PSM June 2013

In the June 2013 PSM cover story, we introduce the advanced surveying methods employed by Willi Almesberger and crew, of the engineering and surveying firm Gemmer und Leber mbH (IGL), in the construction of the iconic TaunusTurm tower that is now prominently featured on the skyline of Frankfurt, Germany. 

Advanced Construction Surveying

The TaunusTurm project was unique, not only for the integration of advanced materials and BIM, but also because the construction employed a specialized “self-climbing” system to reduce the need for extra external cranes. Willi Almesberger and and crew adapted tried-and-true surveying techniques as well as the latest technologies, and they even developed a few solutions of their own.

The structural work was completed on time in March, but the IGL team is still there helping wrap up the façade and interior work that should be completed as this goes to press. We asked Willi to provide a few notes on the surveying activities as the project wraps up.

“Surveying teams managed a continuous workflow; floors were finished between four and six days each, which was a key customer requirement.

“In addition to the structural works, IGL surveyed for the facade construction and interior. The facade precast elements, with a dimension of 2.7m x 8m, had to be aligned horizontally and vertically with each other to an accuracy of less than 2mm. Therefore, it was very important to model and compensate for the plastic behavior of the concrete elements.

“Special digital scales for Trimble high-precision leveling instruments were mounted on each pillar on every other floor. The absolute height of a reference point on these floors has been determined from the reference point on the base floor using trigonometric leveling.”

Willi’s team and IGL are on to their next major projects, one of which is the Milaneo Center in Stuttgart, 
which has one of Germany’s biggest shopping malls in the base floors as well as residences, offices, and a hotel on the upper floors. The team is responsible for all of the surveying for this turnkey project. (See www.igl-online.de for more on this and IGL’s other projects). 

IGL is a prominent surveying company in Europe; they specialize in high-rise-buildings, GIS, BIM, hydrography, civil, and telecommunications infrastructure projects. We will definitely check back with them for insights on their specialized surveying and BIM activities.