Hamburg-HafenCity
Strandkai district
Hamburg, Germany / 01.2018 - 12.2020
The Strandkai quarter in Hamburg’s HafenCity is a residential and commercial quarter covering a site area of around 14,000 m² directly on the banks of the River Elbe. For the special civil engineering works, PORR Spezialtiefbau was commissioned to carry out the construction pits, pile foundations, structural stabilisation, as well as the waterproofing and securing of the adjacent quay walls.
Facts & Figures
Company
PORR Spezialtiefbau GmbH
Type
Turnkey construction pits, Foundations, Underpinning
Runtime
01.2018 - 12.2020
Construction pits, pile foundations and quay wall reinforcement for a residential development in Hamburg’s HafenCity
Strandkai quarter development
The Strandkai quarter is situated on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the River Elbe. A total of 475 residential units were planned across several buildings, including high-rise blocks and perimeter-block developments. The quarter is complemented by public facilities, commercial buildings and catering outlets. Extensive specialist civil engineering works were required for the new development, as the construction site is situated in the immediate vicinity of the River Elbe and within a tidal zone.
Excavation pit stabilisation in a tidal zone
The site is situated in a flood-prone area of HafenCity. The groundwater level is influenced by the tides. To secure the construction pit, approximately 5,600 m² of sheet pile walls was installed in the western and southern sections. Additional waterproofing was provided between the sheet pile walls using a total of 1,564 DSV columns. In the eastern section, bored pile walls covering approximately 640 m² were constructed and internally braced.
Rampart as part of the site infrastructure
To facilitate construction operations within the tidal environment, a rampart was constructed on the building site. This served as a raised working and storage area within the site infrastructure. The construction processes were adapted to the water levels and the site’s boundary conditions.
1,610 Partial displacement bored piles for the deep foundations
The continuous underground car park serving the four buildings underwent foundation work on 1,610 Partial displacement bored piles. The piles were constructed using a Fundex drilling rig and anchored into the medium-density to dense sands lying beneath the soft layers. In addition, around 200 clearance boreholes were drilled in the vicinity of existing structures.
Work in the vicinity of existing port infrastructure
During the construction of the pile foundations, existing anchors in the subsoil had to be taken into account. The positioning of the piles was coordinated with the existing foundation elements and the surrounding structures. In addition to the foundations, the scope of work also included the stabilisation and waterproofing of the historic quay walls along the River Elbe.
Planning and execution from a single source
The planning for regulatory approval and construction of the pile foundations, as well as the detailed and installation planning for the construction pit walls, were carried out by PORR special civil engineering planning. Close coordination between planning and execution formed the basis for the implementation of the excavation, foundation and stabilisation measures in the Strandkai quarter.
The foundation for the Strandkai development
The creation of the construction pit, the deep foundations as well as the stabilisation and waterproofing of the quay walls laid the groundwork for the construction of the Strandkai quarter. The specialist civil engineering works carried out form the foundation for the residential, commercial buildings and public facilities at Strandkai in Hamburg’s HafenCity.
