Construction of race tracks

The Formula 1 race course located on the 162-hectare peninsula of Yas-Island which was, to some extent, artificially heaped up is 5.554 kilometres long. It has nine right-hand and eleven left-hand bends and is driven on in counterclockwise direction. Top speeds about 320 km/h can be achieved on the long straight. This race course has been designed for an average speed of 198 km/h. The race course can be divided into two separate, independent routes of 3.15 and 2.36 km for other motorsport events.

Apart from the construction of the actual race track, the job order entrusted to Bickhardt Bau also comprised the construction of all access and emergency roads, areas where the vehicles can coast to a stop as well as parking and stopping areas.

Asphalt work:

approximately 1,000,000 tonnes of crushed stone base layers
750,000 m² of surface paved with asphalt
approximately 210,000 tonnes of race course asphalt covering layer were installed using the hot-to-hot paving method

With the construction of Hockenheimring, the mid-sized company from Kirchheim entered the field of race track construction for the pinnacle of motorsport. The specialists in the field of traffic route engineering were given 190 days to modify the old circuit into a modern Formula 1 race course. 120 employees, including their machines, were on permanent duty to move 500,000 cubic metres of soil and to install 40 kilometres of cable routes and supply lines.

The circuit which was shortened to 4.5 kilometres was reconstructed by means of 100,000 tonnes of asphalt. Apart from an excellent grip, it was necessary to meet the extreme demands placed on the evenness of the race track. The maximum tolerance limit was one millimetre, measured over a reference length of four metres.

Earthworks:

500,000 m³ of soil movements

Superstructure:

210,000 m² of asphalt work

The good international reputation of the Bickhardt Bau AG's specialists in the field of race track construction has already become known in Southeast Asia: First place of action after the construction of the Formula 1 race course in Abu Dhabi was a private race course close to the South Korean Capital City of Seoul. Within a period of three weeks, the team renovated the 3.3 km-long circuit according to the high requirements of motorsports.

In the past, top speeds proved to be problematic, since the surface coating did not have the required grip. For this reason, 40,000 square metres of asphalt surface needed to be milled off first. This work step required maximum precision. However, the same applied to the subsequent installation of asphalt. The 2.5-cm thick binder layer only allowed to smooth out extremely slight unevennesses (the tolerance range regarding the milled surfaces was below 5 millimetres), before the 4-cm thick covering layer was installed by three manufacturing workers who operated their vehicles in offset manner. The so-called hot-to-hot paving method was applied.

Asphalt work:

41,000 m² of covering layer were milled off
41,700 m² of binder
41,700 m² of race course covering layer

As internationally recognised specialist in the field of race track surfaces, the Bickhardt race track experts performed the asphalt work for the first Formula 1 race course of India, close to the City of Noida which is located about 40 km to the south-east of the Capital City of New Delhi. The 5141-metre long circuit includes 16 curves and a 693-metre long back straight which allows top speeds of 320 kilometres per hour.

A special highlight in the course of the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) are height differences of up to 14 metres which were created artificially and which turn the originally flat landscape into a hilly terrain which, above all, is intended to provide interesting points of view for the spectators. The race track experts from Kirchheim installed the complete binder and covering layer on a surface area of approximately 75,000 square metres in two work steps. The first Formula 1 race in the history of the subcontinent was started on 30 October 2011.

Asphalt work:

71.000 m² of binder
71.000 m² of covering layer