Customer: RWE Power über GEA Energietechnik Bochum
Construction period: 01. 2006 – 12.2008
Location: Neurath, North Rhine-Westphalia
Country: Germany

The Neurath power station commissioned ALPINE Bau Deutschland to erect two 172 metres high natural draft cooling towers for its newly built brown coal power station blocks. This project made use of a self-climbing scaffolding system. Work started with the construction of a ring shaped foundation made out of reinforced concrete. This has a diameter of 118 metres. On this the supporting base was set on which, in turn, the prefabricated columns were built. The climbing process for this was done incrementally, corresponding to the concreting cycles, which were done in rings which were 120 centimetres high. Hydraulic cylinders were used to climb the towers – the telescopic work platforms adapting to the hyperbolic shape of the cooling towers as it went higher and higher.

ALPINE developed a special acid-resistant concrete for the inner shell, which meant that a more time consuming lining of the cooling towers was no longer necessary. In total some 10,000 cubic metres of concrete was used. Finally the prefabricated splash basin, the glass reinforced plastic bars, and the clean gas pipe were installed inside the supporting tower.

Technical data
Height of each cooling tower: 172 m
Diameter of shell at the bottom: approx. 114 m
Diameter of shell at the waist: approx. 66 m
Diameter of shell at the top: approx. 69 m
Area of each shell: 80,000 m²
Concrete for each shell: 10,000 m²

Special features
Acid-resistant high-performance concrete, climbing scaffolding