The "Eyecatcher", Basel, Switzerland

Project
The "Eyecatcher" building in GFRP for the Building and Construction Show SwissBau 1999 in Basel
(Switzerland)

Requirements
After its first appearance at the SwissBau exhibition the innovative building had to be dismantled
and then rebuilt at another location in Basel. The maximum live load of the building is only 4 kN/m2
per storey, and at the trade fair it was visited by 20'000 visitors in one week. The five storey 15 m
tall structure represented the tallest Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) building in the world at
that time.

Solution with Sikadur

The primary load carrying structure of the "Eyecatcher" consists of three parallel trapezoidal GFRP
frames that are connected by wooden decks. The two outer frames are integrated into the faade
without creating thermal bridges. Due to a range of cross section shapes and sizes being requi

red, the individual members making up the frames were assembled from standard available GFRP
elements. Build up of these members was made possible by bonding the sections together with
the two component epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. The frames were built by a steel fabricator,
which gave two additional advantages. Firstly, curing of the bonded connections was achieved in
only two hours at 80 C by using the fabricators paint drying oven. (At ambient temperatures, har

dening of the adhesives would have taken several days). Secondly, it was possible to check the
bonded connections using non destructive ultrasonics
the system used for testing welded steel
joints
thus providing a substantial level of additional quality assurance.
The load carrying behaviour of the built up members was tested in full scale "laboratory" tests.
Four point bending tests were carried out on 6.0 m long girders. The failures always occurred wit

hin the elements, or in the surface layer of the elements containing the surface finishing fabric; ne

ver between the individual elements and the adhesive, or in the adhesive itself. The structural joints
in the frames were bolted in order to facilitate dismantling of the structure after its first use at the
trade show. In order to minimise the number of bolted connections, the frames are built in multiple
layers with spliced joints. The horizontal floor girders made of bonded box sections are placed in

No 04 / 2005

Corporate Construction

Sika at Work

Construction and Strengthening

of GFRP Structures

the middle of the frames and extend the entire length of the structure. The columns made from
channel sections pass through the entire height of the building on both sides of these floor girders.
Buckling of the columns between the floors is prevented by I
beams, inserted and bonded in bet

Construction and Strengthening

of GFRP Structures with Sikadur
Structural Adhesives

ween the channels.

After their fabrication in the workshop all of the individual bonded elements were easily assembled
into three frames on site. Each of these frames with a weight of only around 3500 kg, were then
craned into place. The entire framework of the "Eyecatchers" structure was therefore erected in
only three days.

Project Information
Designer:

Dr. Thomas Keller, EPFL/ETHZ

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S

Completion:

1999

Sika Services AG
Corporate Construction
CH
8048 Zrich
Switzerland
Phone +41 44 436 40 40
Fax

+41 44 436 46 86

www.sika.com

Corporate Construction 03.05 / 04 / 1 / ar

Construction and Strengthening of

GFRP Structures

Lightweight Bridges, Aachen, Germany

Pedestrian Bridge, Winterthur, Switzerland

Project

Project

Lightweight emergency bridges, RWTH Aachen (Germany)

Pedestrian bridge over the River Kempt, close to Winterthur (Switzerland)

Requirements

Requirements

There is an increasing international demand for lightweight emergency bridges that are suitable for

Supply of a lightweight pedestrian bridge with minimal maintenance requirements to replace an

air transport, hand erection by unskilled workers and that can then be used by pedestrians and

ancient concrete bridge which had seriously deteriorated due to steel corrosion and cracking of the

light support vehicles for humanitarian services. The Institute of Steel Construction at the RWTH

concrete. In order to fulfill this requirement a modular pedestrian bridge was developed using fibre

Aachen, has developed an economic solution for such single lane bridges that has a standard span

reinforced plastics. As access for heavy vehicles was restricted the goal became to develop a mod

length of 20 m, and will take MLC12 loads. In 2005 a second design for a bridge with a span of

ular lightweight bridge system where no individual element is heavier than 25 kg so that they can

30 m and to carry MLC40 loads will be fully tested and trialled. Both of these mobile lightweight

be easily handled and assembled at the site.

bridges are assembled from modules of only 4 or 5 m in size using special connections.

