Right from the start of the works, it became apparent that the ground conditions required additional measures. Near-surface groundwater, as well as loamy and silty soil layers, made dewatering necessary. Added to this were backfilled cellar structures and an exposed tank. These conditions affected the construction process and required the planned measures to be adapted.

The weather also had an impact on the execution of the works. Snow and persistent rain made the work difficult at times. The project team adapted the processes to the prevailing conditions and completed the project on schedule.

Transport route engineering involves more than just creating surfaces

“This project demonstrates that transport route engineering goes beyond the mere creation of surfaces. The existing soil and groundwater conditions required additional technical measures and adjustments to the construction process. “During implementation, we were able to draw on our experience from comparable infrastructure projects,” says Jakob Knippenberg, Branch Manager in Osnabrück at PORR transport route engineering.

The technical execution was tailored to the on-site conditions. The subsoil was stabilised through the use of UF3 ballast. Due to the groundwater situation, special requirements regarding the selection of materials used were also taken into account. No recycled materials were used during construction.

The PORR Central Laboratory in Münster played a key role in this. There, the available materials were analysed and a laying concept tailored to the identified ground conditions was developed. On this basis, differences between the planning assumptions and the conditions observed on site could be taken into account during construction.

Various divisions within PORR collaborated on the project. The findings from the material analyses and the investigations of the subsoil were incorporated into the subsequent construction work.

With the completion of the works, a renewed traffic area is now available on site for logistics operations. The construction project was completed on schedule despite the identified ground conditions, the rising groundwater and the weather-related constraints.