As part of the city bypass in Aachen, the bridge Trumstrasse crosses seven DB AG railway tracks as well as Geschwister-Scholl-Strasse. The two-span bridge, made of hollow reinforced concrete boxes, dates back to 1971 and had to be renewed due to its deteriorating condition. Projections showed that demolition and new construction of the bridge are the most cost-effective options. The bridge is replaced by a steel composite girder (VFT®) bridge, which allows for a maximally time efficient execution of the replacement. Prefabricated slabs, made at the plant, are assembled to the steel girders and subsequently concreted. In the context of the new construction, the bridge’s sidewalks are widened – from currently 2.20 metres to 2.50 and 3.50 metres.
Last weekend, one of the most exciting construction steps took place: the around 42-metre-long and up to 58-tonne-heavy prefabricated steel composite girders (VFT®) for the new bridge were lifted into place. The components were delivered to Aachen by heavy-duty transporter and stored before being lifted and assembled by a 580-tonne crawler crane. The spectacular assembly was successfully implemented in a timely manner. Completion of the new bridge is predicted for the end of 2023.
