ALBA Synchrotron
Barcelona, Spain · 2015
About 40 floating slabs for a particle accelerator
Concrete floating slabs on Silentflex spring isolators for the ALBA Synchrotron, where experiments need floors that the building's vibration cannot reach.
- ≈ 40
- concrete floating slabs
- 2.5–4.5 Hz
- isolator natural frequency
- 700 kg
- maximum working load per isolator
1The challenge
Experiments that feel every footstep
A synchrotron accelerates electrons to produce light for experiments that measure matter at the atomic scale. The instruments that use that light are extremely sensitive: vibration from pumps, traffic or people walking blurs the results.
2The solution
Concrete slabs that float on springs
Silentflex built about 40 concrete floating slabs. Each slab rests on spring isolators set in quick-access metal containers cast into the concrete, at a natural frequency of 3.5 to 4.5 Hz (2.5 to 3.5 Hz with special isolators) and up to 700 kg per isolator.
3The result
Floors that can change with the experiments
The slabs are levelled at the end with a patented torque tool, and can be raised, lowered or re-levelled with the equipment in place. When an experiment changes its load, the isolators can be swapped through the containers without breaking the slab.
Products used
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