Tailwind for Bernmobil: compressed air by the kilometre
Bernmobil shines, with its punctuality, reliability and safety. The maintenance of the vehicle fleet plays a key role in this. With a comprehensive refurbishment of the compressed air system, the company has brought its workshops in line with the state of the art. And all this without interrupting operations.
In the Bernmobil tram and bus workshops at the main Eigerplatz depot in Bern, the trams and buses are regularly cleaned, serviced and brought up to speed for daily use. This requires an enormous amount of compressed air, mainly for the operation of the «Sponge-Jet» high-pressure cleaning systems and the trickle charging of the bus fleet.
A compelling need for modernisation
After the legacy compressed air system of the tram and bus workshops had become outdated, it was inevitable that it would have to be comprehensively refurbished. Michael Tièche, Head of Facility Management: «Ad hoc adaptations over the past few decades meant that the network of pipes had become a little out of control. The comprehensive renewal of the compressed air supply system offered us the chance to clean up the mess and implement a neat solution.»
Replacement of all building services systems during ongoing operations
The main challenge in planning the new compressed air supply system was that the replacement of the complex system had to be carried out during ongoing operations. This demanded a strong willingness to cooperate from all those involved and also placed special demands on the pipeline system. At an early stage of the project, Bachofen suggested using the Transair pipe system, which, thanks to the pipes and connectors being supplied ready-to-fit, is quick and easy to install.
Amstein + Walthert, the consulting and engineering firm commissioned with the project planning for the entire renovation of the construction and building services, developed Bachofen’s recommendation. Project Manager Thomas Gerber: «From our point of view, the main criteria that spoke in favour of Transair were the light weight of the components and simple assembly. For Bernmobil, the Transair system has the advantage that it can be expanded and adapted at any time by in-house staff without the need for external fitters.»
Ring line with a record-breaking length of 1.5 kilometres
To ensure the availability of compressed air without any interruptions, the old compressed air supply system remained in operation until the new system was completed. The main pipelines were laid in a ring around the entire area, in two pressure stages, with a total length of 1.5 kilometres. After that, the supply lines to the various extraction points were installed. Only when the new system was ready for operation was the old system switched off and dismantled.
A flexible solution with a flexible partner
Bachofen’s technical competence and good advice went down well with the clients. Since the construction work had already begun when the system was evaluated, the ability to deliver at short notice also had to be guaranteed – no mean feat with quantities of this magnitude. Michael Tièche: «Bachofen was fully committed to ensuring that the installations were completed on time.»