Lampertheim
Ultranet
Lampertheim, Germany / 10.2023 - 02.2024
A new extra-high-voltage connection, known as Ultranet, is being built between North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. The 380-kV line, approximately 340 km long, runs from Osterath to Philippsburg and utilises existing routes over long sections. As part of the expansion, new pylon sites were constructed along a section of the route. On behalf of Powerlines Energy Germany, PORR special civil engineering Region West carried out the deep foundations for 36 overhead line pylons. A total of 144 bored piles were constructed for this purpose, which transfer the loads from the new pylons into load-bearing soil layers.
Facts & Figures
Company
PORR Spezialtiefbau GmbH
Type
Foundations
Runtime
10.2023 - 02.2024
Pile foundations for the 380-kilovolt Ultranet power line
New pylon locations along the route
Ultranet connects existing and new sections of power line between Ried in Hesse and the Mannheim area. On some sections, existing power lines will continue to be used, whilst new pylon locations are being established in other places. Between Ried and Bürstadt-Ost, individual pylons are being added. Further along the route to Mannheim-Wallstadt, an existing power line connection is being replaced in sections by new structures. The new pylons are being erected in the immediate vicinity of existing overhead line routes.
The work was carried out within existing infrastructure corridors and was adapted to the local conditions along the route. Particular attention was paid to the surrounding soil and groundwater. The construction work was planned in such a way that adjacent areas could be protected whilst the work was in progress. Bio-oil was used in the hydraulic systems of the equipment deployed. Even before the cables and insulators are fitted, the foundations for the future pylon sites are being laid deep within the subsoil.
144 bored piles for 36 pylons
A total of 124 large-diameter bored piles, each with a diameter of 1,200 mm, were constructed to support 31 pylons. The foundation work for the further five pylons involved 20 large bored piles with a diameter of 1,500 mm. The bored piles transfer the loads from the pylons – which are up to around 58 m high – into deeper, load-bearing soil layers and form the basis for the subsequent erection of the overhead line pylons.
Work between fields, paths and infrastructure
The pylon sites are spread across several locations in Lampertheim, Viernheim, Wallstadt and Mannheim. The work was carried out in sections along the route and was adapted to the respective on-site conditions. In addition to the ground conditions, the construction of site access roads, access to the individual pylon sites as well as the transport of heavy machinery had to be taken into account. The work was co-ordinated with the requirements of the route planning and the subsequent construction phases.
Deep foundations along the new power line connection
Drilling rigs were used to construct the large-diameter bored piles; these were moved between the individual sites along the route. The foundation work formed the basis for the subsequent erection of the pylons. Step by step, the foundations for the new power line between Hesse and Baden-Württemberg took shape along the route.
The foundation for the new overhead power line
Even before the power lines visibly mark the course of the route, the foundations for the pylon sites are being laid beneath the surface. With the construction of 144 bored piles, with diameters of up to 1,500 mm, and foundations for 36 pylons, the conditions were created for a further section of the Ultranet connection. Between Lampertheim, Mannheim and the Ried region in Hesse, a section of the new north-south connection was thus established.
