Photos: Complex Railway Bridge Project Meets Deadlines Despite Challenges

The Filstal Bridge construction project brought together all the challenges of bridge construction, but PERI engineers were still able to help the project meet its deadlines despite the complications.

The bridge, which is over 1,500 feet long, is now one of the highest railway bridges in Germany, standing at a height of over 278 feet. It connects the Boßler Tunnel in the north with the Steinbühl Tunnel in the south.

An 'extremely demanding' structure

“The structure is extremely demanding in terms of architecture and engineering,” according to PERI, which provided a comprehensive service package to assist with the bridge’s completion.

“Three PERI modular systems served as the formwork and scaffolding basis for the bridge pier construction work,” the company stated. “The slender reinforced concrete shafts sprouted upward, cycle by cycle, with the aid of the rail-guided RCS climbing formwork.”

The bridge comprises two single-track superstructures that were constructed as pre-stressed concrete using a formwork carriage.

PERI UP scaffold suspensions were then used to assist with finishing work; the systems also doubled as wind and weather protection when enclosed.

“The impressive versatility of the PERI UP Scaffolding Kit meant that the suspended scaffolds could be optimally adapted to the geometry of the bridge,” the company stated. “Using the new, second generation of PERI UP components also resulted in noticeable weight advantages and increased the load-bearing capacity by, for example, enabling the standards to be double-pinned.”

Also included in PERI’s package for the project were engineering services, construction site support, chief erectors and factory pre-assembly of the project’s connecting tunnel portals.

Because the tunnel’s formwork carriage was based on PERI’s VARIOKIT Engineering Construction Kit, the company said it was able to develop a customized project solution, deliver it to the construction site and assemble it there without wasting time.