Rockin’ down the highway: Power Curber helps build Vietnam expressway

SOUTHEAST ASIA CONSTRUCTION23 May 2024

The North-South Expressway is Vietnam’s most important transportation corridor, with some sections still under construction.

A Power Curber 5700-D slipform machine is being used by road contractor Son Hai to slipform safety barrier walls, increasing the quality and speed of production for this major infrastructure project.

This is said to be the first time a slipform machine has poured a barrier wall in Vietnam. Previously, most barrier walls in the country were precast.

The Power Curber 5700-D has been working on several sections of the expressway, operating three shifts per day.

Vietnam road construction Power Curbers paving equipment slipform paver expressway slipforming

The North-South Expressway project is a critical thoroughfare in Vietnam that will link over 32 cities from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. It is the country’s most important transportation corridor, and road contractor Son Hai is responsible for paving the highway and slipforming safety barrier walls.

Son Hai recently slipformed a 55 km safety barrier wall for one of the sections of the expressway. The contractor deployed a new Power Curber 5700-D to carry out the job. This is said to be the first time a slipform machine has poured a barrier wall in Vietnam.

Previously, most barrier walls in Vietnam were precast. With the 5700-D machine, Son Hai has poured 500 m daily with three rotating shifts of 12-person crews. The slipforming method has increased the quality and speed of production for Son Hai.

During a jobsite visit from Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam, Son Hai introduced the Power Curber 5700-D. The contractor also requested that the Road Construction Ministry and Prime Minister allow all highway barrier walls to be poured by machine rather than by hand.

The Nha Trang – Cam Lam section, where the Power Curber 5700-D worked, was completed in mid-2023, approximately three months ahead of schedule. Since then, the 5700-D has been moved to other sections of the expressway and continues to operate three shifts per day.

Son Hai’s first Power Curber was an 8700, a model that was manufactured over 20 years ago. This multipurpose slipform machine was designed for use with three or four tracks. It was deployed for various offset and paving applications, similar to the Power Curber 7700 currently in production. Son Hai’s 8700 still operates daily, and Power Curbers still provides product support and parts for the machine.

Note: This story has also been published in the May/June 2024 issue of SEAC. Click here to read online or here to download the PDF file (pages 56-58). Below is a video from the Power Curbers representative in Vietnam showing the 5700-D slipform machine on the Nha Trang – Cam Lam section of the expressway.