Light Weight Deflectometer in Use on Interstate Highway No.1

Bridge construction works for interstate highway no. 1 in Germany are currently successfully supported by TERRATEST’s model 4000 STREAM. For the Volmarstein viaduct with a length of 315 m, which is frequented everyday by more than 100,000 vehicles, recalculations of the statics have revealed the presence of flaws not to be corrected by sanitation. “For this reason, a completely new construction of the bridge proved to be necessary. For the abutments of the new bridge piers, we are establishing a reinforced soil construction”, explains builder’s manager Michael Rehmann. “This includes an integrated frost protection layer with a graining of 45 - and the lightweight deflectometer is a valuable assistance for performing dynamic load plate tests on each second layer of the gravel base, so its bearing capacity permanently remains under control.”

A reinforced soil construction represents a special form of retaining wall and was invented in the sixties of the past century by the French engineer Henri Vidal. Tensile loads are directed to a reinforcement inserted into the soil, and then conveniently distributed. This reinforcement is usually made of plastics in order to avoid corrosion problems. The new abutments and piers are placed between the former elements, so the length of the bridge is reduced to 285 m. Its width of 31 m exceeds the value of the old bridge by 2 m and offers three lanes in either direction. The construction is intended to be completed in the year of 2020.

An Application Engineer Knowing His Job

 

For years already, Falko Weiss Instructs our Clients in Detail

Falko Weiss from Berlin, an experienced member of our team, knows all the particularities concerning lightweight deflectometers and performs comprehensive practical training of new customers. He was responsible already for the delivery of over 1500 items and disposes of corresponding competence.

TERRATEST NEWS: Mr. Weiss, please give us a brief overview of your job.

Mr. Weiss: Well, new customers when starting first of all need an explanation of the PC software, not only of the instrument itself.

TERRATEST NEWS: What is the particular challenge of your duty?

Mr. Weiss: Often the products are ordered really in the last nick of time, so instant delivery and training are hard to achieve. Customers do not care about traffic jams and the weather. Since the compaction quality is essential for qualified execution of construction work, a qualified introduction to the equipment is necessary at once, all the same. Just-in-time delivery is no job for amateurs. Due to the continuously growing demand for our instruments and their increasing complexity, it is important to be perfectly prepared and to give the right answer promptly.

TERRATEST NEWS: What do you enjoy most in your job?

Mr. Weiss: Some customers really appreciate my work and have familiarized themselves with the details of the situation. In these cases, I can make my presentation as intended, supported by Power Point.

TERRATEST NEWS: Are you not bored with all these long travels on the highway?

Mr. Weiss: I enjoy driving. I guess you need to be the right type for this job. A positive echo of my audience always gives me motivation.