BIM workflow
Client
State capital Düsseldorf
Engineering
GRASSL
The first phase of construction of the U81 light rail line will connect Düsseldorf Airport directly to the light rail network, which will greatly improve mobility, the economy and quality of life.
A technical highlight is the Nordstern Bridge, a semi-integral structure measuring around 441 metres in length. Its fully welded steel superstructure, featuring an upper truss, is firmly clamped into both abutments, while movable bearings on the intermediate supports allow for flexibility. Temperature-related changes in length result in the bridge being able to move transversely, or 'breathe' – a feat never before achieved on a railway bridge.
A digital monitoring system records data on deformations, strains, settlements and temperatures in real time. This makes the bridge an intelligent structure that reacts dynamically to the complex traffic hub around Nordstern, setting a visible example of modern engineering.
Design and approval planning for the Nordstern Bridge was carried out using SOFiSTiK AG modules. In addition to truss models for calculating the global system, shell and volume models were created to represent complex details such as the clamping of the steel bridge into the abutments and the steel pier heads. Nonlinear track-structure interaction calculations (rail stress calculations) were also performed using SOFiSTiK modules based on these models.
