To reduce traffic on federal road B87 passing through the spa town of Bad Kösen in Saxony-Anhalt, a town bypass is currently being built. The new section of 13.5 kilometres length comprises in total 7 bridges. One of them is the Saaletal viaduct – with 1.2 kilometres the longest bridge of the new bypass.
In mid-June, the fourth launching operation of the bridge’s hollow steel box, built in two sections (north and south side), took place. The hollow steel box is pushed by incremental launching from both abutments onto the already built piles in six increments, and subsequently connected to the prestressed concrete superstructure erected by cantilever method.
A MDR broadcast shows the launching of the second increment from the south side. Launching of this partial section takes place over a length of 62 metres. Watch TV report
To offset the height difference of around 40 metres between the two abutments, an incline of around 6 % is implemented on the north side, which means that during incremental launching the bridge is “held back rather than pushed”. Another challenge to take into consideration during incremental launching is the arch-shaped line of the viaduct.
Incremental launching of the hollow steel box will last until next spring – completion of the structure is planned for the end of 2025.
SSF Ingenieure in joint venture with IBV signs responsible for on-site construction supervision as well as safety and health coordination. The project is managed at our branch in Halle.
