Bewertung einer alten genieteten Stahlbrücke – Die Bösebrücke in Berlin

Evaluation of an old riveted steel bridge – The Böse‐Bridge in Berlin, Germany. This report is about the recalculation of the Böse‐Bridge in Berlin which was built between 1912 and 1916. A special feature of this three‐bayed truss arch bridge is the nickel steel used in the main bay. Different models have been used to recalculate the main structure, the truss nodes and the carriageway slab. The static analysis is based on the semi‐probabilistic concept. As a result of this recalculation the construction was classified to have the bridge capacity 30‐30 according to DIN 1072. Finally, this report concludes by determining the remaining lifetime depending on the concept of the Wöhler curves.     

Die Orinoco‐Brücke in Ciudad Guayana/Venezuela – Doppel‐Schrägkabelbrücke mit Verbundüberbau für Straßen‐ und Eisenbahngüterverkehr

The Orinoco River Bridge at Ciudad Guayana / Venezuela – a twin cable‐stayed bridge with steel composite bridge deck for road plus heavy rail traffic. The Orinoco Bridge at Ciudad Guayana carries a single track railway and a 2 × 2 lane highway across the Orinoco. The river has with low water a width of 1 km and with high water a width of 2 km. The total bridge length of 3156 m is subdivided into – the 1320 m long south approach bridge – the 1200 m long twin cable‐stayed bridge – the 636 m long north approach bridge. The bridge deck is a steel composite box girder and was erected partly by launching and partly by free cantilevering erection. The bridge is founded on large diameter bore‐piles. The paper deals with the design, special aspects of the calculation and the construction.     

Zerstörungsfreier elektrochemischer Chloridentzug an der Donaubrücke Pfaffenstein: Langzeiterfahrungen über eine bauwerksschonende und verkehrserhaltende Technologie

Non‐Destructive Electrochemical Chloride Extraction on the Danube Bridge Pfaffenstein: Long‐Term Experiences about a Structure‐ and Traffic‐keeping Technology Between 2003 and 2007 in total 200 m² of corrosion active hollow box girder floor slabs were rehabilitated by a non‐destructive, electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE) within the Danube bridge Pfaffenstein that is situated in Regensburg along the highway A93. These concrete areas were chloride contaminated by a leaking drainage system from the carriageway above – up to 4% by cement mass. Hence, the reinforcement was corrosion active, but did not show considerable loss of cross‐section or concrete deterioration. After completing the ECE, where more than 28 kg of chloride could be removed, multiple potential surveys have been made about a time span of up to three years. These measurements have shown that chloride induced corrosion activity could be eliminated safely, also with some residual chloride. Both highway and a heavy traffic bearing main street, which crosses under the bridge, haven't been affected by the repair. The principle of ECE, its side effects and the experiences collected by the author since 2001 shall be discussed here.     

Verbreiterung und Sanierung der Kennedybrücke in Bonn

Die Kennedybrücke liegt im Zentrum der Stadt Bonn und überspannt den Rhein im Zuge der Bundesstraße B 56. Von Anfang 2007 bis Herbst 2010 wurde die Rheinbrücke von 18 m auf 26,80 m verbreitert und umfassend saniert. Hierzu erfolgte eine Erweiterung der Nietkonstruktion aus dem Jahr 1949 durch beidseitigen formgleichen Anbau von jeweils einem zusätzlichen geschweißten Brückenträger mit Stützweiten von 99,22 m – 195,86 m – 99,22 m. Die Bauhöhe beträgt 11,50 m über den beiden Strompfeilern und 3,40 m in der Hauptöffnung. Die vorhandene Fahrbahn aus Tonnenblechen und Aufbeton wurde durch Längsrippen und Querträger ausgesteift und durch Anbau einer orthotropen Platte verbreitert. Es erfolgte eine aufwändige Verstärkung der Altkonstruktion mit dem Ziel, die Anforderungen der gültigen Normen zu erfüllen. Die Kennedybrücke ist die einzige innerstädtische Rheinbrücke in Bonn, so dass der Stadtbahn‐ und Straßenverkehr während der Bauzeit aufrecht erhalten werden mussten. Widening and reconstruction of the Kennedy‐Bridge in Bonn, Germany. The Kennedy‐Bridge is situated in the centre of the city of Bonn and spans the river Rhine in the course of the federal road B 56. The Rhine‐Bridge has been made wider from 18 m to 26.80 m and has been completely reconstructed from the beginning of the year 2007 till autumn 2010. For this a broadening of the rivet‐construction of the year 1949 resulted in two identical extensions of an extra welded girder with a length of span of 99.22 m – 195.86 m – 99.22 m. The hight of the construction comes to 11.50 m over the two current piers and 3.40 m over the main opening. The existing roadway made of barrel‐metal sheets and topping slabs has been reinforced by longitudinal ribs and cross girders and widened by the extension of an orthotropical plate. The old construction has been stiffened by big expenses with the aim of fulfilling the demands of the current standardizations. The Kennedy‐Bridge is the only Rhine‐Bridge in the City of Bonn; therefore the traffic and the tramways have had to be maintained during the construction period.     

