Heidingsfeld Viaduct
Heidingsfeld Viaduct / Engineering performance at the highest level
With approx. 10,000 t of steel construction, the Heidingsfeld viaduct on the A3 motorway near Würzburg is currently one of the largest bridge construction projects under construction in Germany.
The 635 m long viaduct will be pre-assembled in two construction phases in a form station in a lateral position to the existing motorway bridge and launched lengthwise in 6 increments. The steel construction has to span each up to 50 m high solid pier in 120 m free cantilevered sections.
Construction began in 2015 for the northern superstructure / in the direction of Frankfurt. In June 2016 came what heretofore was the most challenging movement with a 120 m free cantilever. This makes the Heidingsfeld viaduct one of the largest steel composite bridges in Germany to be built using the incremental launching method.
The deflections of approx. 4 m on the cantilever as a result of the movement were compensated by a 40 m long front-end section with an attached hydraulic lifting device at the tip of the section.
The last movement of the 1st superstructure occurred in August 2016. The completion of the new bridge for the lane in the direction of Frankfurt was on December 15, 2017. The shift of traffic from the old, existing structure to the new superstructure occurred on March 01, 2018.
In 2018, the old superstructure will first be demolished, creating the freedom to complete the 2nd construction phase. Parallel to these measures, the steel construction assembly for the southern superstructure has begun in the form station behind the west abutment.
The 1st increment for the superstructure on the lane in the direction of Nuremberg is scheduled for 2018. In 2019, the superstructure will be moved in 5 additional longitudinal increments and the steel assembly for the main supporting structure will be completed.
After production of the concrete slab, the bridge equipment will be installed and the lane constructed. Overall completion of the steel construction work is planned for 2020.
Technical information
The structure consists of a northern superstructure – the lane in the direction of Frankfurt, and a southern superstructure – the lane in the direction of Nuremberg
Design: 7-span steel composite bridge
Total length: 635 m (in the center line of the A3 motorway)
Span widths: 53 – 80 – 92 – 100 – 108 – 120 – 82 m
Width: 22.28 m (outer edge of the cantilevered parapets in the direction of Frankfurt ) 20.28 m (outer edge of the cantilevered parapets in the direction of Nuremberg)
Overall height: 4.6 m (center line of the box girder)
Curve radius: 1,750 m (in the A3 motorway center line)
Distance of the cross frames: 4.00 m (in relation to the A3 motorway center line)
Tonnage: 10,000 t
Owner: Autobahndirektion Nordbayern (Motorway Directorate of Northern Bavaria)
