Balkon zum Meer - Die Seebrücke in Saßnitz

Balcony overlooking the sea - The Sea Bridge Saßnitz, Germany.

In July 2007, a 250 m long suspension bridge for pedestrians was inaugurated in the city of Saßnitz on Rügen Island in the German part of the Baltic Sea. The curved part of the deck of 120 m length is supported by cables on one side only. The bridge, one of the longest of its kind, is part of an urban renewal project. It reconnects Saßnitz Harbour to the city, being separated from each other during the cold war.
The most interesting feature of this bridge is the cantilevering support girders that protrude from the deck to connect to the hangers so that their axes aim towards the centre of gravity of the pertinent deck section. This structural solution allows for one-sided hanger supports without causing bending or torsion in the curved girder due to distributed dead load or live loads. The paper describes the structural concept of the Saßnitz Bridge. It also elaborates on structural design and erection issues.