The Hering Group shows its multifarious expertise at the new “Mannheim ARENA / Maimarkt” station in Mannheim

News published on 13:44:28 13.12.2011

With an effective area of 44,200 m², the SAP ARENA is not only Baden-Württemberg’s largest multifunctional hall, but also one of the most modern sport and event halls for conventions, conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions in the whole of Europe. The “Mannheim ARENA / Maimarkt” station is located adjacent to the Maimarkt-Gelände (May Market Grounds) and the SAP Arena. A new station needed to be built in order to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. This is where the Hering Group entered the game with all of its business lines. On behalf of DB Netz AG (German Railway) Karlsruhe and under the project management of DB ProjektBau GmbH Karlsruhe, Hering was requested to provide a wide range of services as an integral part of the extensive building project in Mannheim.

In summer 2010, the starter’s gun was fired to mark the beginning of the first construction phase, civil engineering. The pedestrian underpass segments were created outside the actual excavation hole with the aid of box-shaped sheet piling. The underpass consists of 2 tunnel segments of respectively 7 and 10 m in length. After the track construction staff set up auxiliary bridges (see below), the underpass segments were pushed beneath them. After this technically difficult process, the construction could then be backfilled. The first construction phase of civil engineering was completed before Christmas 2010. From March until the end of July 2011, the large staircase construction was manufactured in island position during the second construction phase. This included 4 tunnel segments and 3 large stair sections. At the same time, another radial section of stairs was constructed as an access for the pedestrian underpass. A total of 750 m³ of concrete and 150 tonnes of concrete reinforcement steel were used in the construction.



In October 2010, the Hering track construction crew began their operations with the construction of two auxiliary bridges on line 4000 (the main line to Heidelberg – Basel). Extensive track and point redevelopment operations covering a length of 700 m, as well as the installation of a deep drainage system over a length of 300 m, soon followed. In summer 2011, the auxiliary bridges could be dismantled and removed. In July, a gradient adjustment and ballast cleaning operation was performed over a distance of 1.4 km.



In summer 2011, a modula^® side-boarding platform (length 210 m, width 4.45 m = 934 m²) and a modula® centre platform (length 210 m, width 6.50 to 10.50 m = 1825 m²) were built. The production of the 130 foundation and 202 railway platform slabs in the company’s own plant for prefabricated parts took from May to August 2011. The construction of both platforms was then carried out from the 16th of June till the 9th of September. 31 railway carriages delivered the 130 platform slabs of the centre platform.The installation was performed with the aid of Hering railway cranes (125 tons and 50 tons). The side-boarding platforms with 72 platform slabs were delivered by trucks and were installed during a 3.5 hour shutdown with the aid of a railway crane. The installation from the outside with the aid of a special truck-mounted crane required a great amount of skill, because the operations were performed beneath a disconnected 15kV railway feed line.



In late summer, the Bodenheim light platform roofing systems were installed over the previously constructed central and side-boarding platforms. Hering Product Technology staff were supported by an excavator driver from Hering Gleisbau GmbH, Essen, during this operation.


The dimensions of the roofing over the side-boarding platform amount to L x B 50 x 4.45 m. The roofing over the centre platform is 100 m long and 10 m wide. The roofs were completed in accordance with the planned schedule.


A large number of representatives of the railway and various companies involved in the construction operations were present at the topping out ceremony. The successful completion of this extensive and interesting construction project once more goes to prove the diversity and capabilities of the Hering Group.