The state of bridges in Germany is quite disappointing.
In the wee hours of 3 a.m., a portion of the Carolabridge in Dresden's downtown area falls apart. Around 100 meters of the bridge plummets into the Elbe river during the early hours of Wednesday. Luckily, there are no casualties: the final tram to cross the bridge had done so merely ten minutes prior.
But how did this occur, and how secure are Germany's bridges? Bridge collapses are seldom, according to Frank Jansen, a member of the Association of German Engineers (VDI), speaking on RTL. "Bridges that require maintenance are temporarily closed. I would have no qualms about traveling over a German bridge; they're dependable."
German bridges are dependable, but numerous bridges in the country are in a state of disrepair. At least 4,000 bridges on highways alone are deteriorating so severely that they need renovation or replacement, as per the Ministry of Transport. Nevertheless, there are likely even more: three times as many, approximately 11,000, as suggested by BUND, which examined the ministry's figures.
Approximately half of the nation's 25 highest bridges are in a critical condition, according to the Federal Association for the Maintenance of Concrete Structures. Among road bridges, roughly half are in a dilapidated state, as identified by the German Institute of Urban Affairs in a survey of municipalities the previous year.
Bridge TÜV Grades Conditions
Bridges are regularly assessed for structural integrity, load-bearing capacity, and traffic safety. Basic inspections take place every three years, while main inspections occur every six years.
During bridge TÜV inspections, they receive grades based on their condition, ranging from 1 (excellent) to 4 (poor). The Carolabridge in Dresden had also received regular inspections. The last major inspection was conducted three years ago, and it had been rated a condition grade of 3.4 – insufficient – according to the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt)'s overview. Out of the 40,000 federal bridges, 200 had grades between 3.5 and 4.0 in the last condition report.
It had been recognized that the Carolabridge needed renovation. Some bridge sections had already undergone partial renovations in recent years, and the collapsed section was scheduled for renovation the following year.
There are stringent guidelines in place for bridge inspections, explains engineer Jansen. They're especially rigorous for inspectors. "Simply accessing the larger structures necessitates the use of cherry pickers or specialized scaffolding."
Even the Dresden Carolabridge is decades old: "One of the pioneering structures from the early days, with flaws that we were aware of yet didn't expect it to collapse," explains Steffen Marx, a civil engineering professor at TU Dresden, on ntv. "Many structures built later have different designs and are better constructed." Marx advocates for investing more in long-term preservation.
Overloading of Older Bridges
The issue with older bridges also lies in their overloading. That's why they don't survive as long as intended: instead of 80, only 60 years. "Especially the structures from the early days are all heavily overstressed due to an excessively disproportionate surge in traffic that these bridges were never designed for," says expert Marx. The road network and bridges were developed for lesser traffic and lighter vehicles at the time.
Today's bridges must withstand much heavier truck and heavy load traffic. The stress has significantly increased, remarks Heinrich Bökamp, president of the Federal Chamber of Engineers, on RTL. The overload from truck overruns, load shifts, and traffic is far beyond the previously acceptable values.
Germany's Most Dilapidated Bridge
The most dilapidated bridge in Germany is the Moseltal bridge near Winningen near Koblenz: 136 meters high, the second highest motorway bridge in the country. Over the past 50 years, it has endured significant wear and tear, primarily from increased goods and heavy traffic. Consequently, it has cracks and urgently requires renovation.
The BASt has given the bridge a grade of 3.5. Its load-bearing index, which represents a bridge's capacity to withstand traffic loads, is categorized at the lowest level 5. This means that the bridge needs to be replaced in the long term.
To prevent collapse, vehicles are only permitted to travel slowly over the bridge, trucks must maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters, and heavy transports are prohibited. Renovation is scheduled to commence this year.
Lack of Funds and Personnel
Like the Moseltal bridge, many bridges are awaiting modernizations, and more are added to the list. Various factors hinder progress, such as lengthy planning processes, a shortage of skilled labor in construction, and a lack of financial resources – both at the federal and municipal levels. Renovations are costly.
For example, in Dresden, the financial situation is rather precarious. The city is short more than 45 million euros this year.
Originally, Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing had expressed his intent to renovate 400 bridges on motorways and federal roads annually starting from next year, double the number from before. However, the Federal Court of Auditors casts doubt upon this possibility, as the motorway company requires additional personnel and funding. It states that the federal motorway company completed only around 240 projects last year, yet twice as many are necessary.
Next year's budget is looking tight as well: The highway authority is lacking 600 million Euros, even for bridge maintenance. Delays could ensue. Wissing's set goal may not be met due to financial shortages, the highway authority cautions.
Despite the regular inspections and grading system in place for bridges, investing more in long-term preservation is advocated by civil engineering professor Steffen Marx, given that many older bridges, like the Carolabridge in Dresden, have flaws and are prone to collapse due to overloading and the disproportionate surge in traffic they were never designed for. The Carolabridge, which had a condition grade of 3.4 during its last major inspection, was scheduled for renovation the following year.
The lack of funds and personnel at both federal and municipal levels is hindering progress in bridge renovations. For instance, Dresden is short more than 45 million euros this year, and Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing's aim to renovate 400 bridges annually starting from next year may not be met due to financial shortages.
Therefore, it is crucial to consider substantial investment in infrastructure, specifically in bridge maintenance and renovation, to ensure the safety and longevity of Germany's bridges and prevent future incidents like the Carolabridge collapse.
