Heavy plates from Ilsenburg for Overfly bridge
27.06.2024 | Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH
The modernization of bridges on Germany's roads is one of the key tasks for the future of a modern and efficient transportation infrastructure. Heavy plates play an important role here, as steel is an indispensable material in bridge construction. One example of outstanding engineering is the Overfly bridge structure, which will relieve congestion at the Nuremberg-Ost interchange and make it more efficient. The steel construction company Donges SteelTec GmbH is currently working on the completion of the impressive 588 m long bridge with heavy plates from Ilsenburg.
The steel composite bridge Overfly is part of the major project "Reconstruction of the Nuremberg East intersection" of Autobahn GmbH and will guide traffic as a semi-direct ramp from Heilbronn via the Nuremberg East junction in the direction of Berlin. Donges SteelTec is producing the entire bridge, which will ultimately contain 8,600 tons of steel, in six sections in the so-called cycle basement. After assembly, each section is hydraulically shifted longitudinally over the abutment and the concrete piers. The next section is then connected to the displaced end of the previous section until the opposite abutment is reached. The steel composite structure, 588 m long in total, impressively spans the 115 m span with a total of five pairs of pylons. "The geometrical complexity of the structure with its narrow radius and the design as an extradosed bridge with five pylons and the harp-shaped stranded cables posed enormous challenges for the planning, production and assembly of this bridge structure, which our team mastered excellently," emphasizes Stephan Langer, Head of Bridge Construction at Donges SteelTec, describing the ambitious major project.
More than 8,000 tons of heavy plate were produced in Ilsenburg for this project and delivered in cooperation with Salzgitter Mannesmann Stahlhandel GmbH in Mannheim. In addition to the high demands on the quality of the structural steel plates, the project was characterized by complex acceptance and delivery requirements. "We are pleased to be an important partner in this bridge construction, which is not only technically highly demanding but also visually unique," describes Martin Knauff (Senior Sales Manager at Ilsenburger Grobblech) the project, which has now been completed from Ilsenburg’s side.
The steel construction work is still ongoing, with five of six sections successfully completed to date. The sixth section will be installed next fall. The entire structure is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.