Balkon zum Meer – Die Seebrücke in Saßnitz

Im Jahr 2007 wurde in Saßnitz der 250 m lange “Balkon zum Meer” fertiggestellt. Die Besonderheit dieser Fußgängerbrücke ist, dass sie über eine freie Spannweite von 120 m als einseitig aufgehängte, im Grundriss gekrümmte Hängebrücke mit exzentrisch angeschlossenen Hängerseilen ausgebildet ist. Die Brücke, die eine seit langem benötigte Verbindung zwischen der Stadt Saßnitz und dem 25 m tiefer liegenden Stadthafen herstellt, wurde 2010 mit dem Deutschen Brückenbaupreis ausgezeichnet. Der vorliegende Artikel beschreibt den Entwurf, die konstruktive Durchbildung und die Bauausführung dieser einzigartigen Konstruktion. alcony overlooking the sea – The Sea Bridge Saßnitz, Germany. In July 2007, a 250 m long suspension bridge for pedestrians was inaugurated in the city of Saßnitz on Rügen Island in the German part of the Baltic Sea. The curved part of the deck of 120 m length is supported by cables on one side only. The bridge, one of the longest of its kind, is part of an urban renewal project. It reconnects Saßnitz Harbour to the city, being separated from each other during the cold war. The most interesting feature of this bridge is the cantilevering support girders that protrude from the deck to connect to the hangers so that their axes aim towards the centre of gravity of the pertinent deck section. This structural solution allows for one‐sided hanger supports without causing bending or torsion in the curved girder due to distributed dead load or live loads. The paper describes the structural concept of the Saßnitz Bridge. It also elaborates on structural design and erection issues.     

Großversuch WILD‐Brücke – versuchsgestützte Bemessung einer UHPC‐Bogenbrücke

Full‐Scale Experiment Bridge WILD – Design of an UHPC Arch Bridge based on Experiments The outstanding durability of UHPC makes this material predestined for the construction of bridges. In Austria UHPC is introduced into the practice of road bridges through the realisation of the bridge WILD. The cross section of the arch, which spans 70 m, is just 6 cm thick and doesn't contain any passive reinforcement. The design is based on international recommendations on the one hand and on specific experiments on the other hand. This paper deals with the evaluation of two full‐scale laboratory tests. The setup is configured for getting a broad field of results as it is necessary for approval tests. In this way, all critical design states, which are also determined by calculation, are investigated experimentally. Furthermore, the experiments cover secondary effects, which don't have any verification through practical experience but can clearly be seen in FE‐results. The test results are carefully interpreted and explained by the use of simple mechanical models. The final examination of the results is figured out by means of comparison between calculation and experiment.     

Die neue Eisenbahnbrücke über den Donaukanal und den Winterhafen in Wien

The new railway bridge across the Donaukanal and the Winterhafen in Vienna. The load tests for the new Winterhafenbrücke performed on September 1, 2008 were the last steps in reconstruction of the railway connection between Donaulände und Donauuferbahn, which was destroyed in April 1945. With a length of 168 m this new single‐line railway bridge, which is designed as a two‐field continuous girder bridge, is the central link and the heart of the project. The bridge spans were realised by triangular trussed girder across the Donaukanal on the one hand and a trough bridge across the Winterhafen on the other. Design, manufacture and assembly of the steel bridge was carried out in different stages and constituted a great technical challenge. The completion of the entire project in September 2009 will be an essential contribution towards shifting commercial transport from the road to the environmentally friendly rail.     

