Construction site of the week – Demolition of bridge towers in Oldenburg
DA member company Scheele Erdbau faced a special challenge at the beginning of the year. The four unused towers of the former Cäcilienbrücke bridge in Oldenburg were to be demolished. The listed lift bridge had already been removed from service in 2020 and taken away for restoration. With the dismantling of the remaining towers, space has now been made for a new building.
Transporting materials by water
The soil investigations in the River Hunte were already underway so that the go-ahead could be given on time in January. The logistics had to be planned with particular precision in the run-up to the project. The approximately 1,000 tonnes of material to be removed had to be transported by water in order to keep the adjacent road clear for traffic. In order to manage the removal via the Hunte, the company hired a freighter that could hold up to 200 tonnes of rubble. This brought the material in containers to a turning point in Oldenburg harbour. Here it was loaded onto lorries and taken to the company headquarters in Wildeshausen for processing.
Scheduled completion of the work
The conventional dismantling of the towers was to be completed within seven weeks. In addition to the large quantities of material, around twelve tonnes of hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead, also had to be professionally removed and disposed of. An excavator (Hitachi KTEG KMC 400P-7) was used on land to load the material into containers on the freighter. A demolition curtain held by a crane was used to prevent material from entering the river. The work was completed on schedule in March.
According to the client, the Weser-Jade-Nordsee Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), the Cäcilienbrücke had to be dismantled due to extensive structural damage, as it was no longer possible to repair it. The construction of a new lift bridge at the same location is currently being planned.
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You can find a video of the project on YouTube.
Pictures: Scheele Erdbau GmbH & Co. KG