Railway Bridge Gänsebachtal

As part of the new high-speed railway route Erfurt - Leipzig/Halle, the delicate bridge spans across the elongated, shallow valley. The double- webbed prestressed concrete superstructure is sectioned into tenfield joint- and bearing-less beams. The horizontal (transversal) load transfer is achieved through restraints at the abutments and reinforced concrete frames along the transition column axes between two sections. The breaking loads are transferred to the foundations through stiffer bents consisting of triangular walls, arranged at the center of each five-field beam. The bridge allows for continuous rails without rail expansion joints. The reduced structural height due to the minimal column spacing as well as the slender individual columns result in a light-weight and elegant structure. The bridge distinguishes itself through its robust and reduced structure as well as its minimal maintenance requirements.

Type of structure
double-track, semi-integral railway bridge with pre-stressed concrete slabs

Owner
DB Netz AG

Scope of our work
conceptual design, construction design ARGE Gänsebachtalbrücke, c/o Adam Hörnig Bauges. mbH & Co. KG

Contractors
ARGE Gänsebachtalbrücke, c/o Adam Hörnig Bauges. mbH & Co. KG

Cooperation
SSF Ingenieure

Technical data
Length: 1,001 m
Segments: 52.5 m + 8 x 112 m + 52.5 m
Regular span: approx. 24 m
Super structure height: 3.0 m
Bridge width: 13.83 m
Deck surface: 13,850 m2
Clear height: max. 20 m

Award
Deutscher Brückenbaupreis 2014