HEIDELBERGCEMENT AG

First German railway bridge with UHPC

All HeidelbergCement AG/Steffen Fuchs

Using measurement technology on the pre-fabricated part, TU Munich could check the potential loss of pre-stressing and the development of
hydration heat in the real component. Stiftung Bayerisches Baugewerbe, the foundation for the Bavarian construction industry, also facilitated
measurement technology and scientific support during rail operation to supplement the laboratory experience of the TUM

All HeidelbergCement AG/Steffen Fuchs

For the replacement of the bridge over the Dürnbach, Tegernsee-Bahn approved the first application of the new material. The abutment of the old bridge could be retained due to the low dead weight of the new pre-fabricated bridge part made from UHPFRC

Using Ultra High Performance (fibre-reinforced) Concrete, or UHPC, made it possible for a railway bridge to be built over the Dürnbach River within a few days. With a comparably light pre-fabricated component, replacing only the superstructure and maintaining the historic abutments was possible. This avoided any long periods of new construction. During construction of the innovative pre-fabricated component, the UHPC compound “Effix PLUS” from HeidelbergCement was used.

The bridge over the Dürnbach River dates back to 1882. It was restored for the first time at the end of the 1920s. The small railway bridge will now go down in history as a pilot project for concrete construction in Germany, as the old bridge superstructure has been replaced by a pre-fabricated component made from high performance concrete. This construction design stops the need for any full new construction, which would have been a slow process. Compared to a conventional solution, this bridge construction also has a significantly lower construction height. This therefore met the...