In our country, the Baku Tower is one of the projects where an earthquake and wind protection system has been implemented. The 277 m high Baku Tower project is the tallest building in not only Azerbaijan but also the entire Caucasus. The specifics of our city, known as the City of Winds, created certain corresponding challenges for the project. The structure is subjected to significant wind loads. Since Baku is located in a seismic zone, MAURER also designed a TMD (tuned mass damper) system weighing 400 tons to ensure safety. According to reports, without the damper, the structure would be displaced by 1.3 m under the most severe wind and seismic loads. With the damper, this figure does not exceed 60 cm. The customer set two important tasks to be solved. The first was to design the TMD system so that it could be lifted to a height of 250 m from the ground. The second was to quote the acceptable price. To meet the technical requirements and ensure cost efficiency, MAURER designed a system weighing 180 tons made of a steel box and 220 tons of concrete. If the entire mass were made of only steel/metal, the costs would be significantly higher. The 180-ton steel box was designed modularly to fulfill the first task. The number of TMD components reached 500, and they were delivered to the site by 15 trucks. After the 180-ton steel box was mounted at the top of the building, it was filled with 220 tons of concrete. This solution allowed the customer to save significantly.

In our country, the SOCAR Tower was one of the projects for which MAURER provided earthquake and wind protection. In this project, as in the Baku Tower, the TMD system was installed at the top of the building. The SOCAR Tower is 200.45 m high and consists of 42 floors. The structure’s height weakens its resistance to both wind and earthquakes. It is worth noting that in the project area, the wind speed sometimes reaches 190 km/h. Before the installation of the seismic protection system, the structure ‘played’ within 50 to 100 cm in strong winds, according to reports. Therefore, an earthquake and wind protection system (TMD) was installed at the highest point of the structure. Usually, a ceiling height of 10 m is required to install a TMD. However, in the SOCAR Tower project, it was not possible to provide such a height, and a space with a ceiling height of 7 m was proposed. MAURER redesigned the TMD system, making some changes to it to fit the 7 m height instead of 10 m. A solution with two TMD systems in one was chosen. The total mass was 450 tons. That mass was secured by 4 cables. The protection system installed in the SOCAR Tower project consists of 3 different safety levels. These are: Vibration protection system – the structure is strong enough not to feel small vibrations. However, despite this, a protection system against small vibrations was designed as the first level. Strong winds and storms – the second protection level was designed to deal with large amplitudes caused by strong winds and storms. Earthquakes and stronger storms – a time when amplitudes reach their maximum. Displacements of more than 30 cm are expected here. In short, the SOCAR Tower project is fully protected from earthquakes, strong winds, and storms thanks to the 450-ton TMD system and 3-level safety mechanism.

In our country, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport was one of the projects for which MAURER provided earthquake protection. The work under this project was completed in 2011. This is a reconstruction project. The new runway is over 4,000 m long, 75 m wide, and covers a total area of 325,000 sq. m. MAURER supplied 39 spherical bearings for the Heydar Aliyev International Airport project.

The new administrative building of the Central Bank is one of the projects for which MAURER provided earthquake protection. In this project, a seismic protection system was installed for a special section around the tower. When installing earthquake protection systems, MAURER designs solutions and implements products according to the project specifics. For the new administrative building of the Central Bank, spherical bearings were used in the foundation isolation system. In this project, 7 spherical bearings were installed on the ceiling of the structure located around the tower and below ground level.

One of our completed projects involving seismic protection systems in our country is the Salyan ASAN Service Center. The project was officially inaugurated by President Ilham Aliyev on April 18. The product applied in this project consists of 12 elastomer bearings manufactured by MAURER. However, rather than providing seismic isolation for the building itself, these bearings were installed between the building structure and the steel structure positioned above it. There are two key nuances to highlight here: • Thermal Movement & Structural Integrity: The steel structure resting on the 12 elastomer bearings will move smoothly over the bearings during thermal expansion and contraction caused by temperature fluctuations (heat and cold). Consequently, this prevents cracks from forming at the ceiling joints. • Cost & Material Efficiency: Thanks to the installed elastomer bearings, a significant reduction in the mass of the steel structure was achieved. Because the required displacement capability is accommodated by the supporting elastomeric bearings, there is no need to design an overly rigid steel structure. As a result, substantial savings in steel tonnage were realized.

