“The strongest bridges are built from stones from fallen walls.” Or, like us, from aluminium
In the middle of Austria there is a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge made entirely of aluminium.
The full aluminum power is reflected in a bridge that is almost 55 meters long, has a passage width of 3.5 meters and weighs 21 tons. This new bridge with the name "Rene" consists of almost 100% aluminum profiles from Hydro.
It was implemented by our customer Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung from Austria. Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung has been an innovative manufacturer of individual foot and bicycle bridges made of aluminum since 1993. They offer everything from a single source, from planning, statics, construction, to transport and assembly. “Project management is very complex and also very different. Every customer has a different focus. Some are design lovers and the other customers simply need a new bridge as quickly as possible,” explains Rene Fleisch, Head of Technology and Development at Bitschnau. The throughput time in production is just three to four weeks and the company normally only needs one day to assemble a new bridge. "It often has to be done quickly here, especially when an old wooden bridge needs to be replaced," adds Rene Fleisch.
But not only as a customer there is a long-term partnership between Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung and Hydro. Bitschnau is also a supplier to the Austrian site in Nenzing for contract manufacturing in the areas of CNC machining, welding and assembly for various aluminum products.
What makes an aluminum bridge so attractive and innovative?
"We create something that will last forever," says Karl-Heinz Hartmann, Managing Director at Bitschnau, proudly. The bridges are made entirely of aluminum, which means they have a very long service life of up to 100 years, are corrosion-resistant and maintenance-free, and there are no problems with moisture or salt deposits. As a result, there are only low maintenance costs, the bridges have a high value retention and if the bridge is no longer used at some point, the aluminum is 100% recyclable.
There are almost no limits to the design, because the material aluminum can be processed in many ways. The walking surface of the "Rene" bridge is bare aluminum. On the one hand for aesthetic reasons and on the other hand for sustainability aspects: Karl-Heinz Hartmanns emphasizes: "Why should we coat something that already looks good by nature." Bare aluminum is also uncomplicated when it comes to recycling and as a side effect uncoated aluminum requires less maintenance and repairs, which means there are no recurring costs.
A pioneering collaboration
Bridge projects like this are very exciting and the required profiles are very special. High-strength alloys are often required here, and the size of the cross-sections and the length of up to 25 meters must not be ignored. There are a few things to consider: "Bridge projects usually come spontaneously and are difficult to plan logistically," says Günter Zerlauth, Sales Account Manager at Hydro. In such projects, being present at the customer's site is extremely important in order to discuss and understand the details of the project and the requirements. "In order to master all technical challenges, close cooperation and constant exchange between the customer and us is necessary in order to find the best solution together," adds Günter Zerlauth.
"A major advantage is that, thanks to our size and the cohesion within the Hydro Group, we are able to supply both large and small profiles from a single source," explains Günter Zerlauth.
Because this bridge project required numerous cross-sections, which were supplied from the Hydro plants in Harderwijk, Lichtervelde and Nenzing.
Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung and Hydro Nenzing have had a very well-functioning, reliable and trusting business relationship for many years. “Over the years we have shown that we can count on Hydro. We speak the same language,” says Karl-Heinz Hartmann.
“Both quality and delivery accuracy convinced us. We also appreciate the support and technical support, especially when it comes to assembling the products".
Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung and Hydro Nenzing also want to work closely together in the future. Together they want to achieve the goal of switching to lower-CO2 aluminum for the bridges. “The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important for our customers. Hydro's sustainability efforts as our supplier helps us communicate with our customers and gives us an advantage,” explains Rene Fleisch.
Finally, there is the question of where the bridge name "Rene" comes from.
In honor of its employees, Bitschnau Metallverarbeitung names each of its bridges after its employees. This new bridge was therefore dedicated to the employee Rene Fleisch.