Rader high bridge

Rader high bridge
Convicted	Federal motorway 7
Crossing of	Kiel Canal
place	Borgstedt
construction	Steel girder bridge
overall length	1497.5 m
width	29.5 m
Longest span	221.54 m
Construction height	5.0 m to 9.5 m
height	49 m
Clear height	42 m
start of building	1969
completion	1972
	location

54.333611111111 9.7222222222222Coordinates: 54 ° 20 ′ 1 ″ N , 9 ° 43 ′ 20 ″ E

The Rader Hochbrücke near Rendsburg , also known as the Rader Insel high bridge or Europabrücke , is a 1498 m long bridge that crosses the Kiel Canal on the Federal Highway 7 . It is the second longest steel road bridge in Germany after the Mülheim Ruhr Valley Bridge .

location

The building is located in Schleswig-Holstein east of Rendsburg near the eponymous Rade between the junction Rendsburg / Büdelsdorf and the motorway junction Rendsburg . It spans the Kiel Canal, the Rader Island and the Borgstedter Enge (the old river bed of the Eider ) with four lanes and two hard shoulders at a maximum height of around 49 m . The clear passage height for ships is 42 m. The plan of the motorway in the area of the bridge is curved with a radius of 12,500 m, the ramp inclines are around 3.0%. The bridge was built between 1969 and 1972.

The extremely elegant, light impression of the bridge is due to the narrow main girders and, not least, the double pillars. On the other hand, pillar washers and a narrow box girder cross-section were used for the similarly wide new Levensau road bridge .

superstructure

The bridge has a seamless steel superstructure with the continuous beam as the structural longitudinal system. The total length of the 15-span bridge is 1,497.50 m, with spans of 77.0 m - 80.0 m - 111.73 m - 221.54 m - 111.73 m - 5 × 84.0 m - 3 × 104.0 m - 88.0 m - 75.5 m. The construction height is usually a constant 5.0 m. In the area of the canal field it is tapered with a maximum of 9.5 m above the canal pillars . In the transverse direction, the superstructure consists of two main girders spaced 17.0 m apart and a 29.5 m wide orthotropic deck . Cross beams are provided at a distance of 4.0 m and support the 6.25 m cantilevered road construction.

The bridge superstructure was assembled using cantilever . Except in the canal area, one to two auxiliary supports were used per bay.

The bridge towers over a very flat area which, due to its maritime influences, especially during the winter months, experiences frequent winds and gusts of gale force. Since these high wind speeds can cause stability problems for high and at the same time light vehicles, the bridge is closed several times a year to empty trucks and vehicles with empty trailers . In rare cases, it is even closed to all traffic. The alternative traffic is usually directed through the Rendsburg Canal Tunnel .

Substructures

The superstructure is demolished by pairs of individual pillars. The up to 41 m high pillars have a reinforced concrete hollow cross-section . The canal pier heads have external dimensions of 2.7 m × 3.0 m (5.26 m × 5.04 m at the base) and wall thicknesses of 60 cm and stand on 18.5 m high caissons with a floor plan of 24.3 m × 19.3 m.

In the normal pillars, the dimensions of the heads are 2.25 m × 2.55 m and the wall thickness is 40 cm. In the Eider, these have a deep foundation consisting of tubular steel piles with a diameter of 91 cm and a maximum length of 19 m. All other pillars are shallow at a depth of 3 to 4 m.

Political issue

During regular renovation work on wearing elements, massive damage to the pier heads was found in July 2013. The Rader Hochbrücke had to be closed to vehicles over 7.5 t, only two lanes remained open to other traffic. After completion of the repair work, the bridge was released for vehicles over 7.5 t on November 8, 2013. The speed limit for trucks is 60 km / h on the bridge, while cars can travel at 100 km / h in normal wind conditions. Trucks must keep a minimum distance of 25 meters.

It is true that the volume of traffic and the exposure to heavy goods vehicles are three times as high today as they were in 1970; the bridge should last at least 90 years. Structural engineers consider the execution of many works to be “poor”. Crumbling concrete and voids might just be the beginning. In the building book , the current condition of the bridge is given as "3", i. H. critical structural condition. The next stage, the unsatisfactory condition of the building, would require immediate repair or renewal. The renovation costs for each of the 14 pillars were estimated at 35,000 euros. Reinhard Meyer (politician) sees an additional need of 1 million euros.

Supported by business and the ADAC , Meyer, Kai Vogel , Hans-Jörn Arp and Andreas Tietze are already calling for a new bridge or tunnel to be built. Johannes Callsen expects 10 to 15 years until approval is granted ; During this period, today's traffic volume would double. A combined road and rail solution could replace the Rendsburg high bridge from the 1910s, which is over 60 years older , and relieve the Rendsburg Canal Tunnel . Oliver Kumbartzky demands "finally an alternative route next to the federal highway 7 ". The expansion of federal highway 5 north of Heide (Holstein) is overdue .

Newspapers such as the Hamburger Abendblatt see the Rader Hochbrücke (as with the Kiel Canal ) as an “unbearable” failure of politics, which is responsible for the deterioration of Germany's infrastructure. Forwarding agents and logistics companies want to sue the federal government for compensation ; because with annual tolls of 5 billion euros, it must guarantee a functioning and reliable infrastructure. The employment agency is concerned about Schleswig-Holstein's reputation as a business location.

In mid-September 2015, a total of four speed camera columns were installed at the beginning and end of the bridge . The radar systems can differentiate between cars and trucks and determine the respective speeds.

The planning for the new Rader Hochbrücke has now started. The state-owned project management company Deges has received the order to build a new bridge along the 7th federal motorway - without including the railway. It should be Template: future / in 5 yearsready in 2026 and built while traffic is still running. Accordingly, it is planned to first build half of the bridge, divert traffic to the new bridge after completion and then remove the old bridge. The second new part of the bridge will then be built. The date 2026 is being questioned, and the new building will also have six lanes.