Zwischen Genie und Utopie – Johann Wilhelm Schwedlers vergessener Alternativentwurf für die erste Kölner Rheinbrücke

Im Wettbewerb um den Bau der ersten Kölner Rheinbrücke erhielt der junge Berliner Ingenieur Johann Wilhelm Schwedler den Ersten Preis für einen Hängebrücken‐Entwurf, der auf einer Planung seines Bruders aufbaut und sich eng an die Vorgaben der Ausschreibung hielt. Da aber schnell klar wurde, dass die verlangte Hängebrücke mit Schifffahrtsöffnung den stetig wachsenden Anforderungen an eine Eisenbahnbrücke nicht genügen konnte, schuf Schwedler kurz darauf einen Alternativentwurf, bei dem er die Fahrbahn an abgestumpft linsenförmigen Trägern aufhing. Dieser Entwurf, der bisher unbekannt war und erst im Jahre 1900 publiziert wurde, steht in engstem Zusammenhang mit Schwedlers bahnbrechender, ebenfalls zunächst kaum wahrgenommenen Publikation der “Theorie der Brückenbalkensysteme” von 1851. In Köln entschied man sich 1853/54 für den Bau einer Gitterträgerbrücke nach dem Vorbild der Dirschauer Weichselbrücke. Als Schwedler Jahrzehnte später genau dort seinen letzten Großbau ausführen konnte, nahm er die Kölner Entwürfe auf; in statisch aktualisierter Form bildeten sie ein Dokument des Fortschritts im Brückenbau und ein gebautes Manifest zugunsten der theoretisch‐wissenschaftlich fundierten Ingenieurbaukunst, an deren Durchsetzung Schwedler maßgeblich beteiligt war. Of vision and genius – The forgotten alternative design by Johann Wilhelm Schwedler for the first Rhine Bridge at Cologne, Germany. The competition on the first Rhine crossing was won, with a suspension bridge construction, based on his brother's preparatory designs and closely following the rules, by young engineer Johann Wilhelm Schwedler from Berlin. But it soon became clear that the bridge, including an opening section, could not cope with the constantly rising demands of railway traffic, and Schwedler created an alternative design, consisting of lenticular trusses with a suspended track. This design, hidden for al long time and published only once in 1900, is closely linked with Schwedler's groundbreaking, but also first neglected publication on the “Theory of Bridge Truss Systems” in 1851. Some years later, a lattice truss bridge was built at Cologne, following the Weichsel bridge at Dirschau (1850–55). Decades later when Schwedler got the chance to build another large size bridge right there, he returned to the Cologne design of 1850. Structurally modernized, he made it a document to progress in bridge building and a manifesto for an Art of Engineering based on science and theory, the success of which was not to a small extent the work of Schwedler.     

Instandsetzung und Verstärkung von Stahlbrücken mit Kategorie‐3‐Schäden

Reinforcing steel bridges with category 3 damages – report on a BASt research project. In recent years, fatigue damages have been observed at the main supporting structure of steel bridges, the orthotropic decks, as well as the transverse structure of steel bridges (the so‐called category 3‐failure). The rapidly increasing road traffic intensifies the situation resulting in a huge amount of steel bridges affected by fatigue damages. Existing steel bridges with category 3‐fatigue cracks have been intensively investigated. Fatigue failure modes and general evaluation criteria have been summarized, analysed and categorized, in order to enable first fundamental and time‐efficient definition and classification of category 3‐damages. FE‐simulations of transversal steel bridge structures (with and without reinforcements) have been carried out to evaluate and review the structural bridge concepts. Based on these studies, a special way of the steel bridges' maintenance has been followed up, which is removing all possible transversal bracings. Finally, different options of maintenance and repair have been investigated both newly and successfully applied in the recent past. Appropriate actions for solving essential category 3‐fatigue problems are presented.     

