Column reinforcement at the Park Tower in Frankfurt — a small measure with a big impact
The Park Tower in Frankfurt is undergoing extensive renovation. The 115-meter-tall building in the center of the Hessian metropolis will be transformed into a modern, sustainable office building by 2028. The planned measures include, among other things, an innovative energy facade with photovoltaic panels, an additional rooftop garden, new office and conference spaces, and high-quality common areas.
The necessary modifications to the load-bearing structure mean that some columns will have to bear increased loads, making reinforcement measures essential. For two of these columns, conventional methods reached their limits, so a more effective solution had to be found — and DUCON provided it quickly. With concrete overlay layers of just 60 to 100 mm, this high-performance material was able to sufficiently reinforce both columns.
The easy-to-install DUCON system thus prevented the demolition and reconstruction of the two structural elements. That would have been the only alternative solution, but it was ruled out from the outset by the planning team and Lupp, the general contractor. If demolition had been carried out, the relevant ceiling area and all floors below it would have had to be extensively shored up with struts. In addition to high financial costs, this would have led to significant delays in the tightly scheduled work on the construction site.
This seemingly minor measure, involving just two reinforced columns, thus saved everyone involved a great deal of time and money.
