(ffm) The citizens of Höchst have received an unexpected addition to their space thanks to a riverbank restoration project. During the repair of a damaged bank area at the Höchster Mainufer, a new area of about 450 square meters was created directly at the water. In fresh spring weather, City Councillor Markus Frank was able to inaugurate the newly created area with those involved in the project on 5 April.
"I am delighted that the damage to the bank wall has been repaired and that Höchst has gained new space as a result of the redevelopment. The nearly 100-year-old bank wall was so badly damaged in one section that a new sheet pile wall had to be placed in front of the existing one. This created a terrace on the Main that is uniquely situated and very accessible. I would like to thank all those involved for their good cooperation and mutual consideration. Among other things, this made it possible for the castle festival to be held last summer without any disruptions."
Damage was detected in 2015 to the sheet pile wall on the Höchster Mainufer in the Battery area, which required an immediate measure for stabilization and a sustainable restoration. The stabilization took the form of a pre-fill of grain material and armourstone in front of the damaged bank wall. Remedial design and remedial action of the wall followed in three sections. In the two peripheral areas of 90 and 120 metres, the existing sheet pile wall was rehabilitated by means of new anchoring and waling. In the middle section of about 150 meters, the damage was so severe that a new sheet pile wall had to be placed in front of the old one.
Planned for completion in August 2018, it took a little longer because the measure was carried out on an existing structure and not all imponderables could be planned for. For example, when backfilling the voids in the existing seawall, it became apparent that there were significantly more voids behind it than suspected. The filling of these cavities therefore took longer than planned. The weather also contributed to the delay: A period of high water caused the work to be interrupted for almost three weeks.
The sheet pile wall, which was installed three metres in front of the old bank reinforcement, ends with its upper edge about one metre lower than the existing bank for flood protection reasons. It is equipped with park benches and trash cans. The Main riverbank promenade and the new, lower area are connected by ramps and stairs, so that the lower area is accessible to passers-by without barriers.
The renovation measure was coordinated with the Waterways and Shipping Administration WSA Aschaffenburg, the Parks Department, the Office for Road Construction and Development and the Road Traffic Department, among others. The construction measure was carried out by the company Colcrete-von Essen and the engineering office Schumacher. The overall coordination was carried out by the municipal HFM Managementgesellschaft für Hafen und Markt on behalf of the City of Frankfurt.