Einheit von Wissenschaft und Kunst im Brückenbau: Hellmut Homberg (1909–1990) – Leben und Wirken (Teil I)

Am 5. September 2009 wäre Hellmut Homberg einhundert Jahre alt geworden. Dies ist Anlass, an sein vor allem den Brückenbau bereicherndes Wirken zu erinnern und ein, wenn auch nicht vollständiges, Werkverzeichnis zu erstellen. Das gilt sowohl für die unter seiner maßgebenden Mitwirkung entworfenen Brücken als auch für seine völlig neuartigen, die statischen Berechnungen in der Praxis erleichternden, streng theoretisch hergeleiteten und eine zutreffende Bemessung der Kreuzwerke und orthotropen Fahrbahnplatten ermöglichenden Tafel‐ und Tabellenwerke. Teil I schildert Homberg s beruflichen Weg und versucht, ein Porträt zu zeichnen; Teil II ist seinen theoretischen Untersuchungen gewidmet, und Teil III geht auf besondere Brücken ein, und. Harmony between science and art in bridge‐building: Hellmut Homberg (1909–90) – life and work (part I). Hellmut Homberg would have been 100 years old on 5 September 2009. This is an opportunity to look back on his work which so enriched the world of bridge‐building in particular, and also a chance to compile a catalogue of his work, albeit incomplete. This applies to the bridges in which he played an influential role in their design and also to his books of mathematical and design tables that enabled the accurate design of beam grids and orthotropic bridge decks. The tables with their rigorous theoretical background were at the time quite new and eased structural calculations in everyday practice. Part I describes Homberg's professional career and attempts to draw a portrait of the man; part II is devoted to his theoretical studies, and part III deals with particular bridges.     

Rechnerische Beurteilung der Schubtragfähigkeit einer Spannbetonbrücke mit geringem Querkraft bewehrungsgrad

Assessment of the shear strength of an existing post‐tensioned concrete bridge with a low amount of shear reinforcement – First application of the ”Flexural Shear Crack“ model in practice In recent years it was reported several times, that within a static assessment according to current standards the shear strength of post‐tensioned bridges, which were built in Austria before 1989, cannot be fulfilled any more. However, test results prove, that especially prestressed structures have additional load bearing capacities, which cannot be reproduced with current calculation models. In the framework of a pilot project a new developed shear model (Flexural Shear Crack Model) was used. In this paper the approach as well as the main results of a statical reevaluation of an existing post‐tensioned road bridge at the Tauern Autobahn A10 will be presented.     

Fritz Leonhardt als junger Ingenieur – Frühe Erfahrungen im Großbrückenbau

Fritz Leonhardt (1909–1999) hat sich in den nahezu sieben Jahrzehnten seines beruflichen Schaffens auf vielen Gebieten des Bauingenieurwesens hohe Anerkennung erworben. Sein besonderes Interesse galt dem Brückenbau. Unvergessen sind Leonhardt s innovative Vorschläge und Bauten, die den Spannbeton‐ und Schrägseilbrückenbau in der deutschen Nachkriegszeit maßgeblich beeinflusst haben. Weniger bekannt ist, dass Leonhardt bereits vor 1945 an mehreren großen Bauvorhaben beteiligt war. Zwei dieser Projekte sollen hier herausgegriffen und näher beleuchtet werden: der Bau der Hängebrücke Köln‐Rodenkirchen (1938–1941) und die in den selben Jahren von Leonhardt erarbeiteten Entwürfe für eine Hängebrücke über die Elbe in Hamburg. Fritz Leonhardt as a Young Engineer – Early Experiences in Long Span Bridge Design and Construction. Fritz Leonhardt (1909–1999) worked almost seven decades as a civil engineer. His contributions made him famous and well recognized world wide. He was especially interested in bridge design and construction. Well known are his innovative concepts which have influenced significantly the design of post‐tensioned concrete structures and cable‐stayed bridges in post war Germany. Less known is the fact that Leonhardt already participated in major projects before 1945. Two of those projects are selected and described here: the construction of the suspension bridge Cologne‐Rhodenkirchen (1938–1941) and his designs for the Elbe suspension bridge in Hamburg (1938–1941).     

