Released on = September 12, 2006, 4:07 am

Press Release Author = PERI GmbH

Industry = Construction

Press Release Summary = Safe load transfer and fast moving times
MULTIPROP tower system as horizontal bracing

Press Release Body = PERI engineers developed an unusual but efficient formwork
solution for the repair of the Hirschhorn navigation lock on the Neckar river. The
PERI MULTIPROP system was used for reinforcing two VARIO wall formwork elements in a
horizontal direction.

Repairing the 150 metre long lock chamber required a 40 cm thick facing made of
reinforced concrete. For constructing the 7.15 metre long and 9.50 metre high
sections, the contractors used the so-called back-step procedure - concreting was
done with the alternating sequential method. The PERI solution involved one 70
square metre large element for both the left and right lock walls using the PERI
VARIO GT 24 variable girder wall formwork system. Horizontally positioned MULTIPROP
towers connected with system frames took on the task of bracing the formwork
elements. Both systems were adapted perfectly to each other by engineers from PERI´s
Stuttgart office. In this way, the safe transfer of loads was guaranteed for the
entire lock width of twelve metres.

The entire bracing construction could be divided into three units for moving with
the crane. Thus, only five lifts were necessary to complete the re-positioning
process: three for the MULTIPROP units and two for the VARIO wall formwork elements.
Logical operational sequences and simple assembly steps ensured that only four men
were needed for striking, moving and shuttering.

For safe and efficient shifting of the PERI VARIO GT 24 large area elements and the
MULTIPROP tower units, PERI designed special cross-beam constructions to ensure even
load distribution. Whereas the moving aid for the formwork was firmly connected to
the VARIO elements, the MULTIPROP bracing was moved in sections with the help of the
cross-beams. The three transportable units could be detached in a longitudinal
direction and then attached to the cross-beam. Two cross-bars at the base and
vertical ties ensured that the braced MRK frame did not have to carry any tensile
force through the dead weight. The nine metre high and, including load-carrying
equipment, impressive 8.6 tonne bracing construction could be safely moved from
cycle to cycle without any deformation and distortion.

The Hirschhorn lock installation on the River Neckar was built in 1927 in the course
of a regional waterway development project. In 1958, a left chamber was added.
Significant damage to the right chamber meant that fundamental re-development work
had to be carried out. During the entire construction period, lock operations
continued with the second chamber only. For stabilizing the lock walls, 25 m long
permanent anchors were installed which transfer almost 3,000 kN into the bedrock.

Web Site = http://www.peri.de

Contact Details = PERI GmbH
Formwork and Shoring
P.O. Box 1264
89259 Weissenhorn
Tel.: +49/ 73 09/ 9 50-0
Fax: +49/ 73 09/ 9 51-0
www.peri.de
info@peri.de

Re-prints are free of charge quoting \"Source: PERI GmbH\".
Please send a copy to the PERI Editorial Office.

PERI Editorial Team
Tel.: +49/ 73 09/ 9 50-1 18
Fax: +49/ 73 09/ 9 51-1 18
redaktion@peri.de
www.peri.de/ww/en/pub/presse/sept_01_06.cfm

PERI was founded in 1969 and is today one of the leading providers of formwork and
scaffolding systems. Along with the headquarters in Weißenhorn, Germany, the company
has 42 international subsidiaries and 70 stock yards around the world. The company
has over 4.000 employees of which 700 are engineers (as of 2005). 2005 revenues were
more than 760 million Euros.