Modular scaffolding for the world's second-largest brick bridge

56,000 Cubic Meters of Working Scaffolding Designed as a Standing Structure

Modular Scaffolding for the World's Second-Largest Brick Bridge

The foundation stone for a construction project that still boasts superlatives today was laid in 1846. The Elstertal Bridge in Saxony's Vogtland district, Germany crosses the "Weiße Elster" river on the Leipzig-Hof railway line. With two levels, it stands 68 meters tall and is constructed from over 12 million bricks, making it the second-largest brick bridge in the world.

More than 800 workers were involved in the five-year construction in the mid-19th century. The bridge's eventful history ranges from the enlargement of the track axis spacing in 1924 to the demolition of the central bridge pier by German troops less than four weeks before the end of World War II.

Constructed with Brick Arches

However, by October 1950, the bridge with its impressive brick arches was restored. Since then, there have been various maintenance works and extensions. Electrification, for example, took place in 2012. In January 2022, a complete renovation began, including the reconstruction of the bridge deck. Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company, stated that the work aims “To maintain the bridge's structural integrity, the track structure of the existing arched bridge will be rebuilt, and the masonry extensively renovated. Special attention is being paid to the preservation of this historically significant structure".

Old copperplate engravings of the bridge construction still show the almost artfully arranged wooden scaffolding. Today, modern scaffolding systems have long replaced these, yet according to scaffolding manufacturer Scafom-rux, they remain equally impressive.

The company Lindner Gerüstbau GmbH from Kolkwitz was awarded the contract for the complete scaffolding of the bridge. This meant a significant amount of volumetric scaffolding due to the dimensions and depth of the bridge arches alone. Approximately 56,000 cubic meters of working scaffolding were designed as a standing structure, and about 17,000 cubic meters of working scaffolding were built as suspended scaffolding.

A total of 2100 tons of Scafom-rux's RINGSCAFF modular scaffolding, valued by Lindner for its flexible application possibilities, were used. Additionally, about 12,500 square meters of facade scaffolding and approximately 19,000 square meters of combined facade/support scaffolding were installed. For system-independent accessories, lattice girders alone amounted to 8,500 linear meters in 450mm height and 500 linear meters in 750mm height. On average, 18 fitters are involved in this project. The scaffolding was planned by the engineering agency Ingenieurbüro Krüger from Leipzig.

By early September 2022, approximately 100 truckloads of material had been delivered. Nearly half of the scaffolding material to be installed was delivered by 40-ton trucks to Plauen freight station and reloaded onto railway flat cars there. It then traveled by train directly to the bridge, where it was unloaded again. Deutsche Bahn AG imposed very strict time limits for the track closures under the bridge, which were necessary for unloading. The remaining 50% of the scaffolding material was delivered by 40-ton trucks to the temporary storage area at the bridge abutment. From there, it was distributed as needed with a 7.5-ton truck either in the valley of the bridge or at the opposite abutment of the bridge. Direct delivery of scaffolding material on-site with heavy trucks was not possible due to a lack of access roads. Vertical material transport then occurred with two tower cranes, each set up on the left and right at the bridge abutments.

Challenging Material Transport

For material transport across the "Weiße Elster" river, Lindner specifically erected a suspension bridge over 30 meters long between the bridge's piers.

Vertical material transport within the scaffolding was ensured by four Geda-1500-ZZP lifts.

Lack of Infrastructure

Besides the aforementioned poor access for heavy trucks and the lack of infrastructure, the challenges of the construction site also included the extremely steep and uneven erection surfaces with rocky and overgrown ground. Due to this extreme slope and the crossing of railway tracks, rivers, and hiking trails, the stable foundation of the scaffolding was extremely complex. Therefore, mainly suspended scaffolding was used. Furthermore, due to monument protection regulations, anchoring with normal eye bolts was not possible; instead, it was done using horizontal lattice girders and specially manufactured wall connection plates in custom-made core drillings. The completion of the extensive renovation work on the Elstertal Bridge is planned for 2025. This project represents another significant achievement for Lindner, showcasing their expertise in "scaffolding for architecturally demanding structures".