48 hours re-opening

Using demolition tools from Atlas Copco helped to maximise productivity on a highly time-sensitive project in Germany. The A3 autobahn runs from the Dutch/German border through the western part of the Ruhr area, the Cologne area, the Rhine-Main area and Bavaria down to the Austrian border at Stuben. It is one of the most heavily used highways in Germany and because of increasing traffic volumes, widening the road to six lanes has become necessary.
July 6, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Using Atlas Copco demolition attachments helped the fast removal of an old bridge over a busy German autobahn in a strict timeframe
Using demolition tools from 161 Atlas Copco helped to maximise productivity on a highly time-sensitive project in Germany. The A3 autobahn runs from the Dutch/German border through the western part of the Ruhr area, the Cologne area, the Rhine-Main area and Bavaria down to the Austrian border at Stuben. It is one of the most heavily used highways in Germany and because of increasing traffic volumes, widening the road to six lanes has become necessary.

Near Randersacker an old bridge crossing the river Main built in 1964 was demolished using explosives and a new wider one was erected just 3m away. This new bridge is already in use.

After the 540m long Main bridge was blown up, the B13 underneath the bridge was to be re-opened to traffic in just 48 hours. This required some 1,500m3 of reinforced concrete which collapsed on this particular section of the B13 to be crushed and another 800m3 of a layer provided to protect the top surface of the road to be removed. Across the entire length of the former pre-stressed steel bridge, a total of 25,000m3 of reinforced concrete had to be taken care of.

Eight Atlas Copco hydraulic breakers with service weights from 1.2-7tonnes were used for the job by the contractor Ruppert KG Erdbau + Abbruch while six hydraulic pulverisers were used to crush the bridge fragments on the spot. Part of the bridge could not be demolished using explosives and was instead cut down using Atlas Copco CC 2500 U and CC 3300 U CombiCutters mounted on 718 Liebherr R954 and R974 long reach excavators. The B13 was already cleared after just 36 hours, so that the Federal road could be opened to traffic much earlier than scheduled.
Maintenance

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Turkey’s important new tunnel will improve transport links
    May 18, 2016
    Major advances in tunnelling will allow cars to travel underneath the Bosphorus sea channel in Turkey's Istanbul next year when its third road link is opened, writes Adrian Greeman. The Bosphorus is redolent with history and strategic significance. As one of the world's most significant sea connections, linking the landlocked Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and the Mediterranean beyond, it has been vitally important for trade and crucial for military access. It is also one of the biggest obstacles for land tra
    Read More
  • Wirtgen SP 1500 dual paver solves four problems at once
    December 8, 2016
    Four job sites, four contractors, four German states, one paving method: Dual-layer concrete paving with the slipform paver SP 1500 from Wirtgen is on the road to success in Germany. Swayed by the numerous economic and technical advantages, more and more planning engineers are opting for this technology when rehabilitating concrete highways.
    Read More
  • Circuit of the Americas Formula for F1 success
    April 4, 2013
    In November 2012, the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, hosted the first ever Formula 1 US Grand Prix on a purpose-built track. But, as Jeff Winke and Guy Woodford report, the construction of COTA was just as demanding as competing in an F1 race itself For COTA construction contractor Austin Bridge & Road, L.P., nothing was more vital to the successful building of the 5.5km F1 track than meeting the strict criteria for its asphalt-paved surface. “The amount of stress this pavement will un
    Read More
  • Challenging viaduct construction
    March 2, 2012
    TRAFFIC VOLUMES on Gran Canaria, the third largest of the Canary Islands, have been swelling rapidly in recent years, not least because of the boom in tourism. Among the routes most affected is the 32km long northern motorway GC-2 between Las Palmas and Agaëte, which has reached the limits of its capacity.
    Read More

Highlighted Content