German Bridge Construction Prize 2020: Award goes to integral wooden bridge

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On March 8, 2021, the German Bridge Construction Prize 2020 (Deutscher Brückenbaupreis) was awarded virtually by the Federal Chamber of Engineers and the Association of Consulting Engineers VBI. The award, which is awarded every 2 years, is intended to recognize the outstanding achievements of engineers in the field of bridge design and construction and to raise awareness for building culture in the general public. Among the 42 projects submitted, the Stuttgart wooden bridge on the Birkelspitze in Weinstadt received an award in the pedestrian and cycle path bridges category. "The integral solid wood bridge with a freely visible and only structurally protected wooden superstructure emphasizes its claim to sustainable construction. It is a building that is as innovative as it is beautiful. With its gently curved shape, it blends in perfectly with the park landscape of the Rems, ”said the jury.

The “Birkelspitze” bridge in Weinstadt is one of three bridges that were built according to the concept of the Stuttgart wooden bridge. The development of the Stuttgart wooden bridge is based on an ERDF research project funded by the European Union, the state of Baden-Württemberg, and proHolzBW. Participating partners in the research project were the Materials Testing Institute (MPA) at the University of Stuttgart, Cheret Bozic Architects, Knippers Helbig as engineers, and Schaffitzel Holzindustrie. The Miebach engineering office also took part in project discussions on behalf of Schaffitzel Holzindustrie and incorporated its experience.

The Stuttgart wooden bridge is a pedestrian and cycle path bridge with a block-glued main structure made of glued laminated spruce wood arranged in a stepped cross-section. A special feature is the so-called integral joint, where the wooden girder and abutments are connected integrally and seamlessly using rebars. As a result, the bridge can function without any expansion joints at the transition to the abutments and has a longer expected service life. Further highlights are the integrated monitoring system with the help of which moisture changes on the bridge can be detected at an early stage, as well as the innovative bridge covering made of carbon-reinforced concrete slabs. The concept of the Stuttgart wooden bridge has already been awarded the German Timber Construction Prize 2017 in the Components / Concepts category and the State Prize for Building Culture Baden-Württemberg in the Infrastructure / Civil Engineering 2020 section.

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