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Contribute to the development of public transport
Urban growth, automobile saturation and the pursuit of efficient traffic flows that respect both the environment and cityzens are reshaping modes of transportation and traffic plans at the very heart of cities.
The installation of tramway lines creates unprecedented, sometimes invasive, situations; so, endowing these infrastructures with a proven esthetic dimension can facilitate their integration and appropriation by city dwellers.
Cast iron, an exceptional material, resolutely serves this purpose and accompanies the renewal of the tramway.
Equipment: L.A.C. support mast
Location: Lyon
Year: 2011
A few references
Streetcar Dijon
Doubs - Dijon
Transport and mobility
Florence streetcar
Italy - Florence
Transport and mobility
Streetcar Saint Etienne
Loire - Saint-Etienne
Transport and mobility
Marseille Tram
Bouches-du-Rhône - Marseille
Transport and mobility
Luxembourg Tram
Luxembourg - Luxembourg
Transport and mobility
Avignon streetcar
Vaucluse - Avignon
Transport and mobility
Benefits
Plasticity and elegance
Cast iron is infinitely shapable and can be molded any way to give life and volume to ideas
This property has attracted renowned designers, who have taken advantage of its plasticity to break away from conventional shapes.
Designers can invent new shapes and patterns, and give free rein to their inspiration.
Resistance and durability
With the same cross-sectional area, the spheroidal graphite cast iron used by GHM gives cast-iron substrates greater mechanical strength than conventional steel substrates.
The masts GHM therefore, the GHM masts can support the maximum column head forces and deflections required by the establishment
Cast iron is also characterized by its high durability and impact resistance, making it the ideal material for the manufacture of equipment that is exposed to the long-term stresses of urban life.
Finally, the mats are pre-treated with zinc metallization before painting, providing good corrosion resistance.
Variety of shapes and aesthetics
This ability enables a medium with a basic function to take on an aesthetic significance or a role as a vector of identification; for example, city coats-of-arms can be integrated right into the foundry.
This decorative dimension encourages the acceptance of equipment that becomes both urban and useful.
Sobriety and elegance
The fusion manufacturing process elegantly accommodates line-supporting accessories (rack-mounted brackets, support wires, etc.) and discreetly integrates doors, access hatches and lighting extensions, without disturbing the eye of passer-by.
Another example is the tensioning weights incorporated inside the tensioning masts.
The brackets are also designed to harmonize with the overall style of the line and reinforce the overall coherence.
In short, while offering a wide range of functions, the GHM masts maintain a sober, coherent and elegant appearance.
Limited footprint and visual intrusion
Furthermore, the use of cast-iron allows the thickness of the supports to be modulated, thus reducing their diameter, bringing a clear reduction of the footprint and visual pollution generated by the installation.
The footing, cast from the same block (and therefore seamless), disappears into the line's foundations, further lightening the line's overall appearance.
Resources and skills
Design and development
The strength and reliability of our GHM solutions are primarily due to the choice of material (spheroidal cast iron).
They also come from the quality of our design office (finite element strength calculations) and our testing facilities (test bench operating to standard NFE 60652).
From plan to product
On a single site employing nearly 400 people, GHM has all the industrial resources and skills needed to manufacture the equipment.
A hand-molding foundry and two semi-mechanized worksites are used to cast the cast iron or aluminum parts for the project.
In its workshops, GHM is capable of molding parts up to 12 meters long in one go.
Boilermaking, machining, finishing (powder or liquid paint line) and assembly complete the range of resources deployed from raw material to finished product, complete with accessories (consoles, lighting extensions) ready for installation.
The experience
This work is based on long-standing experience in metalworking; the company its dated back to 1837, and since then it has been supplying equipment for public spaces.
This history has equipped the company with the resources and skills needed to meet all the challenges posed by the requirements of prime contractors and tramway operators.
If you wish, you can download our brochure dedicated to L.A.C. support.
