Europahafenkopf development, Bremen-Überseestadt

Four multi-storey buildings were constructed on a single, continuous basement as part of the Europahafenkopf development in Bremen’s Überseestadt district. Gustav Zech Stiftung was the client for this project. The ambitious building complex in the city centre is located on challenging subsoil, and the first stage in ensuring a secure construction was to establish a comprehensive pile foundation.

The Europahafenkopf development was designed to create new buildings, spaces and areas and to make use of previously underutilised harbour infrastructure, thereby generating a vibrant atmosphere for the district. The project comprises two residential buildings and the Mobility House, plus the standout feature: a 21-storey high-rise office tower containing the new headquarters of the Gustav Zech Stiftung. The high structural load of the building complex and the distinctive subsoil conditions necessitated the execution of a deep pile foundation.

Challenging subsoil conditions demand intelligent solutions

The Zech building is located on top of a backfilled section of the Europa Harbour. The backfill soil consists primarily of sand interspersed with embedded cohesive layers. Investigation revealed that the backfill layer extended down to around 17m below the surface. Below this lie thin layers of silt and harbour floor sediment, followed by more accumulated sand. According to the geotechnical report, the structural load needed to be transmitted to the deeper,

more densely packed sand layer. This presented a particular challenge to the experts at Stump-Franki, but they were able to solve the problem using the company’s own pile system: the Frankipfahl NG®.

A pile foundation alongside existing buildings: less vibration, noise and emissions with Frankipfahl NG® piles

The Frankipfahl NG® pile was the ideal system for this inner-city construction scheme in Bremen-Überseestadt, with 200 Frankipfahl NG® piles successfully manufactured at the Europahafenkopf site. Many of these were bored in very close proximity to other office buildings, a parking garage and a hotel. Vibration measurements conducted during the construction process confirmed that the manufacture of the Frankipfahl NG® piles caused no damage to the surrounding structures. Driving energy was able to be individually controlled by varying the height of fall of the drop hammer, and pre-established vibration limit values were adhered to at all times. A new control system simplified the execution process, with progress recorded using state-of-the-art measuring equipment. Controlling the height of fall and precision planning of the various construction processes also meant that noise could be kept to a minimum during the foundation works. Another plus: owing to the contained internal driving method, the Frankipfahl NG® piles were fabricated with very low emissions.