• Schlaich bergermann partner are the winners in the “Street and Railway bridges” category
• Their winning project “Bleichinselbrücke” is designed using Allplan Engineering
• ALLPLAN sponsored the German Bridge Design Prize

Munich, March 20, 2018 – On March, 12th, the engineering office schlaich bergermann partner (sbp) has been awarded the German Bridge Design Prize “Deutscher Brückenbaupreis 2018”, in Dresden, in the category “Street and Railway bridges” for the project “Bleichinselbrücke”, situated near Heilbronn in Germany. Andreas Kreil from sbp received the coveted prize, awarded by the Federal Chamber of Engineers and the Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI) in front of more than 1200 guests including engineering experts, politicians and business people. Since 2006, the prize has been awarded every two years for outstanding civil engineering achievements. The international software developer ALLPLAN supported this award for the third time in a row and for the first time as the main sponsor. The supporter and patron of the Bridge Design Prize was the Federal Ministry for Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

“An elegant bridge construction with an expressive design language and high recognition value”, was the jury’s statement. The “Bleichinselbrücke” is an excellent example of careful creation and construction as well as the economical implementation of a good design. "We are really pleased to receive this award. To realize such a bridge construction that meets the high expectations of the jury with regard to design and implementation was only possible thanks to the good collaboration between all parties involved. This prize confirms our approach that even smaller building projects can make an important contribution to building culture of cities", states Andreas Kreil, Project Manager at sbp schlaich bergermann partner.

Expressive Design Language

The “Bleichinselbrücke” ideally meets all the demands of sustainable construction design. It sensitively adjusts to the urban environment but nevertheless displays high recognition value thanks to its modern design language. Despite difficult construction conditions, the bridge could be built very cost-effectively. Thanks to a sturdy design with an integral construction, low maintenance costs and a long operating life can be expected. At 88 meters long and 24 meters wide, the heavily travelled four-lane bridge crosses the old Neckar near Heilbronn and connects the center of the city with a newly built residential area that has been created as part of the Federal German Garden Show 2019. These newly created common areas and promenades along the riverbank had to be considered when designing the bridge. This special location within a very shallow river basin and in close proximity to neighboring bridges, resulted in a deck bridge design being chosen. The “Bleichinselbrücke” fits harmoniously into the environment. At the same time, it offers high amenity value – both above as well as below the bridge.

Schlaich Bergermann partner are independent Consulting Engineers. For more than 30 years, they have focused on the design and construction of innovative structures. The range of projects they have completed has included long span lightweight roofs, many different types of bridges, slender towers, innovative buildings, moveable structures, and pioneering solar power plants.