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Through the harbour on Layher flood walkways
It was all the more pressing in view of the urban planning highlight now being built close to the city center near the Rheinauhafen port area. Where ships used to load grain in a busy harbour, a new quarter of the city is being built today over an area some two kilometers in extent. A mix of living and working, culture and leisure, squares and promenades, with restaurants, cafés and shops that will be a magnet for visitors. All that in an exciting combination of concrete, glass and steel used in the modern architecture, and of historical materials such as cobblestones, old railway tracks and restored harbour cranes. The proportion of protected buildings is nearly 30 percent, so the original harbour character will be preserved despite the makeover. One of the best-known buildings is the "Siebengebirge", famous beyond Cologne for its striking gables. The former grain warehouses were some of the first reinforced-concrete skeleton structures in Germany, built by the architect Hans Verbeek.
For protection of the Rheinauhafen quarter, walkways have to be built as a flood precaution. When the order was placed, it specified the creation of escape, evacuation and access routes for the individual buildings. Furthermore, the material for the three kilometer long main walkway with two different levels has to be easy to store and easy to assemble whenever required in 72 hours – without using bolts and screws. The access to the first level was a stairway, and for the individual buildings specific access walkways were planned. Layher developed specifically for this project a floodwater assembly frame based on its SpeedyScaf equipment and using the advantages of frame scaffolding to the full – yet without compromising on safety and flexibility: simple and time-saving assembly thanks to fewer components. Sufficient stability of the floodwater assembly frame even without additional ballast has been verified, and the strong steel decks are non-slip thanks to their perforation.
On top of that, the system can be combined with Allround equipment. The individual building accesses are thus quick and flexible to build, as is the stairway tower. The partner company for construction, storage and assembly is the Cologne-based scaffolding constructor ODENDAHL + FELDBUSCH, which in an emergency can put up the main walkway, stored complete in containers, in the required time using 20 erectors working in three shifts.
In September, the first trial assembly took place over 700 meters of the central and southern areas of the Rheinauhafen, which include the "Siebengebirge" building. Although only one team of eight was present, and the trial run was hindered by construction work still in progress, the main walkway was delivered complete and assembled in two days – with a net working time of 7.5 hours a day.
"In flood situations, time is a critical factor. With the new flood walkways, we were able to complete their assembly even faster than specified. That makes the new system really ideal for this application," says Uwe B. Odendahl of ODENDAHL + FELDBUSCH.
In charge of PR enquiries or contacts with the press:
Ms. Andrea Beisswenger
E-Mail Andrea.Beisswenger@layher.com
Telephone +49 71 35 / 70-0
Fax +49 71 35 / 7070-422
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