PORT OF HAMBURG magazine - Hafen Hamburg

STRABAG AGFotos: STRABAG AGDA-Asphalt mischanlage Peute auf der Veddel im Hafen HamburgThe Peute DA-mixing plant in Hamburg-VeddelAlter, aufgebrochener bzw. abgefräster Asphalt wird wieder verarbeitet.Reclaimed asphalt, broken or ground off existing road surfaces will be recycled.“Responsibility”, for STRABAG AG’s Hamburg Directorate implies much more than simply fulfilling their regional commitmentsin Northern Germany and its coastlines and harbours. Instead, STRABAG understands that responsibility includes thesustainable and responsible use of the resource environment.The STRABAG and its subsidiaryDeutsche Asphalt (DA) operateasphalt mixing plants at Hamburg-Veddelin the Port of Hamburg,Wilhelmshaven and Rostock thatare capable of producing not onlybatches of fresh asphalt for use onroads and public squares, but whichcan also recycle reclaimed asphalt,broken or ground off existing roadsurfaces.At the Peute mixing plant in Hamburg–Veddel the tower for mixing asphaltis fitted with a recycling feed via aparallel drum (see diagram) wherethe asphalt granulate is heated.Precise dosing and mixing withother pre-heated mineral substancesand with the liquid binder thentakes place inside the mixing tower.By varying the composition andusing further additives, AD is ableto produce more than 300 differenttypes of asphalt which, dependingon the requirements of the users,provide better grip, lower rollingnoise, or feature surfaces resistantto moisture or chemicals, to caterfor varying degrees of physicalloads: “It would be no exaggerationto refer to high-tech asphalt inthis case, and thanks to our expertapplication, it will perform tospecification for many years tocome,“ says engineer Hans Wessels,Techni cal Manager at the HamburgDirectorate, in explaining his company’sexpertise in this field.For surfaces subject to heavy loads,such as bridges, industrial and commercialsurfaces and motorways,there is the option of using pouredand grit mastic asphalt in combinationwith a higher proportion of polymer-modifiedbinder. “The binder, orbitumen – which is created as a byproductin the oil refinery – is theresult of a great deal of know-how,and it renders the thermoplasticasphalt component elastic as well asstable,” explains Bernd Hellmich, theCommercial Manager of the HamburgDirectorate. The bitumen accountsfor approx. 5 per cent of the totalvolume of asphalt. The remaining95 per cent is made up of differentgrades of edelsplitt, crushed andnatural sands. An active recyclingmanagement ensures that these naturalresources are conserved, explainsasphalt expert Bernd Hellmich.The Hamburg Directorate of STRABAGcomprises, among other entities,road construction and special construction,which focuses more onbuilding repair and conservationwork. The highly-qualified core staffconsists of 185 employees, from tradesmenright through to constructionengineers and commercial constructionmanagers. The core staff iscomplemented by sub-contractorswho have been working withSTRABAG for many years and, likethe core staff, live in the GreaterHamburg region and work throughoutNorthern Germany – and whoall hold ISO 9001 certification as amatter of course.STRABAG also provides training inHamburg – apprentices and traineeshave the opportunity to learn a widerange of skilled trades and acquiresupplementary qualifications.“We have been conscious of ourresponsibility as a provider of vocationaltraining for many years, andfor this reason we are maintainingour training capacities on a permanentbasis. It is also the reason whywe have long been promoting dualstudy programmes, and why weoffer these young people good careeropportunities in our company,” saysHans Wessels.The Commercial Manager BerndHellmich is particularly proud of thefact that despite the integration intothe well-known construction group,his subsidiary still handles around85 per cent of orders at the SMElevel. STRABAG’s expertise is selfevidenton the well-known majorconstruction sites at transport hubsthroughout the city, on motorwaysand in the port extension projects.PORT OF HAMBURG MAGAZINE 3/0943