THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE RHINE BRIDGE FUSSACH-HARD (AUSTRIA)-Video

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The presentation describes the replacement of the Fusenau–Hard bridge in Austria as part of the Swiss-Austrian RESI flood-control project. To increase the Alpine Rhine’s discharge capacity, the river will be widened, requiring a higher, stronger bridge. Challenging ground conditions ruled out shallow and conventional end-bearing foundations, so the bridge was supported by grouted ductile-iron friction piles arranged in vertical and raked groups. A load test informed the design, and a single small crew installed nearly 24 miles of piles during a six-month winter construction window. The bridge opened in November 2022 and had recorded maximum settlement of about 20 mm, within the accepted limit.<br /><br />The speakers also explain how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) quantify product impacts across a lifecycle and support comparable, transparent sustainability reporting. Recycled materials reduce the piles’ carbon footprint, while the project’s design allows some piles to be extracted later for reuse. The foundation’s emissions came primarily from ductile iron and concrete.

Keywords

Fusenau-Hard bridge

Alpine Rhine flood-control

ductile-iron friction piles

bridge foundation design

Environmental Product Declarations

carbon footprint reduction