Embankment wall of the Leine Canal, Göttingen

When it comes to the careful preservation of old buildings, the expertise of the Chemnitz branch is in high demand. This is not the first time that the experts in masonry and concrete renovation have been commissioned to renovate part of the bank wall on the Göttinger Leinekanal. The work was closely monitored by the monument conservation authorities.

Leinekanal is a piece of the city's history

As early as the end of the 13th century, the people of Göttingen canalised a branch of the River Leine with walls and wooden walls in order to drive their mills with water power. At that time, the Leine Canal formed the city boundary; today it flows through the centre of Göttingen's old town and has earned it the nickname "Venice of the North". For more than 700 years, the restoration of the bank walls has been a never-ending project in the city in Lower Saxony. Rehabilitation of the limestone wall and crown. Between September 2021 and February 2022, it was the turn of another section as part of the remodelling of the street "Am Leinekanal" between Prinzenstraße and the pedestrian bridge at the listed Stockleffmühle. PORR renovated a total of 110 m2 of historic limestone masonry and renewed 31 m3 of masonry crown.

Knowledge of materials and care are required

The rehabilitation of historic masonry requires a sure instinct and precise knowledge of materials. Masonry injections with special mortar are state of the art to prevent capillary rising damp and sponge infestation and to give the wall more stability from the inside. The structure is often additionally reinforced with masonry pins.

Joint renovation with dry spraying methods

Various renovation techniques were also used in Göttingen. The surfaces were repointed using the dry grouting method and then cleaned by sandblasting. 5,000 kg of injection mortar was injected into the cavities and 57 masonry needles were inserted. The final step was the rehabilitation of the wall crown. The wall was topped with 22 m3 of concrete cover with 2.5 tonnes of steel rod reinforcement.