Demolition of the Carol Bridge in Dresden: New building starts in summer!

Demolition of the Carol Bridge in Dresden: New building starts in summer!

The Carol Bridge in Dresden, a striking building, has caused excitement in the city since the partial fall in September 2024. As [Deutschlandfunk] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/eingestuerzent-carolabruecke-in-Dresoll-Zuegig-Afig- und-Neu-Bauen-102.html), the city has now decided to quickly remove the fragile parts and to build a new building at the same place. A quick procedure is necessary, because the bridge is in a critical condition and as a result of the collapse, shipping traffic on the Elbe had to be set.

The city will do without a Europe -wide award procedure in order to be able to carry out the demolition work as quickly as possible. An expert opinion that was presented by Professor Steffen Marx from the TU Dresden in December 2024 has certified that the collapse was caused by hydrogen -induced voltage crack corrosion. This corrosion came into entering the unprotected tension steel during the construction period in 1971. In addition, the material fatigue has increased due to rising traffic loads, which ultimately led to the catastrophic failure of the tension members, especially in the bridge train C, the damage of which resulted in the collapse.

new plans for the bridge

For the plans of the replacement new building, which are to be promoted at high pressure, no years of planning approval procedures have to be passed through. The city has already set a planning interview for December 12 to set the upcoming steps and create the first framework conditions for the new building. A template for the new building should also be brought into the city council in early 2025. In the summer of 2025 a decision on the new building in the council meeting is expected.

It is clear that the carol bridge can no longer be put into operation. "The bridge trains A and B have similar damage to the bridge train C," said Professor Marx during a special meeting of the Committee on Urban Development, Construction, Transport and Real Estate. The sound emission monitoring system will continue to be used to register clamping steel fractures in real time and recognize possible dangers at an early stage. The aim is to release the shipping channel on the Elbe by the end of the year - provided the stability data allows this.

causes of corrosion

The whole problem around the Carol Bridge raises questions about the quality of building materials and their long -term stability. The hydrogen -induced voltage crack corrosion, which is treated in the dissertation by Rainer Falkenberg, is a serious threat that other buildings are not immune. In his study, the author shows how hydrogen in high -strength steels leads to deformation and finally to crack growth, which should be a warning signal for many engineers. In a time increasing demands on the transport infrastructure, it is more important than ever to counteract such dangers with targeted measures.

The city of Dresden seems to be on the right track in order to initiate the necessary measures to demolish and new buildings. We can be excited to see what the future brings for the Carol Bridge. A new building in the same shape could help to recover the connection via the Elbe and the associated traffic flows soon.