Tag Archive for: News

PTS at Frankfurt Airport

A look behind the scenes of the project!

The new Passenger Transport System (PTS) station will connect Terminal 3 of Frankfurt Airport, which is currently under construction, with the existing passenger facilities, the regional and long-distance railway station in the north and the Sheraton Hotel.

Donges SteelTec has been commissioned with the manufacture, delivery and assembly of the complex steel structure of the PTS station. The fabrication and assembly of the conical round supports and the cast nodes represent a special challenge here. The assembly work of module 1 is almost completed. The entire construction project will be completed by the end of 2023. The following photos give an impression of the huge steel construction before the final coating.

 

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Reconstruction of the Ahrtal railway

Donges SteelTec manufactures and assembles the steel structures for nine railway bridges

In the course of the flood disaster in July 2021, large parts of the Deutsche Bahn rail network in the Ahr valley were destroyed. Now, bridges and railway embankments along the route are to be rebuilt in a highly water-resistant manner. The main focus is on the bridges. The former round arch bridges are to be given a slimmer construction during the reconstruction in order to offer the (flood) water as little surface of attack as possible.

Donges SteelTec has been commissioned to manufacture, deliver and assemble the steel structures (4300 t) for nine steel trough bridges. The contract also includes workshop and assembly planning as well as all corrosion protection services, bearings, transition structure and railings.

We are pleased to be able to contribute to the reconstruction of the Ahr valley and are convinced that the decision to build the new bridges sustainably in steel construction is an additional measure to increase resilience against possible future flood events.

 

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BW3-1 Overfly

Donges pushes bridge Overfly over Nuremberg East interchange

The bridge structure 3-1 Overfly transfers an exit of the motorway A6 Rifa Amberg over the motorway junction Nuremberg East and thus reconnects the motorway A6 to the motorway A9. The new construction will improve the performance of the Nuremberg East junction.

The bridge construction is a combination of continuous girder and cable-stayed bridge and can therefore be classified as an extradosed bridge. Donges SteelTec is constructing the complete bridge in the so-called cycle basement in 6 sections. After assembly, each section is hydraulically shifted longitudinally over the abutment and the concrete piers. The next section is then connected to the displaced end of the previous section until the opposite abutment is reached.

The steel composite structure, 588 m long in total, impressively spans the 115 m span with a total of 5 pairs of pylons. Up to 55 stranded cables form the cables of the stay cables. A total of approx. 8,600 tons of steel will be used for the 588 m long bridge.

The displacement of the bridge, including the already assembled pylons and cables, is carried out in 6 cycles with the maximum displacement distances of 115 m. A 50 m long cantilever bridges the free spans during shifting and compensates for the deflections of the bridge due to its own weight when it runs onto the next pier. Shifting takes two days per cycle. It takes place on special shifting rockers and is carried out with the help of greased shifting plates that allow the steel construction to slide forward successively. In this way, the shifting load that the hydraulic presses have to apply can be reduced to a maximum of 10 % of the bridge weight.

On 22.06.2023 the 3rd shifting cycle was successfully completed, the next components of the 4th cycle are currently being assembled. The steel construction work will continue until 2024.

 

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New arch bridge for Frankfurt

Donges SteelTec builds bar arch bridge for the Regionaltangente West (RTW) in Frankfurt am Main

An impressive bar arch bridge is currently being built at the Frankfurt Stadion S-Bahn station and thus right in front of the Waldstadion Frankfurt. The bridge structure carries the new RTW line over the existing Deutsche Bahn AG track system.

The superstructure of the bar arch bridge with a span of approx. 113 m is being built in steel construction and is divided into two arch levels consisting of stiffening girders, arches and hangers, as well as an orthotropic carriageway and walkways with cable ducts on both sides.

Design, fabrication and corrosion protection of the steel components were carried out at the Donges SteelTec GmbH plant in Darmstadt.

Parallel to the fabrication, the individual foundations were produced on the construction site and the auxiliary scaffolding was prepared for the erection. The steel structures were delivered by heavy-duty transporters to the pre-assembly site, where a mobile crane placed the components directly into the assembly position. Due to the very tight space conditions on the construction site, the pre-assembly began in the eastern area of the assembly area. Here, the first third of the superstructure with axis 10 was assembled in a horizontal position and then moved along the assembly area in a westerly direction using an SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporter) so that the other steel sections could then be added.  Welding and corrosion protection work is currently underway on the site until autumn 2023.

For the actual insertion over the DB tracks in May 2024, the superstructure will be stacked in the storage axles to shunting height, transferred to SPMT and aligned in the shunting position. During a 24-hour break in rail traffic, the superstructure will be pushed over the track field with maximum cantilever and taken over on the opposite side by a lattice boom crawler crane.

We are very pleased to be able to carry out this exciting project close to home.

 

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Top placings for Donges young welders

Donges SteelTec takes part in the “Jugend schweißt” competition of the DVS Association.

