Bewegliche Brücken für den Straßenverkehr in Deutschland

Movable bridges for road traffic in Germany. In Germany there are about 120000 fixed bridges for road traffic, on the other hand there are only 130 movable bridges for road traffic in practical application. In the following paper this bridge category is presented with partly very interested technical solutions. Flap bridges with scale beam, flap bridges with deep‐seated counterbalance, lifted bridges and swing‐bridges are treated. Some notable, built bridges are presented for every category. Finally special technical dates from nearly all built bridges are summarized in tables, which give a survey for the respective movable bridges in Germany.     

Die Wupper‐Talbrücke Oehde – eine moderne Verbundbrücke

The Wupper River valley bridge – a state‐of‐the‐art composite bridge. The German motorway Autobahn A 1 is one of the nation's most important and frequently traveled highways, connecting the country's northern and southern regions. The road currently has two lanes in each direction, which do not provide enough capacity to carry the traffic volume without daily traffic jams and heavy delays. Therefore, the federal government and the Northrhine‐Westfalia Department of Transportation decided to ease the situation by adding one lane in each direction. This total of 6 lanes fits into the master plan of widening major highways around the Ruhr River region. North of Cologne, the Autobahn A 1 crosses mountainous terrain, so several bridges with total lengths between 240 and 420 meters have had to be widened, replaced, or, most commonly, supplemented by a new bridge. Such supplementation was used on the Wupper River Valley Bridge, called Oehde, close to the city of Wuppertal. The bridge illustrates an example of modern composite bridges adopting new methods in construction and design, and also marks an outstanding example of current composite structures in Germany.     

Orthotrope Fahrbahnplatte – Entwicklungen und Möglichkeiten für die Zukunft

Orthotropic decks – developments and future outlook. Bridges with steel orthotropic decks, first introduced in the 1950s in Germany, have been subsequently built in other countries, with several thousand of such structures now in service throughout the world. The performance record of orthotropic decks has been satisfactory, excepting occasional fatigue cracking which had occurred on some decks built in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly caused by inappropriate details and fabrication defects. Specific causes of such failures are discussed. Developments of design methods for orthotropic decks are discussed. For basic design simplified approaches, such as the Pelikan‐Esslinger method, are generally used. The applicability of the classical (Wöhler's) fatigue theory is limited. Therefor current design specifications permit empirical fatigue safety assessment by conformance with approved geometric standards. Due to their light weight, durability and load carrying capacity, orthotropic decks have a promising future being indispensable in the super‐long span bridges. Because of their capability for being structurally integrated with the main members of the existing steel bridges, orthotropic decks are also excellently suited for replacing the deteriorating concrete decks. In the U.S. nearly 40% of highway bridges are now considered “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete”, with failed concrete decks accounting for about two‐thirds of the deficiency cases. Several major U.S. bridges have recently received new orthotropic decks. Special problems encountered with redecking are discussed.     

Geh‐ und Radwegbrücke über den Main‐Donau‐Kanal in Forchheim: Entwurf und Ausarbeitung des ausgeführten Sondervorschlags

Pedestrian bridge across the Main‐Danube channel in Forchheim: design and development of the “Design Built” structure. During the past three decades, several extraordinary pedestrian bridges have been constructed in Germany. Many of these structures distinguish themselves through their able, often even innovative use of relatively expensive components, for example sumptuous use of cables, castings or conical shafts. Followers quickly took up the use of such construction elements. The results of many of these structures, however, did not always seem to justify the consequential higher costs. In a time of economic strain it is therefore the main emphasis of this report to show how even with a restrictive budget, an elegant, stately and functional pedestrian bridge may be built.     

