A secure hold above the sea

The longest pier in the Baltic Sea, currently being built directly off the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, will offer a chance to breathe fresh sea air and experience the vast expanse of this extraordinary sea from the ‘midst of it’ instead of from the sidelines. An impressive structure to thrill tourists and locals alike, the pier has a length of 720 m, a width of 4.20 m and is supported by 87 piles. The bridge opens up a whole new world of possibilities in the Baltic Sea area. Local service vehicles and emergency vehicles are also permitted on the pier, with a traffic light to control the flow of traffic.

The new build replaced the former Prerow pier, which measured 390 m in length and was dismantled for the project. An island harbour with an elegant teardrop shape is also being built on a usable area of approx. 10,000 m², which will serve as a place of refuge and replace the former Darßer site, which has been closed and renaturated. In addition to its main function as an emergency harbour, the new island harbour with up to 45 berths will expand the marina network to include sailing marinas and a passenger jetty. The project has been under construction since 2022 and is due to be inaugurated and commissioned this summer. The state of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern is the client behind the project and is represented by the State Agency for Agriculture and Environment of Middle Mecklenburg.

A specialist and compliant steel railing created by the commissioned company Norcons GmbH from Sundhagen, Germany, protects people and infrastructure on the pier. The ship, industry and steel construction specialists at Norcons GmbH relied on a chemical fixing system by fischer with a European Technical Assessment (ETA) to anchor the posts of the railing into the construction made of precast concrete elements on the foundation piles.

8,640 fischer RSB 12 mini superbond resin capsules were used with 4,320 RG M 12 x 200 stainless steel threaded rods. The strong forces acting on the railings required a significant anchoring depth achieved with two resin capsules per fastening point. “When using chemical fixing systems, there is no expansion force while setting the threaded rods”, says Olaf Schinkel, Technical Field Service East Region at the fischer Group of Companies, who supported the project. “That’s why these systems are especially well suited for narrow components and anchorages close to the edge”. The steel construction specialists used fischer’s RG M threaded rod with a rotary hammer drill, which ground both capsules in the drill hole, mixing and activating the mortar contained inside. The mortar’s fast curing time allows installations to be carried out without having to wait, which is ideal for challenging windy winter conditions on the Baltic Sea. Overall, the system can be used in compliant applications up to -30°C and is approved for water-filled and diamond-drilled drill holes as well as for seismic applications in performance category C1.

“Chemical fixing systems transfer particularly high loads in concrete and other building materials”, Olaf Schinkel explains. “Under the extraordinary conditions on the pier, it’s very important to seal the drill hole against penetrating moisture. fischer’s Superbond system offers a lasting and secure solution for fastening the railing on the Prerow pier”.

In addition to providing suitable fixing solutions, fischer also supported the construction project with its accompanying range of services. These included designing fastenings according to the requirements of the railing structure, the geometry of the base plate and concrete component as well as the acting forces. The structural analysis for the chosen anchorage was provided taking into account all relevant parameters. The services provided by fischer ranged from consultation and design to on-site support until the railing was successfully installed.