As part of the 2023 summer field trip, 24 students majoring in civil engineering, accompanied by Professors Andreas Garg and Jochen Lüer as well as staff member Frank Reis, embarked on an exciting journey. During the three days of the excursion, the group enjoyed an intensive program featuring fascinating construction sites and projects in Nierstein, Troisdorf, Cologne-Mülheim, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Langenfeld, and Krefeld.
Nierstein Bridge/Underpass Construction Site
The field trip began with a visit to a bridge construction site in Nierstein, near Mainz. This bridge, built in 1915, is to be replaced by a new structure constructed by the company Eiffage Infrau-Bau from Alzey. The clients for this project are the LBM RLP NL Worms, Deutsche Bahn AG, and the ZAR. After a warm welcome from an LBM employee, the students received general information about the construction site. Subsequently, the site manager from Eiffage, Mr. Gotta, guided the group through the construction area. After a brief farewell, the excursion continued its journey and headed for the next destination: Troisdorf.
Schnorpfeil Construction Site in Troisdorf
In Troisdorf, the students were welcomed by site managers Mr. Martin Alff and Mr. Tobias Schnorpfeil. A bypass road with a pedestrian bridge was being built here. Planning for this road began as early as the 1980s, but the start of construction was delayed due to citizens’ initiatives and legal disputes. A particular challenge at this construction site was noise protection. To ensure this, the road was lowered relative to the natural terrain, which required special civil engineering measures such as an overlapping bored pile wall constructed with a KKS drilling rig and single-sided formwork with exposed concrete facing walls.
Cologne-Mülheim Bridge Construction Site
The field trip then took the students on to Cologne-Mülheim to visit another bridge. There, they were greeted by site manager Frank Maasch from the Mainz-based company MCE. Maasch provided insight into the repair measures, the composite construction of the replacement superstructures, the hoisting of the components using a mobile crane with a 650-metric-ton lifting capacity, and the challenging corrosion protection measures. Another interesting detail was that all bridges must be painted in “Cologne Bridge Green.” After a light snack and a round of goodbyes, the group continued on to the hotel in Düsseldorf, where the day concluded with a good meal and a glass of Düsseldorf Altbier.
A40 Bridge Construction Site in Duisburg
The following day was devoted entirely to two bridge construction sites operated by MCE and a visit to Leviat/Halfen. The first stop took the group to tour the U81 light rail bridge in Düsseldorf. This bridge will eventually connect the airport to the light rail network and, with its two subway tracks, is an extremely challenging project. The excursion group then continued on to Duisburg to visit the impressive A40 Duisburg Neuenkamp Rhine Bridge near the Port of Duisburg. With a total length of 802 meters and a pylon height of over 70 meters, it is an impressive cable-stayed bridge that is scheduled to be expanded by 2030 to handle a traffic volume of 126,500 vehicles per day. The biggest challenge in this project is construction under traffic—a construction method in which work is carried out while traffic continues to flow. The final stop on the itinerary took the excursion group to the Leviat/Halfen company in Langenfeld. Leviat is known for its Halfen construction rails. After a brief product presentation, the students had the opportunity to engage in interesting conversations over light refreshments during a “get-together.”
On the final day of the field trip, the students visited a large industrial construction site in Krefeld. There, they were welcomed by their lecturer, Mr. Martin Gerner. Martin Gerner first provided them with basic theoretical information about the construction site before they explored the site together. The complexity of project management tasks for civil engineers became clear here, particularly with regard to mechanical and piping engineering. After a brief refreshment break, the participants began their journey home to Mainz.
The 2023 summer field trip was an exciting and eventful experience during which the students were able to gain valuable new knowledge. The participants’ keen interest was evident in the numerous questions they asked.
