Because of ailing wooden construction: Hahner Straße pedestrian bridge is being demolished!

Because of ailing wooden construction: Hahner Straße pedestrian bridge is being demolished!

On January 31, 2025, the demolition decision for the pedestrian bridge between Großen Hahner Straße and Stichstrasse Hahner Strasse was published. The bridge, which is opposite house number 43a, has become traffic -uncertain due to serious structural damage. Experts have found that the wooden construction of the bridge is largely moistened and that a mushroom growth occurred. In addition, the edge carriers have up to 11.5 cm deep longitudinal cracks, while the rodic plates of the cross carriers are rusted. These defects make the bridge a security risk, which makes the demolition appear necessary. According to aachen.de there is no new construction of the bridge, since there are sufficient alternative pedestrian squads in the area.

The demolition work is expected to be carried out between February 3 and 7, 2025. The road maintenance and bridge construction of the Aachen city operations is commissioned to demolish. The work includes charging and the professional disposal of steel railings and wooden carriers with a crane car. In order to close the gap after the demolition, a supplement with a brick parapet is planned on the north side, while a hedge is planted on the south side. The connection work begins as soon as the weather permits.

The challenges in bridge construction

The construction of bridges is a highly complex task in construction. Numerous factors, such as loads and vibrations, have to be taken into account, especially in steel bridge construction. When it comes to free-exciting constructions, it shows that steel bridges have advantages in terms of weight and load-bearing capacity compared to wood or concrete structures. As notes fsp-stahlbau.de , the advantages of Stahlbrücken are diverse: they enable unhindered traffic during the construction period, and prefabricated bridge parts can be quickly assembled on site, which saves time and resources.

In addition, the lifespan and the sustainability of steel bridges are remarkable. It can be over 100 years and its construction contributes to the saving of economic costs in the millions. In today's world, sustainable bridge construction with steel should become the standard to minimize environmentally stressful factors and traffic disabilities.

versatile application options in bridge construction

The bridge construction comprises a variety of constructions, including pedestrian bridges, cycle path bridges and even special connecting bridges between buildings as well as pipeline and cable bridges. The possibilities are wide and offer solutions for everyday and specific requirements in the traffic and environmental sector. Thanks to the collaboration with architects, planners and builders, a dimensional planning can be carried out, which results in the purchase of bridge components such as ropes, profiles and providers.

The upcoming demolition work on Hahner Straße represent a partial step in the continuous care of the urban infrastructure. In the long term, it is of great importance that such buildings remain safe and functional in order to meet the needs of citizens. The focus on careful planning and execution in bridge construction is becoming increasingly relevant.