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Who we are

Anchored in Switzerland and internationally active, WALO is managed as a family business in the 4th and 5th generation. For over 100 years, WALO has focused on the combination of consistency and innovation.

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What we do

WALO is active as an innovative total solutions company in all markets of the construction industry. The family-owned company has established itself as a reliable partner in the construction industry and infrastructure projects in Switzerland and worldwide with its decades of experience and the permanent development of sustainable as well as economical solutions.

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Projects

We have successfully implemented many challenging projects. Therefore, we proudly let our references speak for our work.

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Products

Whether residential, industrial, healthcare, outdoor or for sports and leisure facilities - seamless floor coverings have to meet a wide variety of requirements on a permanent basis.

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Career

Good buildings and thus satisfied customers require precise construction work. All our employees, from unskilled workers to engineers, play a key role in ensuring that we achieve this goal time and time again.

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With our locations in three countries, we are successfully active for you worldwide.

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Kander Viaduct, Switzerland

Built in 1911, the Kander Viaduct is a landmark of the Lötschberg mountain ridge. After 60 years, the bridge needed a new protection system due to water damage. With an ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPC) variant, the engineering firm ensured the integrity of the bridge and saved time during construction.

Case Study Description

Built in 1911 in Frutigen on the mountain ridge of the Lötschberg, the Kander Viaduct is a landmark of the valley and the most photographed bridge of the region. This bridge of stone masonry with a total length of 899 ft (274 m) has been used as an important passenger and freight railway connection between northern and southern Europe for over 100 years.

As part of the regular building inspections, it was found that the polymer bitumen sealant (PBS) installed 60 years ago no longer protected the structure against ingress of water, which had started cause damage to the structure. To ensure the integrity of the bridge over the coming decades, a new protection-system was required. The engineering firm commissioned with this project offered an additional ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPC) variant that took into account the structural and waterproofing properties of this material as well as extensive time savings for the construction.

Special Features

As this project was the first of its kind for the client, the variants were extensively studied to compare their respective added value. In the end, they decided to use the UHPC variant due to its extensive time and life cycle cost reduction.
The extremely dense matrix of the UHPC ensures that the layer poured on the bridge at a thickness of only 1 inch (3 cm) is completely waterproof. The condition of the old concrete overlay was significantly worse than expected. However, thanks to the UHPC solution, and in particular by applying the entire horizontal area on a single day, work has been completed on time and budget. Through this one step installation process, joints in the area of the water drains could also be avoided.