Neue Technologie für die Hängebrücke über die Saar in Mettlach - Brückenfahrbahn aus Sandwich Plate System (SPS)

New technology for the suspension bridge near Mettlach, Germany - A Sandwich Plate System made bridge deck.

The 1951-built suspension bridge spanning the river Saar at Mettlach, Germany needed to be closed for vehicles more than 12 t because of defects in the cable structure and damage of the composite bridge deck. So that the preservation listed urban bridge will meet again the existing traffic conditions, the bridge deck had to be replaced and lightened. Through the installation of a light steel roadway in SPS design it is possible to allow the traffic over the bridge without restrictions again. The paper describes the advantages of the new technology built Sandwich Plate bridge deck compared to traditional construction methods. The decision to award the construction works and contents of the individual approval are presented. The procedure and features in the use of this technology not yet introduced in Germany are given.
The realization concept proposed by the construction company is an innovative example of current development in steel construction. The concept is based on the 2010 roadway rehabilitation of the Dawson Bridge in Canadian Edmonton which won the Sustainability Award 2012 of CISC. For application in Mettlach additional development was required to meet the regulations of the DIN Fb 101 and 103 in accordance to the standards of fatigue.