Structurae

The new Ruhr Bridge in Wetter, Germany - An air-proof welded steel box girders.
From May 2008 to December 2010 a new bridge over the Ruhr River was built in Wetter in Germany. The exposed location of the bridge over the Ruhr valley close to the city of Wetter requires a deliberate designed structure. Within the preliminary plannings, comprehensive studies about reasonable bridge construction systems were carried out, supported by an architecture office. Planned and realised has been a 361 m long bridge with air-proof welded steel box girders and a concrete deck. The maximum span is nearly 84 m and the inclined haunch above the pier is about 9 m high. The inclined haunch has been formed with two diagonal struts to dissolve the construction. In the area of the vertical structured piers outside the Ruhr the bridge superstructure has been constructed with parallel chords.