Darmstadt, 02.06.2023. In the preliminary round of the “Jugend schweißt” competition, the trainees of Donges SteelTec GmbH achieved first and third places in the MAG and E-Hand processes. With torch in hand, they were able to demonstrate their manual skills in welding steel sheets. The young Donges welders were rewarded with valuable non-cash prizes and a cash gift. In addition, welding test certificates were issued for the welded fillet welds.

For the first-place winners, it is now on to the next round of the competition at state level in Kassel, and if the welds are perfectly set, then to the national competition in Essen in September. We are already keeping our fingers crossed!

Marco Arndt, responsible for welding training at Donges SteelTec, is proud of the young talent and sees their successful performance as confirmation of the good quality of training at Donges SteelTec.

 

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Steel construction at first hand

Donges SteelTec supports pupils in their career orientation

The practical experience and orientation in the working world of a company is very important for young people on their way to career planning. Against this background, Donges SteelTec again gave boys and girls the opportunity to get to know the world of heavy steel construction on Girls’ & Boys’ Day this year. Nine young people gained their first insights in our technical office, where designers and structural engineers work out the basics for steel structures. After a tour through the individual departments of the company administration, they were finally able to marvel at the heavy, welded steel components for the bridge and building projects in the factory halls.

Donges SteelTec is a training company for construction mechanics and technical system planners. Perhaps the Girls’ and Boys’ Day could contribute to sparking an enthusiasm for building with steel among the young people.

 

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Welcome on board!

Donges SteelTec structural engineering division under new management

On 3 April, Mr Dirk Lehmann took over the management of our structural engineering division. With Mr. Lehmann, we have succeeded in gaining an extremely experienced and competent manager from the steel construction industry for our company. After completing his two degrees in mechanical and industrial engineering, Mr Lehmann gained many years of experience and know-how, first as a project manager and sales engineer, and later as a sales manager and managing director in a medium-sized steel construction company.

All of us, especially our structural engineering team, are looking forward to acquiring and successfully realising many interesting and challenging new projects under Mr. Lehmann’s leadership.

 

Welcome on board Mr Lehmann!

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Spectacular assembly of the Jauntal Bridge begins

One of the highest railway bridges in Europe gets a new steel superstructure

At 96 m, the Jauntal Bridge in Austria is one of the highest railway bridges in Europe. In the course of the construction of the new double-track Koralmbahn railway line, the existing single-track structure of the Jauntal Bridge will be upgraded to a modern, double-track steel truss composite structure. Donges SteelTec has been awarded the contract for the manufacture, delivery and assembly of the steel superstructure. The 3300 tonne steel structure will be manufactured at the Darmstadt plant. The 428 m long steel structure will first be assembled in three segments on a pre-assembly area below the existing bridge. The three structural elements are then moved transversely and longitudinally one after the other. In the process, the old and new supporting structures are connected to each other and the existing bridge is also pushed out.

The spectacular assembly work high above the river Drava begins in early January, when the first of the three segments of the new superstructure is first shifted transversely and then coupled to the existing structure. The first longitudinal shift will then follow in February. A technical and logistical challenge for our employees and, after the Danube bridge in Linz (bypass bridges), another milestone for our company in neighbouring Austria.

 

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A successful year comes to an end

Management of Donges SteelTec looks ahead to the new year with confidence

At the last works meeting of the year, Dr Wolf Cornelius thanked all employees for their commitment and successful work in the past business year. Full order books and a correspondingly good presence of the company in the steel construction market allow the management to look positively into the next year. Against this background, the works council and the management agreed in advance on the payment of an inflation compensation to the employees. After so much positive news, the employees celebrated the end of the year in the Christmas-decorated inner courtyard of the company premises. Hot chestnuts, mulled wine and bratwurst from the Donges Grill ensured physical well-being and a good mood until late in the evening.

 

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Donges SteelTec builds new Rhine bridge

Bridge construction division is pleased with major contract for the replacement construction of the Pfaffendorfer Bridge in Koblenz

Donges SteelTec, as part of the ARGE Pfaffendorfer Brücke consortium, has been awarded the contract for the replacement construction of the Pfaffendorfer Bridge in Koblenz.

As an important link across the Rhine, the existing bridge must be completely replaced by a new one. For this purpose, the 311 m long steel composite bridge, which is broken up in the area of the pier coves, will first be built in the lateral position next to the existing bridge and, after the demolition of the existing bridge, will be moved transversely into the final position.

Donges SteelTec is taking over the technical responsibility for the entire structure by preparing the structural analysis of the river bridge, the assembly planning and the execution and workshop drawings within the consortium. Around 5,500 tonnes of steel structure will be manufactured and corrosion-protected in the halls of Donges SteelTec GmbH in Darmstadt. Afterwards, the steel elements, weighing up to 450 tonnes, will be successively transported by ship via a pre-assembly site on the Rhine to the construction site, where they will be assembled above the Rhine by means of floating cranes.

The work for the new Rhine bridge will be carried out between 2023 and 2027

 

 

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