Schädigung einer schlaff bewehrten Betonbrücke durch Verkehrsbelastung

Evaluation of Damage Due to Traffic on a Reinforced Concrete Bridge An investigation of the damage caused by road traffic on a reinforced concrete bridge was performed. Focus was given to damage induced by extra‐heavy vehicles. A damage model based on fatigue of reinforcement bars was employed. The stress cycles in the reinforcement bars were determined using measurements of the crack widths under traffic loading which were analysed using the rainflow method and Miner's rule. A monitoring system was mounted and used for seven weeks continuously to collect input data for the damage model. Computer software was developed to process the monitoring data in the sense of the damage model. The results indicate that a singular passage of an extraheavy vehicle over the investigated bridge causes damage equivalent to the damage caused by one day of average weekly traffic. The described method was developed and used for the first time in the described project.     

Die zweite Geo‐Geum‐Brücke in Südkorea – Schrägkabelbrücke und Vorlandbrücke für Straßenverkehr mit Verbundfachwerkträger

The 2nd Geo Geum Grand Bridge in Korea – cable‐stayed bridge and approach bridge with composite truss girder for roadway traffic. The 2nd Geo Geum Grand Bridge forms part of the fixed connection from the mainland to the Island of Geo Geum in South Korea (Fig. 1). This high level crossing is composed of a 912 m long approach viaduct and a 1116 m long stay cable bridge with a main span of 480 m. The approach viaduct is a continuous girder with regular spans of 120 m. The superstructure of both bridges is a composite truss girder bridge, which carries a 2 lane highway on top and a pedestrian and bicycle way on the lower deck. The main design considerations were function as a high‐way, innovation in design and visual harmony with its surround‐ings. The stay cables are arranged in a single plane at the centre of the bridge, their semi‐fan arrangement with bundled configur‐ation gives a very special and unique appearance.     

Das Zügelgurt‐Fachwerk über die Mulde in Wurzen – eine Revision nach Entwurf und Ausführung

The bridle‐chord truss bridge across the river Mulde near Wurzen, Germany – a review after design and construction. At the crossing of the federal highway B6 across the river Mulde near the town Wurzen, a composite bridge with a bridle‐chord truss was adopted as design solution. With the Mulde Bridge, the in historic times often used structure type of the bridle‐chord truss was developed farther in certain essential respects. The truss was designed as a one plane structure in the medial strip of the highway and furthermore, the truss was designed strongly curved, following the curvature of the alignment. The experiences made during design and execution are presented and alternatively possible solutions, construction types and building procedures are discussed.     

Entwurf und Ausführungsplanung der Stöbnitztalbrücke

Auf der Neubaustrecke Erfurt – Leipzig/Halle werden zurzeit einige Talbrücken realisiert, die einen neuen, ganzheitlich orientierten Entwurfsansatz verfolgen. Bei diesen integralen bzw. semi‐integralen Bauwerken sind die Überbauten monolithisch mit den Pfeilern und teilweise mit den Widerlagern verbunden. Sie können deshalb schlanker und mit stetigen Übergängen zwischen den Bauteilen ausgeführt werden. Durch den weitgehenden Verzicht auf Lager und Fugen und durch die robuste Bauweise besitzen integrale Bauwerke eine wesentlich längere Lebenserwartung als herkömmliche Talbrücken. Die Scherkondetalbrücke und die Gänsebachtalbrücke wurden bereits in vorherigen Ausgaben beschrieben. In diesem Beitrag wird über den Bau der Stöbnitztalbrücke berichtet, die als Sondervorschlag der ausführenden Baufirma realisiert wird. The Bridge over Stoebnitz Valley – a Bridge without Bearings on High‐Speed Railway Route Erfurt – Leipzig/Halle Currently some large valley bridges are under construction on high‐speed railway route Erfurt‐Leipzig/Halle. These bridges follow a new holistic design philosophy. The superstructures of those integral or semi‐integral bridges are rigidly connected to the abutments and the columns. Therefore, they are more slender than conventional bridges and the bridges are very robust and durable because of the omitting of bearings and dilatation joints. The bridges over Scherkonde valley and over Gaensebach valley were already described in previous issues. In this paper the construction of the bridge crossing Stoebnitz valley is reported. This bridge is being built as an alternate design of the contractor.     

