Inserting a Railway Structure – How It’s Done

The Meierhofstraße underpass is located on the ÖBB Southern Railway line between Vienna and Graz at railway km 152.594. The existing underpass had aged and therefore needed to be replaced by a new structure. The new structure is a single-span frame structure in reinforced concrete construction with a clear width of 8.60 m, a width of approximately 11.30 m, and a clear height of approximately 2.60 m. The new bridge was constructed approximately 12 m lateral to its final position and inserted under the temporary bridges. Subsequently, the temporary bridges will be removed and the superstructure will be constructed.

The technology of moving structures on rails is fundamentally nothing new. The advantage: frame and structure can be built laterally and inserted under the previously erected temporary bridge in a short time. Disruptions to the track area can thus be kept very brief.

The Thomas Lorenz team was responsible for the overall planning and tendering for this project.