Rheinbrücke Breisach – Umbau und Instandsetzung einer 45 Jahre alten Stahlkonstruktion

The Rhine Bridge at Breisach – Alteration and maintenance work at a 45‐years‐old steel structure across the river Rhine. The Breisach Rhine Bridge between Breisach in Baden‐Württemberg, Germany, and Neuf‐Brisach in Alsace, France, is next to the Europe Bridge Kehl–Strasbourg the most important road connection between the two countries. The three‐pillar road bridge was built in 1962 using the foundation of an old railway bridge. The box girder of the bridge is welded as well as riveted and bolted. Both the design of the curb with its underseepage – a feature that was often used at that time but is now out of favour – and damages at the drain pipes in the girder box led to significant corrosion damage. In the future a bicycle lane will run over the bridge. For this an enlargement of the southern footpath is required. Bridge repair and maintenance work began in the spring of 2008. In this paper not only the details of the projects will be considered, but also the solutions to the problems discovered during repair work. An additional special feature of the bridge is the fact that two road construction agencies, one French, one German, are in charge of maintenance.     

Die Stahlverbundbrücke über die Müglitz im Zuge der Autobahn Dresden–Prag – Entwurf und Ausführung

The composite bridge across the Müglitz on the highway Dresden–Prag. Design and construction. The bridge across the Müglitz transfers the newly built Federal Highway A17 over the small town Dohna near by Dresden. The bridge has a total length of 310 m and crosses a railway, a state highway and the river Müglitz. The bridge dominates the townscape. Extensive design investigations were performed to find the technically and aesthetically right solution for the given situation. Chosen and built was a continuous girder bridge as a composite structure with a span sequence of 45 – 55 – 55 – 55 – 55 – 45 m. The construction is composed of two bridges, one for each carriageway. Each superstructure has two airtight steel box girders, which are in composition with the concrete deck slab. To give the bridge a differentiated view, the main girders are built with shallow but significant haunches and emphasized stiffening boxes in the bearing zones. In the design of the composite columns these criteria reappear in the widening of the column heads and the eight‐cornered cross‐sections. Special consideration was given to a simple fabrication and an unproblematic erection with as far as possible reduced welding at the site. The article covers the planning and the building of the bridge. In addition experiences made in building other bridges with airtight box girders are reported.     

Talbrücke Elben – Eine Stahlverbundbrücke mit einteiligem Querschnitt

Viaduct Elben – A steel‐composite bridge with one‐piece cross‐section. In the north of Siegen a non existing section of the German motorway Autobahn A 4 and of the federal highway B 54n, also called “Hüttentalstraße”, was completed during the last years. The 432 m long viaduct – called “Talbrücke Elben”, as an important element in the construction for the extension of the A 4, is in particular interesting because of its design and its construction itself. During the last years about 10 similar constructions have been implemented, others are currently planned. Therefore, it seems appropriate to report about the experiences with steel‐composite bridges in general and particular, always having the bridge “Talbrücke Elben” in mind. Furthermore, the paper intends to give an overview on further fields of application in the near future.     

Entwicklungen im Stahlverbundbrückenbau – Autobahnbrücken mit einteiligen Verbundquerschnitten

Developments of steel‐composite bridges – motorway bridges with one‐piece composite cross‐sections. On design orders of the German Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau‐ und Wohnungswesen (BMVBW) motorway bridges have to be built with two superstructures – one for each carriageway. To get satisfying solutions in design of motorway bridges across valleys too, the authority decided in 1997 that it should be possible to build one‐piece steel‐composite bridges, provided that special suppositions are respected. The acceptance based on the condition, that it is possible to repair the reinforced concrete slap of the one‐piece superstructure as well as separated superstructures. The extensive maintenance of traffic has to be guaranteed all over the repair period. Since 1997 DEGES erected six bridges with one‐piece steel‐composite cross‐sections, three further bridges are under construction. Although the superstructures are designed for the state of the partly replacement of the reinforced concrete slap and therefore they are over dimensioned for the using‐state, these one‐piece superstructures are economic if they have a height of more than 50 m over the bottom of the valley. The following essay describes the one‐piece steel‐composite cross‐sections and gives constructive hints to their components.     