Die Geh‐ und Radwegbrücke Kehl – Strasbourg

The Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge Kehl – Strasbourg. The Rhine bridge between Kehl and Strasbourg is the new regional landmark and linking element of the International Gardening Show. The approach to unifying different functions and an architectural endeavour lead to a unique structural system. Two separate decks address the different situations on the river banks and, linked by a platform, form a balcony above the Rhine at midspan. The main bridge is a cable‐stayed structure with a steel pylon and a steel‐concrete composite deck. The approach bridges are continuous girders on steel columns. Both pile and flat foundations are featured in the design. The article describes the structural concept and design, outlines the erection procedure and discusses aspects of the dynamic behaviour of the bridge.     

Spannglieder mit Kunststoffhüllrohren zur Herstellung von Brücken ohne Betonstahlbewehrung

Tendons with Plastic Ducts for Bridges without Mild Steel Reinforcement Frequently the conventional sealing of concrete bridges does not show a satisfactory serviceability in practice. Imperfect sealing leads to chloride entry into the structure because of bending cracks in the upper side of bridges in the range of negative moments. If a road passes under a bridge, there is the risk of chloride entry caused by salt fog spread on the surface of the bridge. In addition to the restoration liability of the sealing the pavement requires regular repair work. This periodic repair work causes high costs and affects the traffic flow. The method presented in this paper is characterized by omitting corrosion‐sensitive reinforcement and by integrating the pavement in the structure. The aim is to create concrete bridges with improved durability which can be manufactured with comparable costs to conventional concrete bridges. The results of experimental tests on the structural behavior of such structures will be presented.     

VFT‐WIB‐Brücke bei Vigaun – Verbundbrücke mit externer Bewehrung

VFT‐WIB viaduct in Vigaun – a composite bridge with external reinforcement. With the introduction of the composite dowel the possibility is given to develop new construction methods for bridges. The VFT‐WIB construction method is used for the first time for the road bridge in Vigaun/Austria, which is in service since autumn 2008. The cross‐section is composed out of two prefabricated elements with halved rolled girders, working as bottom flange. The composite dowels are manufactured by cutting the rolled girder into two halves with a special cutting‐line. These halved girders work as external reinforcement, which leads to very slender and economical composite structures. Below details about the planning process, the design and the construction process of 78m long three span framing bridge over the railway line from Salzburg to Wörgl are shown.     

Schlanke Fußgängerbrücke aus Textilbeton

In Albstadt‐Lautlingen wurde eine ältere Fußgängerbrücke aus Stahlbeton durch eine elegante Brücke aus Textilbeton ersetzt. Durch die Kombination von textilbewehrtem Beton mit einer Vorspannung ohne Verbund ließ sich eine für Betontragwerke außergewöhnliche Schlankheit erzielen. Die 97 m lange Brücke über die Bundesstraße B 463 besteht aus sechs Fertigteilen, die bei einer Elementlänge von 17,2 m eine Bauhöhe von 43 cm aufweisen. Im Beitrag werden Konstruktion, Bemessung und insbesondere das Schwingungsverhalten beschrieben. Die Untersuchungen zu den verwendeten Baustoffen sowie zum Tragverhalten und zur Dauerhaftigkeit finden sich in einem separaten Beitrag in diesem Heft. A Pedestrian Bridge Made of Textile Reinforced Concrete The pedestrian bridge over a state road in Albstadt, Germany, had to be torn down due to immense corrosion damages of the steel reinforcement and was replaced by a new bridge. The design of the new bridge allows a slender and durable construction with high demands on the concrete surface. The bridge with a total length of 97 m is subdivided in six prefabricated parts with a maximum element length of 17,2 m and a span of L_s = 15 m. The height of only 43 cm is possible by using the innovative composite material textile reinforced concrete. Thus, a slenderness of L_s/H = 35 and an extreme slender bridge construction is achieved. Due to the non‐corrosive textile reinforcement a very small concrete cover is possible and, thus, webs and cantilever arms can be designed very thin. The paper describes the construction, design and dynamic behaviour. A report on materials, load bearing behaviour and on the durability is available as a separate paper in this issue.