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On 6th July 2012, the completion of the Unstruttal viaduct was celebrated in Karsdorf (Burgenlandkreis) in the state of Sachsen-Anhalt. After five and a half years of construction, the last section of the viaduct, which forms part of the new Erfurt – Leipzig/Halle railway line VDE 8.2, was finished.

With a length of 2.668 meters, it will be the second longest railway bridge in Germany. Its foundations consist of 390 large-diameter bored piles, while its superstructure, a pre-stressed concrete hollow box consisting of six continuous beams supported by 41 slim piers, crosses the Unstruttal valley at a height of up to 49 m. 

A reinforced concrete arch with a span of 180 m is positioned as a fixed point in the middle of each 580 m long continuous beam.

The semi-integral construction method used for this railway bridge is an innovation.

The superstructure is merged monolithically with the piers and arches with no bridge bearings. Bearings were only installed at the ends of the bridge, where there are two calotte bearings at each abutment.

The arches of the Unstruttal viaduct were constructed on formwork scaffolding based on the ground. Mobile scaffolding at a height of 49 m was used for the superstructure. 46 repositioning actions at intervals of ca. 3 weeks were needed to complete the concrete structure.

Krebs und Kiefer carried out the original design planning in accordance with DB AG’s outline plan for the structure which was later changed to a semi-integral construction by DB AG.

Krebs und Kiefer is currently responsible for on-site construction supervision.

^{Article: al, km / 05.07.12   Pictures: Quelle GertPie (1) / Holger Althaus (2,3,4,5)}