Safe and sound
The Göltzsch Viaduct in Northern Vogtland
They call it the wonder of the Göltzsch valley. The Göltzsch Viaduct is one of the oldest testimonies to German railway history: the largest brick-built bridge in the world and a historical monument that continues to give reliable service even after more than 170 years. And regular maintenance and repair is a vital part of this. Blumenbecker is there to ensure that all the work carried out at those dizzying heights is performed with utmost safety. And that includes tightening up 2,600 bolts every six months.
The Göltzsch Viaduct in Saxony stands solid as a rock and spans the river valley between the towns of Reichenbach und Netzschkau. It is a railway bridge of superlatives: over half a kilometre in length, nearly 80 metres high and built from more than 26 million bricks. Most of these are still in their original condition. Just then a Regional Express from Leipzig roars over the bridge heading for Hof. It is one of up to 50 such trains that cross the viaduct every day, each weighing as much as 2,000 tonnes. Yet neither the high loads and increasing volume of traffic nor extreme environmental conditions have yet managed to affect this masterpiece of engineering. That this will remain so in the years ahead is all down to Ulrich Schäfer. The chief bridge engineer and his team are constantly on site inspecting the monument and carrying out structural repairs.
Complex equipment for maximum safety
Anyone who works at these dizzying heights has to have complete faith – in their own actions and in the equipment they are using. And for the latter the rail infrastructure company DB Netz AG has recruited an experienced partner. Blumenbecker has been responsible for maintaining the inspection equipment for the Göltzsch Viaduct since 2012. "This is a demanding job, for the equipment involved is fairly complex“, says Schäfer, before going on to explain: "Unlike the inspection equipment used on high-rise façades, the gondolas must be able to access not just the front and rear of the 98 arches but their inner surfaces too.“ This is made possible by using demountable work platforms. And the Göltzsch Viaduct has a pair of these. The two gondolas are suspended on rail tracks running along the east and west sides of the bridge. What is special about this system is that the drive units are detachable, which means that the two large platforms can be transformed into four smaller, individually controlled modules. These can then be joined together through the arches from either side of the bridge to create a single unit.
Technical checks with TÜV approval
"The fact that such inaccessible parts of the bridge can now be reached is down to a special combination of cable system, hydraulic controls and electronic components“, says Thomas Kolitsch, who heads the Blumenbecker department involved. The major spring maintenance operation, which involves dismantling, inspecting and re-installing all the technical equipment, including the cable system, takes two months to complete. The engineers are on the bridge right now checking the 2,600 plus bolts on the rail structure and tightening them by hand if necessary. "All this is followed by five days of inspection and approval by the TÜV“, explains Kolitsch. A few months later the team will be back on site when it's time to re-inspect the rail system and make the installation ready for the winter. And TÜV Thüringen will also be back to inspect the quality of the work done.
» Working with Blumenbecker has proved to be a stroke of luck! «
All services from a single source
For bridge master Schäfer, working with Blumenbecker has proved to be a stroke of luck: "We now get the entire spectrum of services from a single source, from emergency assistance and repair and maintenance through to training and briefing.“ Schäfer especially appreciates the fact that he is dealing with professionals who know their way around the complex issues involved and who are able to deliver convincing solutions as and when they are needed. Word of this expertise has spread around the DB Netz company. Recently, Kolitsch was called out to look at the Elster Viaduct, whose manually-operated maintenance and inspection system needs a rebuild – and something fairly impressive is required. "A job for Blumenbecker“, says Kolitsch confidently.
What are high-level maintenance systems?
Maintenance systems are used for cleaning, maintaining and repairing high-rise façades, glass roofs, glass domes and even bridges. They are widely employed when the structures in question are very high or when the parts of the building needing attention cannot be accessed by other types of mobile equipment or can only be reached with extreme difficulty. Maintenance installations consist of a man basket or working platform that is secured to the roof or attached to the roof structure via a track system. They can be operated manually, hydraulically or electronically.