SPS – ein neues Verfahren zur Instandsetzung und Ertüchtigung von stählernen orthotropen Fahrbahnplatten

SPS – an innovative method for the repair and refurbishment of orthotropic deck‐plates of steel‐bridges. This contribution describes how the new SPS‐Overlay technology has been applied in a pilot project for the refurbishment of orthotropic deckplates of road bridges in Germany. The main reason for such a refurbishment of orthotropic deckplates that have been designed and executed according to modern design rules as in EN 1993‐2 and that after 40 years of use have not yet exhibited any considerable fatigue damage is to make provisions for the current enhancement of traffic loads and traffic volume that could cause fatigue in the near future. The stepwise procedure to study the experience made with the SPS‐technology in the ship‐building area first, then to apply it to the retrofitting of damaged deckplates of a temporary bridge system (D‐Bridge) to gain experiences before it is used for retrofitting the deck of an old metro‐bridge in Berlin and to enter into the refurbishment of a bridge in the highway (Schönwasserparkbrücke near Krefeld) is explained in detail. Particular challenges for the use of the SPS‐technology for a highway bridge were: –·applicability on site under climate conditions –·fast execution to reduce restraints to traffic –·applicability of the guss asphalt layer with 75–80 mm thickness with a temperature of 225 °C without damaging the PUR sandwich core. The paper presents the technical developements including details of the scientific support, to justify the solution chosen toward the regulatory authorities. In conclusion the SPS‐technology has proved to be an efficient refurbishment method that meets all requirements.     

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.     

Ermüdungsbeanspruchungen von Betonbrücken unter zunehmendem Schwerverkehr

Fatigue Life of Concrete Bridges under Consideration of Increasing Traffic Loads Increasing traffic loads lead to higher fatigue stresses on bridge structures. The effects on the stresses of the main load‐bearing structure depend on the load models representing weight and the ratio of the load model length to the bearing distance of the superstructure. Within a research project carried out on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs several different bridge constructions (box girder bridge, skew slab construction, girder bridge with T‐beam elements) were analysed with respect to their fatigue strength. Hence, the stresses in concrete and steel components are examined on extensive numerical models in longitudinal and transversal direction. The fatigue investigations of these existing bridges are performed by specified load combinations according to the German Standard for the design of concrete bridges. Furthermore the future development of heavy traffic loads is included by calculating the effects of a 60to‐heavy traffic vehicle.     

Verbundbrücke Pöcking – Innovative VFT‐Träger mit Betondübeln

The new road bridge over the railway line next to Pöcking applied to a new construction method for composite bridges. The VFT®‐construction method, which has been established in Germany within the last years combined with concrete dowel technology, generated a new type of prefabricated composite girders. Concrete dowels, which are manufactured by special steel web cuts connect rolled steel profiles with pre‐cast concrete members. An increasing degree of standardisation and prefabrication enables the application with an economic use of resources and a high quality level. This article describes design and manufacturing aspects of the new bridge, which is already under traffic use.     

50 Jahre Aluminiumbrücke über den Datteln‐Hamm‐Kanal

50th birthday of the aluminium road bridge across the Datteln‐Hamm‐Kanal in Germany. Germany's first aluminium road bridge, the Schwansbell Bridge spanning the Datteln–Hamm Canal near Lünen, was opened to traffic in 1956. The design is a trussed structure made from extruded profiles and sheets using AlMgSi 1 alloy (today's equivalent would be EN AW‐6082). The bridge has a span of 44.2 metres; it has a dead weight of 25 t and vehicles weighing up to 12 t are allowed to use it. The design of a comparable steel bridge had a dead weight of 60 t. Thus, the use of aluminium led to a weight saving of 58%. Aluminium rivets, also made from AlMgSi1, were used almost exclusively for the joints. The shape of the rivets had previously been tested and optimised in a series of tests. A decision was made before the bridge was built to forego the use of any additional coating in order to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the aluminium. To this day, there has not been any need for either additional corrosion protection to be applied to the aluminium structure of the bridge or for any maintenance work to be carried out on the bridge because of corrosion. Routine inspections of the bridge confirm that it is in an excellent condition. This is all the more remarkable as the construction is located in the Ruhr area and has been exposed to an industrial atmosphere for 50 years. Savings in the cost of corrosion protection as well as for the work needed to maintain such protection have been made during the bridge's entire service life.     

