Hochdonn High Bridge

The Hochdonn High Bridge (Hochbrücke Hochdonn in German) is a railway bridge in the Marsh Railway crossing the Kiel Canal near Hochdonn, Germany. It is a riveted steel bridge, "exposed to extreme railway traffic".[2]

Hochdonn High Bridge Hochbrücke Hochdonn
Train over the Hochdonn High Bridge
Coordinates	54.0161°N 9.2975°E / 54.0161; 9.2975
Carries	Marsh Railway
Crosses	Kiel Canal
Locale	Hochdonn, Germany
Official name	Eisenbahnhochbrücke Hochdonn
Characteristics
Design	Truss bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	2,218 metres (7,277 ft)
Height	68 metres (223 ft)
Longest span	143.10 metres (469.5 ft)
Piers in water	None
Clearance below	42 metres (138 ft)
History
Designer	Friedrich Voss[1]
Construction start	1913
Construction end	1919
Opened	11 June 1920

History

The rail bridge was opened on 11 June 1920.

The central part of the main span suffered from general deterioration, but damage caused by two ship collisions made it necessary to substitute a new center part. On 6 November 2006 the 1.465-metric-ton (3,230 lb) 121.10-meter (397.3 ft) long span was removed and carefully passed between the 120-meter gap of the two existing support points. Once removed, the steel structure was lowered onto a transport barge. The new structure that arrived the night before on another transport barge was lifted into place. While lowering and lifting work was going on, this section of the canal was closed and a large number of ships were waiting to pass; the alternative was to navigate around the northern tip of Denmark.

The new central span was also raised by 2 meters (6.6 ft) to a height of 42 meters (138 ft) above the canal, the same height as other bridges on the canal.[3]

See also

• Kiel Canal

Gallery

• 
  Postcard showing the railway and the High Bridge, circa 1920.
• 
  American warship in the canal nearing the bridge, 1948.

References

1. https://structurae.net/structures/hochdonn-high-bridge
2. G. Sedlacek; C. Kammel; B. Kühn; W. Hensen (2007-11-30). "Condition assessment and inspection of steel railway bridges, including stress measurements in riveted, bolted and welded structures- Background document SB3.4" (PDF). sustainablebridges.net (E-report). European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006). SB3.4. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
3. Prof. Sedlacek & Partner (2006). Eisenbahnbrücke Hochdonn - Germany, VSL Heavy Lifting removing old center part of the bridge and lifting new part in its place, saving existing supports (Technical report). Krupp Stahlbau Hannover, VSL (Switzerland) Ltd. ID 1749.