![[Translate to English:] Bild von der anderen Uferseite des Hafens; Man sieht das Arbeitsponton; Am Hafen neben dem Panton stehen mehrere Zugwagons](https://porr.de/fileadmin/_processed_/d/c/csm_Stump-Franki_Verpressanker_Straubingen_03d54fd808.jpg)
Permanent anchors secure the statics of the sheet pile wall
The Danube expansion between Straubing and Vilshofen is a long-planned decade-long project with two main objectives. Firstly, the flood protection level is to be raised from an approximately 30-year flood to a 100-year flood. Secondly, navigation conditions on the important federal waterway will be improved. Among other things, the draught at low water will be increased by at least 20 cm, between the Straubing lock and the port of Straubing Sand even by 65 cm. Since the existing sheet pile walls are statically subjected to considerably more stress due to the deepening of the harbour bottom, a reinforcement of the sheet pile walls is necessary before dredging. The additional anchor layer consists of 1076 grouted permanent anchors spaced at 1.0 m intervals. The lengths vary between about 18.50 m and 29 m, the anchor steel diameters are 40 mm, 50 mm and 63.5 mm. As the anchor heads are located in the sheet pile valley in each case, waling is not required.
High demands on nature conservation and schedule reliability
Branch manager Stefan Lechelmair emphasises the high organisational and logistical challenges for his team: "In order to disrupt port operations as little as possible, the anchors are produced exclusively from a 42 x 12 m working pontoon. The required material is lifted with the help of a crane from a temporary storage facility on land onto a supply pontoon, which is then moved next to the work pontoon." In order to guarantee deadlines and achieve a high daily output, work has been carried out in two shifts since January. The requirements for environmental protection and nature conservation as well as timely completion are also high. For example, no substances are allowed to get into the Danube water. The drilling material is collected in rubble troughs, brought ashore with the supply pontoon and disposed of properly. As the harbour area is partly located in a bird sanctuary, the noise and sound-intensive work in these areas had to be completed by the beginning of the official breeding season on 1 March.
