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Salzbachtal Bridge A66, Wiesbaden

Facts and Figures
Company PORR Spezialtiefbau GmbH
Principal Autobahn GmbH des Bundes
Location Wiesbaden - Germany
Type Turnkey construction pits, Foundations
Runtime 11.2019 - 12.2022

Foundation works for the Salzbachtal bridge replacement construction on the A66

Our Region West department was contracted to manufacture the pile foundations and supporting foundations for the new Salzbachtal bridge construction on the A66 highway. The execution of this project involved 186 bored piles with diameters measuring between 120 and 150cm and individual lengths of up to 48m. After a bridge pillar collapsed as a result of cumulative overloading of the bridge, subsequently causing the unplanned demolition of the bridge structure, the Salzbachtal bridge construction process continued in November 2021.

Bored piles under heavy load

Bored piles, and especially large-diameter bored piles, are used as foundation elements where high loads need to be transferred to deep, load-bearing soil layers. Bored piles are particularly rigid and can absorb both vertical and horizontal loads. They can be manufactured in a variety of ways to adapt to any construction site situation.

On schedule with powerful drilling equipment

The piles for this project were manufactured using Kelly drills and cased boring. Several high-performance drills were used in the process. Underneath the A66 Salzbachtal Bridge, a Bauer BG45 drill with a shortened leader was used in some sections. With this drill, the team was able to adjust the working level precisely to match the required height. Drilling was conducted using 3m-long borehole casings, allowing a scant metre of airspace above the machine.

This resulted in an extremely economical pile manufacturing process and a reduced construction period.

Gripper drilling in limited height conditions

In other areas under the bridge, the team had to work with overhead clearance of just 11m in which to manufacture 48m-long bored piles. In these conditions, the chosen method involved gripper drilling using a cable excavator and casing oscillator. The construction team were able to flexibly adjust the boom to match the available space on the construction site, and position the cable excavator precisely between the span bearers of the existing bridge structure. Our experienced team used our specialist equipment to safely complete this project to the complete satisfaction of the client.

Retaining walls and construction pits for the pylon foundations and dewatering works

We were able to use a broad range of technical means to manufacture several construction pits in different sizes to suit the various construction conditions of the motorway lanes on the new Salzbachtal Bridge construction. The range of services provided by our specialist civil engineering experts also included the execution of a large assembly area to one side of the motorway, along with sheet-pile walls and soldier pile walls for the pylon foundations and the three discharge points for rainwater drainage.