High-strength steel fiber redefines pavement design at the Port of Santander

In port infrastructures, every component must meet the highest demands. The expansion of the crane tracks at Raos 3 Dock, in the Port of Santander, is a good example.

In this project, the need to withstand very high loads led to the adoption of an innovative technical solution: the use of concrete reinforced with high-strength steel fibers.

At Rimsa, we provide our metal fibers to improve the performance of the concrete, increasing its capacity to withstand stresses and extending its service life. An efficient and sustainable solution that helps ensure that this type of key infrastructure is ready for the future.

Project Technical Data Sheet

Location: Raos 3 Dock, Port of Santander, Spain.
Application: Concrete pavement for mobile port crane tracks.
Main loads: Gottwald mobile cranes and container storage.
RIMSA product: r-glued 60/0.75 HT (high-strength steel fiber).
HRF volume: Approx. 1,640 m³.

The challenge: withstanding extreme loads with maximum reliability

The main challenge of the project was to design a pavement slab capable of supporting the enormous dynamic and static loads from Gottwald mobile port cranes,among the most demanding on the market. The solution not only had to perform structurally from day one but also provide maximum durability and a long service life with minimal maintenance. All of this is key to ensuring the operability and profitability of infrastructure such as the port.

The solution: cutting-edge technology and technical robustness

The solution focused on optimizing reinforcement through the use of cutting-edge technology: concrete reinforced with the high-strength steel fiber r-glued 60/0.75 HT. With a tensile strength exceeding 2100 MPa, this fiber enables exceptional mechanical performance. Confidence in this high-performance solution was demonstrated with the supply of 49.2 tons of fiber,used to produce approximately 1,640 m³ of high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete.

Offering a solution of this caliber is no matter of luck. It is the result of the constant work of our R&D team and Rimsa’s in-house laboratory, where we analyze, model, and test the behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC).Thanks to this prior knowledge, we can confidently take on demanding projects such as the one at Raos Dock.

The robustness of our research is validated twice over: on the one hand, by the results obtained in real-world applications, and on the other, by recognition from the technical and scientific community. In fact, the outcomes of this work have been accepted for presentation at the Ibero-American Congress on Special Concretes (HACBAC2025), further strengthening the technical reliability behind every project we participate in.

The results: performance, efficiency, and sustainability

The implementation of the r-glued 60/0.75 HT fiber provided tangible and measurable benefits:

Superior structural performance: We achieved a pavement with exceptional ductility and energy absorption capacity, ensuring optimal behavior against cracking and the cyclic loads of cranes—both causes of fatigue-related defects.
Construction optimization: The higher efficiency of the HT fiber allowed us to optimize the slab design and reduce the amount of steel required. This results in concrete that is easier to pump and place, and a reduction in direct material costs.
Carbon footprint reduction: By reducing the amount of steel, a direct environmental benefit is achieved. Comparative studies show that solutions with high-strength fibers can reduce the CO₂ emissions associated with the slab by more than 30% in industrial pavement projects. This experience can become a strong step toward the decarbonization of port infrastructures.disminuir las emisiones de CO₂ asociadas a la losa en más de un 30% en proyectos de pavimentos industriales

The Raos 3 project is not just a paving job; it is a real-world demonstration that innovation in materials, backed by a solid R&D foundation, is the key to building the efficient and sustainable infrastructures that the future demands.