Yerköy-Kayseri high-speed rail line: 28 units from Bauer for a strong foundation

• 142 km of new high-speed rail between the Turkish cities of Yerköy and Kayseri
• Deployment of a total of 28 Bauer units, including drilling rigs, pile drivers as well as mixing plants
• Kelly drilling for piles, single-column mixing for ground improvement

Yerköy/Kayseri, Türkiye– Türkiyeis making major investments in the expansion of its railway network. In Central Anatolia, a new two-rail high-speed line is currently under construction between the cities of Yerköy and Kayseri, 142 km long and designed for speeds of up to 250 km/h. The impact will be profound: Travel time between the two cities will drop from three and a half hours to less than one, and passengers from Ankara can even reach Kayseri in just around two hours instead of seven hours in the past. 15 tunnels, 118 underpasses and 18 bridges will be constructed along this line in addition to two stations. Groundbreaking took place in July 2022. After completion and commissioning, the line is expected to transport up to 11 million passengers each year and approximately 650,000 tons of freight – dramatically reducing travel times, improving regional accessibility, and generating new momentum for economic development.

28 Bauer machines and mixing plants

A joint venture comprising the companies Doğuş, Çelikler and Özkar was awarded the contract to execute the specialist foundation engineering works for the entire line. A fleet of 28 machines from BAUER Maschinen GmbH is used for pile installation and ground improvement measures: BG 33, BG 36, and BG 45 drilling rigs, RG 22 S and RG 27 S pile drivers, and CMS 30 mixing plants from BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. “Doğuş has been a loyal Bauer customer for more than 20 years,” reports Sales Manager Wolfgang Ziegltrum from BAUER Maschinen GmbH. “That’s why we are thrilled to contribute to such an important infrastructure project with our equipment, and at the same time further strengthen a long-established business relationship.”

Two methods

The drilling rigs are installing piles down to a depth of 30 m using the Kelly drilling method. These piles provide ground improvement for the rail line and serve as foundation elements for bridges and viaducts. In parallel, the single column mixing (SCM) method is used to improve the soil: A mixing tool blends the in-situ ground with a binding agent injected during penetration. One notable aspect of this project is that the SCM columns are being installed up to a depth of 31.5 m.

Fast delivery and comprehensive support

A decisive factor was the swift availability of the equipment: Within just a few months after receiving the order, the machines were manufactured at Bauer’s Aresing plant and delivered, some even ahead of the contractual deadline. On site, a Bauer specialist, together with service and sales partner Karun Makina in Ankara provided detailed, unit-specific and method-specific commissioning and training – Bauer and Karun enjoy a partnership of more than 30 years. An experienced Method Development engineer from Bauer in Schrobenhausen is also supporting the project. In addition, a dedicated Karun service technician will remain on site for the next three years.