One of the projects in our country where seismic and wind protection systems have been applied is the new Flagpole at the National Flag Square. This project is not only one of the most unique projects in Azerbaijan, but also in the world. The new flagpole, which has already entered the Guinness Book of Records due to the size of the flag and was recently inaugurated by the President, is among the tallest in the world, with a height of 195 meters. For such a tall structure, a protection system against seismic and especially wind loads is one of the most critical components. As ESDESCON LLC, we supplied a 3-unit, 14-ton TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) system produced by MAURER, a 148-year-old German company we represent in Azerbaijan. This 3-stage TMD system operates depending on the intensity of the wind and seismic forces: the first stage activates under mild conditions, and stages 2 and 3 are engaged progressively as the intensity increases — thus fully ensuring the structural safety and damping vibrations of the flagpole. According to structural calculations, the theoretical sway of the top of the pole without a TMD would be ±3 meters. With the application of the TMD, this sway was practically and theoretically reduced to ±15 cm (a 20-fold reduction). One of the biggest challenges faced by MAURER in this project was the necessity to significantly modify the TMD structure due to the internal design of the flagpole, which includes an elevator and stairs at certain heights. MAURER specially designed and manufactured a ring-shaped TMD system with a hollow center for this project. The loads are distributed along the inner wall of the pole and move accordingly to ensure stability. Additionally, ESDESCON LLC supplied temporary dampers used during construction. Detailed information about these systems is available on our website.

One of the upcoming projects in our country to include seismic and wind protection systems is the new Telecommunication Tower to be built in Khojaly. ESDESCON LLC has added another project to its portfolio in Azerbaijan — the new Telecommunication Tower to be constructed in Khojaly, in the Karabakh region. To the main contractor, KORPU BINA TIKINTI LLC, a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) produced by MAURER will be supplied to provide seismic protection for the new tower.

ESDESCON LLC supplies expansion joints and bearings by MAURER (Germany) for projects implemented in our country. One such project is the Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut motorway project. This road is also part of the Karabakh Development Plan. We supplied MAURER expansion joints and elastomeric bearings for 6 bridges under this project. The road is being built according to the 1st technical class and will have 4 traffic lanes. In general, the project provides for the construction of 6 road bridges and 11 underpasses. The road starts in the Shukurbayli village, the Jabrayil region, and ends in the Hadrut settlement, in the Khojavand region. The road, passing through the Jabrayil, Fuzuli, and Khojavand regions, will be 39.7 km long. The image shows both the road and the bridges. We are proud to implement part of the Karabakh Development Plan.

ESDESCON LLC supplies expansion joints and bearings by MAURER (Germany) for projects implemented in our country. One such project is the Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha motorway. This project is part of the Karabakh Development Plan. We supplied MAURER expansion joints and elastomeric bearings for several bridges under this project. The road is being built according to the 1st technical class and will have 4 traffic lanes, with 1 spare lane in each direction. The main part of the road has 4 lanes and a width of 21.5 m. The construction of 7 tunnels, 9 viaducts, 7 motor road bridges, and 11 underpasses is supposed in this section. ESDESCON LLC supplied MAURER elastomeric bearings and expansion joints only for bridges built by Korpu Bina Tikinti. We are proud to implement part of the Karabakh Development Plan.

ESDESCON LLC supplies MAURER elastomeric bearings and expansion joints for bridge projects implemented in our country. One such project is the Mughanli-Ismayilli-Gabala motorway. This is a motorway reconstruction project. The total length of the road after reconstruction will be 76.6 km, and the number of lanes will increase from 2 to 4. We supplied MAURER elastomeric bearings and expansion joints for more than 10 bridges built by KORPU BINA TIKINTI LLC as part of this motorway project.