A literal new highlight in Baden-Württemberg is the thyssenkrupp test tower designed by the renowned architects Professor Werner Sobek and Helmut Jahn. On the 232 m high visitor platform, it offers a 360-degree panoramic view from Rottweil to the Swabian Alb - on a clear day even as far as the Swiss Alps. At 246 m high, it towers above all buildings in Baden-Württemberg.
The tower weighs 40,000 tonnes - as much as 8,000 adult African elephants. Clad in a twisted glass-fibre fabric envelope that becomes increasingly transparent towards the top, the colossus nevertheless has a light and delicate appearance. Depending on the time of day and the season, the membrane changes the external appearance of the tower and the incidence of light into the interior. It is self-cleaning and protects against wind, intense sunlight and cooling.
In addition to the products, we were particularly impressed by the professional technical advice and support before and during the planning phase.
The fischer systems used varied in different tower sections according to the conditions on site and static calculations. To a large extent, fischer developed and supplied special solutions tailored to the project. Zones 1 (0-63 m) and 2 (63-110 m) have a wall thickness of 40 cm. At 110 m, the tower has an offset. There, the wall thickness is reduced to 25 cm in section 3 (110-207 m) and 4 (207-243 m). The concrete strength classes are C50/60 in zone 1 and C40/50 in the rest of the tower. Demanding challenges resulted from the fact that, due to the construction, the anchorage base does not comply with the current regulations for anchorage technology everywhere.
The fischer Powerbond bonded anchor system with an M16 diameter in A4 was used in the area from 27-63 m and in the subsequent zone 2. The system components used were anchor rods (FIS A M16x250 A4) with anchorage depths of mostly 180 mm and FIS PS Power-Sleeve sleeves. These were bonded with the Highbond special mortar FIS HB 345 S. Numerous advantages, such as the short curing times and the very high tensile load capacity at a relatively low anchorage depth, spoke in favour of this solution.
