With the RPP 4000 Plus, STRABAG goes for ‘green technology’ from Benninghoven
The system’s considered especially ‘clean’ – and rightly so. With its integrated hot-gas generator, the RPP 4000 Plus offers excellent efficiency, low environmental impact, superb productivity and high rates of recycling. Starting in May 2022, a new plant of this type entered production in Vinařice, customized individually to the needs of customer BOHEMIA ASFALT, a subsidiary of STRABAG AG. By investing in this advanced technology, the company is looking to establish and expand its pioneering role in the Czech market.
Located in Kladno District, Vinařice is situated about 25 km from Prague. STRABAG already operates a Benninghoven plant here, in a quarry on the outskirts of the town. The location is ideal: not far from the capital, with good transport links to two nearby highways and even Prague Airport is within easy reach. This is why the idea was always to have the new RPP 4000 Plus replace the old plant in exactly the same location.
While Czech Republic has yet to pass actual laws on recycling, high rates of asphalt recycling plus low emissions are definitely a point of focus for the future here. With its decision to invest in one of the most innovative plants now available on the market, STRABAG has secured itself a pioneering role in the country. After less than a year of construction time, operations have started at this ultramodern mixing plant in Vinařice, which offers environmentally friendly technology while meeting the need for greater efficiency and additional capacity – and all perfectly adapted to local conditions. Developed in continuous consultation with the customer, the plant meets their specific requirements in terms of both technical and structural planning.
STRABAG – one of Europe’s largest construction companies
The Group is home to both domestic firms and foreign companies like BOHEMIA ASFALT. The STRABAG and Benninghoven success story began over 50 years ago, and has been nurtured since by close cooperation and strong teamwork. Proof of this can be seen in the many Benninghoven plants that STRABAG operates throughout Europe. And the new RPP 4000 Plus with hot-gas generator in Czech Republic now takes STRABAG into the ‘champions league’.
STRABAG has chosen a modern, high-performance plant with the RPP 4000 Plus. Recycling Priority Plants (RPP) include plants that feature integrated hot-gas generator systems. This leading type of recycling technology means fresh asphaltic mixture can be produced with the addition of up to 100 percent of recyclable asphalt – the highest rate achieved for any recycling system now on the market. Low emissions also help to ensure an effective contribution to greater energy efficiency and a smaller environmental footprint. In Vinařice, STRABAG is aiming for optimum recycling rates, so as to maximize capacity utilization at this large plant. Conditions are ideal for achieving this goal: with Prague and good transport links nearby, plant operators can rely on large inputs of reclaimed asphalt. Deliveries to all sizes of construction site are made by customers or the company’s own laying fleet – and with many asphalt recipes.
Comprehensive customer support was offered from the outset, with the new plant being tailored to the customer’s specific needs and requirements during the quotation and planning phases. Operating efficiency – which influenced the choice of a 5 t mixer, for example – as well as environmental aspects and the local circumstances on site were all taken into account in the plant specifications. This is where the modular, extensible design offers the greatest possible flexibility with short planning times. From the start of installation work, it took just 10 months for the plant to complete commissioning in May 2022. This record-breaking construction project finished before the agreed end date, even despite lockdowns and other Covid restrictions. This string of successes was also made possible by Benninghoven’s modular design and quality philosophy: a strategic approach is taken to ensuring that missteps made in the past are not repeated. “We’re never satisfied with the status quo – we’re always looking to achieve continuous improvements,” explains Steven Mac Nelly, Head of Design & Development at Benninghoven. An approach that has also benefited STRABAG.
Big plant – small space: this was the first challenge facing the Benninghoven team when planning the plant. As with its predecessor, the new RPP 4000 Plus was to be located in the quarry near to the town. The team needed some creative solutions to meet all of the customer’s requirements despite the cramped topographical conditions. Working together with STRABAG, they came up with a coherent strategy that maximized the space available while avoiding the need to make trade-offs in plant performance. Everything was looked at in great detail to ensure cost-effective operations – from the clever approach to site traffic management (to handle the large volume of trucks, wheel loaders, and customer vehicles) to constructing the plant as a multi-level solution.
“We’re never satisfied with the status quo – We’re always looking to achieve continuous improvements.”
Steven Mac Nelly, Head of Design & Development at Benninghoven.
More space with multiple levels
Looking into the future: a dedicated 3D planning tool offered customers and delivery firms a ‘sneak preview’ of the new plant. Considering the challenges posed by the various levels, this offered a ideal strategy for ensuring the continued effectiveness of coordination work between STRABAG and Benninghoven.
This was the very first installation of an RPP 4000 Plus with hot-gas generator technology in Czech Republic. With the Benninghoven hot-gas generator, operators can produce asphalt from 100 percent recycled material while ensuring compliance with tough emissions standards.
Feature at a glance
All negotiations needed in the quotation and order completion phases were conducted via Teams – also due to lockdowns. Thanks to Benninghoven’s longtime partnership with STRABAG, this digital dialog works very well, even despite the complexity of the planning work, and is an option that will be used again in the future, alongside face-to-face meetings.
