140 miles of track, four state-of-the-art stations, two depots, 32 miles of tunnel, and 130 bridges, is set to redefine sustainable travel and foster economic regeneration for generations to come. Dextra is proud to play a vital role in this transformative endeavor by supplying Griptec couplers to various HS2 sites, ensuring the structural integrity and resilience of this extensive rail infrastructure.

Picture: Victoria Road Crossover Box Site

Our Griptec couplers, known for their high-performance rebar connections, have been deployed across numerous key sites, including the Long Itchington Wood Tunnel, Old Oak Common Station, Victoria Road Crossover Box, Colne Valley Viaduct, Chiltern Tunnel and Ventilation Shafts, Thame Valley Viaduct, Curzon Street Viaducts, Edgcote Viaduct,  Canterbury Road Works Headhouse and Ventilation Shaft, and many more. The couplers have been integral in connecting rebars for primary collars, piers, base slabs, crown beams, buttresses, and deck segments, ensuring robust and reliable structural connections.

Picture: Chiltern Tunnel and Ventilation Shafts Site

Spotlight on Long Itchington Wood Tunnel: A Legacy of Environmental Responsibility

One of the largest construction sites for HS2 is at Long Itchington Wood, where a 1-mile twin bore tunnel is being built. The tunnel serves a critical purpose: preserving the ancient woodland of Long Itchington by diverting the railway underground. To facilitate the launch of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), a massive excavation at the north portal site was necessary. This involved the removal of approximately 250,000 cubic meters of material, which was then repurposed to form environmental embankments along the mainline.

Dextra supplied nearly 20,000 Griptec standard and position couplers in diameters ranging from 12mm to 40mm for the tunnel construction. These couplers were used in the diaphragm walls, pile caps, and portals, ensuring the durability of connections in the deep and challenging excavation environment. The Griptec system, comprising one male and one female sleeve extruded onto the rebar, facilitated efficient and secure rebar connections that are essential for large-scale projects like HS2.

The Griptec female sleeves were initially installed at the top of the diaphragm wall. Position assembly—a technique that accommodates non-rotatable rebars—was employed to connect the female sleeves to male sleeves on L-shaped bars within the roof slab. This reinforcement approach was extended to pile caps and later stages of construction, where the couplers reinforced the crown beam by connecting with bent bars through lap length.

Picture: Long Itchington Wood Tunnel Site

Empowering Infrastructure with Technological Innovation

As HS2 progresses, Dextra’s Griptec couplers continue to enable rapid and reliable rebar connections, supporting the project’s commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability. By contributing advanced construction solutions, we are proud to be part of HS2’s legacy of environmentally responsible travel, economic regeneration, and technological innovation. Our role in HS2 reflects Dextra’s dedication to advancing infrastructure through high-performance products that meet the needs of complex and large-scale projects.

The High Speed 2 project is poised to transform the UK’s transportation landscape, and with Dextra’s Griptec couplers in place, the rail network is set to endure and thrive for generations to come.