Key facts at a glance:
- Challenge: Extensive structural work with complex modifications to the building.
- Special features: Vital foundation reinforcement, precise raising and lowering of a five-story building while occupied.
- Approach: Intensive cooperation with structural engineers, constant digital monitoring of the building throughout the operation.
The building rested on a custom-built steel construction until the weight could be transferred to the new supporting structure
A 100,000 ton challenge awaited Schwitzke Project in the heart of Vienna’s bustling pedestrian zone:
A historic commercial building was slated for a restoration of its vertical facade structure. This involved lowering the floor slab by 20 cm to street level.
The delicate operation required substantial alterations to the building’s structure while observing maximum safety precautions.
After all, the tenants in the upper stories continued to use the building on a daily basis. First, a temporary steel construction was added and the foundation was reinforced with 60 piles. Then the old masonry and concrete columns were removed and new ones installed.
The steel construction held the 5-story building until it could rest on its new bearing structure. With millimeter precision. Using hydraulic presses that were digitally analyzed and regulated in seconds. The result sits perfectly.