Erneuerung der Eisenbahnüberführung in Fulda‐Horas über die Fulda

A new rail bridge crosses the River Fulda in Fulda‐Horas. The rail connection between Gießen and Fulda crosses the Fulda River in the town of Fulda‐Horas. It replaces the three‐span tressle bridge design that was over 100 years old. The new bridge consists of only two spans, broadening each span. The following article describes the key visible construction features of the steel superstructure. The new bridge was built at an elevation of approximately 10 meters and parallel to the old one. A critical review of the design assisted in a faster‐than‐planned construction and lower costs.     

Design and construction of super-long span bridges in China: Review and future perspectives

Super-long span bridges demand high design requirements and involve many difficulties when constructed, which is an important indicator to reflect the bridge technical level of a country. Over the past three decades, a large percentage of the new long-span bridges around the world were built in China, and thus, abundant technological innovations and experience have been accumulated during the design and construction. This paper aims to review and summarize the design and construction practices of the superstructure, the substructure, and the steel deck paving of the long-span bridges during the past decades as well as the current operation status of the existing long-span bridges in China. A future perspective was given on the developing trend of high-speed railway bridge, bridge over deep-sea, health monitoring and maintenance, intellectualization, standard system, and information technology, which is expected to guide the development direction for the construction of future super long-span bridges and promote China to become a strong bridge construction country.     

Hybridbrücken mit blockverleimtem Brettschichtholz

Hybrid bridges with log‐glued‐laminated timber. In Germany, timber as load‐bearing element of bridges is only used for the construction of foot‐ and bicycle viaducts. The development of new timber‐based products and modern technologies gives interesting chances for timber bridge‐building in future. Main beams with high stiffness and stability of dimension can be produced by log‐glued lamination of timber. Efficient hybrid cross‐sections of superstructures as timber‐concrete‐composite constructions can be made by the combination of beams consisting of log‐glued‐laminated timber and concrete deck slab. For road bridges, these hybrid cross‐sections could be used alternatively to conventional methods of construction. The following paper gives a review of the development status of timber‐concrete‐composite construction in bridge building and shows static and constructive specifics.     

Überprüfung des Tragverhaltens der Talbrücke Altwipfergrund

Validation of the structural behaviour of the Altwipfergrund Bridge. At the middle of the eighties in France composite bridges with corrugated steel webs have been built for the first time. Just a few years later this principle was adopted in Japan and many bridges of this kind have been built. At the same time in Germany also, the first considerations about these bridges have been taken place, but unfortunately to this date only one construction has been built, i.e. the Altwipfergrund Bridge. A comprehensive research project is presently carried out for research on general behaviour and the detailing of bridges with corrugated steel webs. The results are accompanied by measurements at the Altwipfergrund Bridge. Thus it was possible to validate the results of numerical calculations and laboratory tests by the results of measurements. Based on this information, the potential of these structures regarding web thickness, amount and style of prestressing and reduction of composite joints can be identified.     

预应力混凝土T梁变宽拼宽关键技术问题

以某高速公路扩建工程一座4×30m预应力连续T梁变宽拓宽为工程背景,计算比较不同新旧桥拼接模式的受力性能,同时,计算预应力引起的单片梁上拱值和自重作用的下挠值,确定存梁时间,并进一步分析了新旧桥合理拼接时机。得到的结论为:①新旧桥之间采用全部横隔板连接的模式受力最合理;②90d是一个合理的存梁时间;③新桥建成后6个月,为比较合理的新旧桥拼接时机。     

Brückenbauwerke mit Stahlhohlprofilen – Konstruktive Ausführung

Design and construction of bridges with circular hollow sections. In the last years the field of modern bridge construction has been complemented by elegant truss structures made of circular hollow sections. However the realization of these bridges is implied with an extraordinary expense rooted in the absence of adequate design rules. Therefore two research projects have been initiated in order to examine bridge‐relevant construction details. The present contribution describes the results of the performed research work.