1,100 tonnes Steel bridge installed
January 9, 2025 | Lucia Reinsprecht
The replacement of the old railway bridge in the middle of the Berlin district of Lichtenberg was an important milestone in the modernisation of the rail infrastructure. The old “Kietz” junction had reached the end of its technical service life and had to be replaced. The team led by Jens Fuchs, 29, project manager of Engineered Solutions, had to overcome a number of challenges: “On the one hand, railway lines have to be closed for rail infrastructure projects. This means that our work has to run smoothly within a limited time frame,” explains Fuchs. The limited space in the middle of the metropolis also challenged the heavy-lift experts. “Our assembly area was hardly any bigger than the bridge itself,” says Fuchs, describing the conditions on site. Shortly before the project started, unexpected subsidence of the embankment and underground pipes also arose as problems. “We had to reschedule several times, but in the end we were able to start on time,” says Fuchs.
Complex technology
With a great deal of commitment, the efficient use of heavy-duty equipment such as multi-stage presses, climbing systems, skidways and strand jacks, and the support of the Felbermayr Bautzen and Dresden branches, the project started on schedule after a year of planning. To this end, work began on setting up the complex technology on two construction sites. The starting point for moving the 63-metrelong and 12-metre-wide truss bridge was a former skate park south of the railway embankment. Here, too, Engineered Solutions provided support: “We started moving the 24-metre-long, 80-tonne bridge segments to the pre-assembly site with our SPMTs back in spring. The bridge was constructed in segments there,” said Fuchs, describing the preparations.
Stacked eight and a half metres high
The actual “battle of materials” began in September. The bridge structure, which will have a final weight of 1,100 tonnes, was first stacked to a height of over four metres using step jacks. This was necessary in order to then position a climbing system including supports and skidway under the bridge to raise it in its entirety by a further four and a half metres – thus reaching the level of the railway embankment at a height of over eight metres. It was then moved 24 metres across from the assembly area to the railway embankment. “To do this, we built two supporting tracks on the railway embankment, connected them to the supports under the bridge and then built the skidway on the supporting tracks,” explains Fuchs. For the assembly of the beams, which were partly cantilevered. These were built using a 230-tonne crane from the Bautzen branch, as well as work platforms and lift trucks from Dresden. On the railway embankment, the bridge was finally taken over by means of hydraulic skidding bearings and prepared for the last “act”.
80 metre longitudinal displacement
To bring the new railway bridge into its final position over the tracks of the Berlin – Küstrin-Kietz connection, an 80-metre longitudinal push was carried out. To do this, the steel bridge was first moved over the railway embankment towards the tracks using sliding bearings. A total of six tower sections, each over seven metres high, were erected next to the railway tracks for the longitudinal displacement. These were needed for the subsequent stacking. Since the safety distance between the suburban railway and the assembly area was too small, two towers could only be erected within a single track possession, one week before the longitudinal displacement. Due to the narrow time frame of the line closures, every move had to be just right. After all, millions of city dwellers depend on the commuter route. “But that worked wonderfully and smoothly too,” says Fuchs proudly. In the last feat of strength, the bridge over the shunting yard had slid from the railway embankment towards the tower sections. Within 48 hours, the new truss bridge was finally unstacked and assembled in its final position at a height of seven metres above the ground. “Right after that, we had to dismantle the tower sections again,” says Fuchs. The Engineered Solutions experts can also “clean up” in record time. The conclusion of the project was crowned by a more than satisfied client. “We have received a great deal of praise and thanks,” Fuchs concluded.
A meteoric career: From trainee to project manager
With the highly successful completion of the project, Jens Fuchs is not only celebrating his tenth anniversary at the Felbermayr Group. With his debut as project manager in a bridge shift, the youngster has also successfully completed his final thesis and thus his studies in civil engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. Born in Erlangen, he started his successful career with an apprenticeship as a freight forwarder at the Felbermayr branch in Nuremberg. With the support of Felbermayr, Fuchs expanded his skills and advanced from case worker to business administrator. During his subsequent studies in Berlin, Fuchs continued to work part-time. After graduating in 2023, he wanted to take on a new challenge within the company and found it in the Engineered Solutions department in Krefeld. There he continues to prove his expertise as a project engineer and project manager.
