Reconstruction of the Rosensteinsteg II in Stuttgart with CFRP-reinforced concrete elements

With the reconstruction of the Rosensteinsteg II, a remarkable bridge in Stuttgart's tradition of lightweight construction has once again been made available to the public. Due to the substantial corrosion damage shown by the exceptionally slender concrete elements in the past, a corrosion-free alternative to steel reinforcement was desired for the reconstruction. Using a reinforcement grid of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), an efficient material utilization and loadbearing mechanism were achieved for the concrete elements. The concrete slabs were tested at the Technische Universitat Berlin in a full-scale destructive test as part of the approval process. The article discusses the special boundary conditions of the project, the selection of the reinforcement material with consideration of the formal requirements of the approval and tender process, the structural analysis and design of the CFRP-reinforced concrete elements as well as the execution and results of the structural tests.