Heathrow tunnel wash and brush up
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• Heathrow Airport's transport manager Ron Valentine has found a vehicle to wash the tunnels at the world's busiest international airport.
"I recently visited Switzerland to see a Schmidt washer based on a Unimog carrier cleaning a three kilometre tunnel," says Valentine. "It was obvious that the machine, which is made in Germany, is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced of its kind."
Heathrow's new tunnel washer is fitted with roller brushes mounted on an extended arm, which can work in a 180° arc above and alongside the vehicle. The driver can control the brushes from inside the cab or outside, or the cleaning can be done automatically. The washer unit is demountable and can be replaced with bodies for snow clearing or airport sweeping.
Valentine has found that he only needs to use the tunnel washer once a week, and is considering offering the service to other tunnel operators.