News articles

New concrete tower construction method for wind turbines

The new concrete tower construction method, which has been developed by TU Wien, offers significant benefits specifically for wind turbines.

[Translate to English:] Die hohlen Beton-Doppelwandelemente werden mit Hilfe eines Krans exakt aufeinander gestapelt und dann vor Ort mit Beton ausgegossen.

© TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

[Translate to English:] Die hohlen Beton-Doppelwandelemente werden mit Hilfe eines Krans exakt aufeinander gestapelt und dann vor Ort mit Beton ausgegossen.

[Translate to English:] Die hohlen Beton-Doppelwandelemente werden mit Hilfe eines Krans exakt aufeinander gestapelt und dann vor Ort mit Beton ausgegossen.

[Translate to English:] Die hohlen Beton-Doppelwandelemente werden mit Hilfe eines Krans exakt aufeinander gestapelt und dann vor Ort mit Beton ausgegossen.

© TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

[Translate to English:] Die hohlen Beton-Doppelwandelemente werden mit Hilfe eines Krans exakt aufeinander gestapelt und dann vor Ort mit Beton ausgegossen.

[Translate to English:]

[Translate to English:] Die ringförmigen Segmente mit einer Außen- und einer Innenwand vor dem Aufbau.

© TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

[Translate to English:] Die ringförmigen Segmente mit einer Außen- und einer Innenwand vor dem Aufbau.

[Translate to English:]

[Translate to English:] In der Vorbereitungsphase wurde ein 3D-Rendering des Betonturms erstellt (Maßangaben im m).

© TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

[Translate to English:] In der Vorbereitungsphase wurde ein 3D-Rendering des Betonturms erstellt (Maßangaben im m).

[Translate to English:]

More and more wind power plants are producing electricity – but what is the best method for building them? The team led by Prof. Johann Kollegger at the Institute of Structural Engineering at TU Wien has developed a new tower construction method which combines the key benefits of the existing methods. Double-wall elements are initially joined together on the ground to form large double-walled concrete rings. These rings are then lifted one on top of the other and finally filled with concrete. The construction of tall towers, e.g. for wind turbines, is faster and less expensive using this technique.

Prof. Johann Kollegger explains: "In wind turbine construction, large precast concrete parts are usually delivered to the construction site. These are then assembled into a tower and then fixed to one another. This method is quite fast, but the costs associated with the special transportation of large precast parts can often be very high." In addition, the tower construction method developed by TU Wien also features thinner walls and less reinforcing steel which means that significantly fewer resources are being used compared to the familiar precast construction methods.

A double-walled structure, filled with concrete
In recent years, Prof. Kollegger’s team has repeatedly created a stir with their new and creative concrete construction solutions, for instance with a folding bridge or even a concrete dome, which can be formed by inflating an air cushion beneath the concrete. And now a new concrete tower construction method has been developed and successfully tested.

Instead of heavy, solid concrete rings, hollow, rectangular double-walled elements are transported to the construction site. These double-walled elements are erected and joined together in a circle, so that they form a polygonal segment with an outer and inner wall. "The segments are then stacked on top of one another, retaining the hollow space between the two walls," explains Johann Kollegger. "Only then is the inner space filled with concrete – one segment at a time." A monolithic concrete block is created, whereby the segments are joined together in an extremely stable way.

The design of the double-walled segments is flexible. "The individual elements are joined together to form a regular nonagon," explains Ilja Fischer (TU Wien). "It is crucial to plan the segments in such a way that they remain stable throughout construction. Then, once they have been filled with concrete, stability is no longer a problem." It is also important that the segments are packed closely together when the concrete is being poured in. Once they have been placed on top of one another using a crane and precisely aligned, the joints are sealed so that the concrete cannot flow out.

Presentation at the Hannover Messe trade fair

TU Wien’s tower construction method has already been successfully tested on a test site in Lower Austria. Johann Kollegger is optimistic: "The new construction method is simple and fast. The double-walled elements can be transported without any issues. Taking into account all of our experience to date, our new method is expected to be economical and capable of establishing itself compared with the previous construction methods. We believe that our patented process offers benefits for very high wind power stations in particular."

Photo download: <link dle pr aktuelles downloads betonturm>

www.tuwien.ac.at/dle/pr/aktuelles/downloads/2015/betonturm/, opens an external URL in a new window



Further information:

Scientific information:
Prof. Johann Kollegger
Institute of Structural Engineering
TU Wien
Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien
T: +43-1-58801-21202
<link>johann.kollegger@tuwien.ac.at

Dipl.-Ing. Ilja Fischer
Institute of Structural Engineering
TU Wien
Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien
T: +43-1-58801-21280
<link>ilja.fischer@tuwien.ac.at

Information about TU Wien at Hannover Messe:
Dipl.-Ing. Peter Heimerl
Research Marketing
TU Wien
Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien
T: +43-664-605883320
<link>forschungsmarketing@tuwien.ac.at