Solution with Sikadur

Solution with Sikadur

The Swissfiber bridge VC02 is a simple to install, low maintenance bridge system for pedestrian

Lightweight emergency bridges have to be designed for mobility and flexibility. Additionally sufficient du

use. It can be supplied in standard widths of 1, 2 or 3 m, plus other widths can be produced on re

rability with minimal maintenance has to be considered. A GFRP bridge prototype with a length of 20 m

quest. Basically the system consists of one or two oval main beams of 1 m in length. Each of these

has already been built and successfully tested. Semi finished pultruded GFRP profiles were bolted together

is pre
tensioned with 4 steel rods, and to keep the place, and to transfer the load every 1 m, there

to form the bridge. All of the standard section needed were bonded to the profiles with the two compo

nent epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. For the second bridge new connection techniques including in

is a transverse beam installed. On top secondary beams are positioned, one on either side, which

ductive bonded collars or jackets, and bonded cold formed fittings for additionally strengthening the GFRP

the handrail supports, which are held by 5 screws. The handrail is hinged to its supports and held
with rivets. For long term durability these can be upgraded using Sika CarboDur CFRP pla

are supported by the transverse beams. On top of the transverse beams the deck is fixed as well as

profiles, are being investigated. A new deck section has also been designed using the Classical Laminate
Theory and Puck's Differentiation Criterion.

tes to support the steel. The plates can be bonded with the two component epoxy adhesive
Sikadur-330 just after construction right on site.

Project Information
Design:

Institute of Steel Construction and lightweight structures, RWTH Aachen

Project Information

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S

Client:

City of Winterthur, Department for Civil Construction

Completion:

2002 and 2005

Consultant:

www.swissfiber.com

stb

Contractors:

swissfiber, HEEBAG

Completion:

2001

Bridge Deck, Lausanne, Switzerland

Pedestrian Bridge, Schwerin, Germany

Project

Project

GFRP bridge deck Testing at CCLab Lausanne (Switzerland)

GFRP Pedestrian bridge over the B106 road, Schwerin (Germany)

Requirements

Requirements

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are becoming a promising alternative composite construction ma

A new GFRP cable stayed bridge had to be designed and built to cross the B106 road. The bridge

terial for bridge decks. The static and fatigue performance of two large scale hybrid bridge girders

has to carry pedestrian traffic and snow blowers in winter with a total weight of up to 5.0 tons.

consisting of cellular FRP bridge decks and steel girders have been evaluated for their serviceabil

ity, ultimate limitations and failure modes.

Solution with Sikadur

The GFRP bridge has been designed using standard sections available on the market, which are

Solution with Sikadur

then bonded into modules in the workshop. The profiles are made of a UV resistant and fire retar

The FRP bridge decks from two different manufacturers were bonded to steel girders with the two
component epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. In testing to evaluate performance in service condi

dant unsaturated polyester matrix. Pre treatment of the surfaces was by sanding and degreasing
before bonding with the two component epoxy structural adhesive Sikadur-30. The adhesive

tions, these act as the top layer of the composite section. Compared to reference steel girders, the

had to be thixotropic and able to accommodate fabrication tolerances in a way that shear loadings

stiffness and static load carrying capacities of the composite girders were considerably increased;

would not be negatively affected. Combining flat sheets produced a 40 mm FRP composite deck

this was due to the composite action between the FRP decks and the steel girders. Failure due to

plate and the vertical support structure was made from channels with flat sheets added to them.

static loading occurred in the FRP decks during yield of the bottom steel flanges. The adhesive bond

Transport of the modules to the final location was also a quick and uncomplicated task because of

between the FRP decks and the steel girders showed no signs of damage due to fatigue loading.

the maximum module length of 26 m and their low weights of below 10 tons. Most of the site con

nections used stainless steel bolts, fitted into stainless steel inserts and secured with washers and

Project Information
Design, Testing:

CCLab, EPFL Lausanne

lock nuts. The bridge will now be monitored long term, and has been fitted with integrated sensors
for this purpose. It is built to be extremely durable with weather resistant Icosit polyurethane

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S, Martin Marietta Composites

coatings also applied overall.

Completion:

2003

Project Information
Client:

SBA, Schwerin

FRP profiles and components:

Creative Pultrusion and Bttger GFK

Structural calculation:

Consulting engineers Knippers Helbig

Manufacturing and fabrication:

Bttger GFK

Material tests:

Eng. office Wrner & Nordhues

Design: Eng. Office FormNord

Completion:

2003

Construction and Strengthening of

GFRP Structures

Lightweight Bridges, Aachen, Germany

Pedestrian Bridge, Winterthur, Switzerland

Project

Project

Lightweight emergency bridges, RWTH Aachen (Germany)

Pedestrian bridge over the River Kempt, close to Winterthur (Switzerland)

Requirements

Requirements

There is an increasing international demand for lightweight emergency bridges that are suitable for

Supply of a lightweight pedestrian bridge with minimal maintenance requirements to replace an

air transport, hand erection by unskilled workers and that can then be used by pedestrians and

ancient concrete bridge which had seriously deteriorated due to steel corrosion and cracking of the

light support vehicles for humanitarian services. The Institute of Steel Construction at the RWTH

concrete. In order to fulfill this requirement a modular pedestrian bridge was developed using fibre

Aachen, has developed an economic solution for such single lane bridges that has a standard span

reinforced plastics. As access for heavy vehicles was restricted the goal became to develop a mod

length of 20 m, and will take MLC12 loads. In 2005 a second design for a bridge with a span of

ular lightweight bridge system where no individual element is heavier than 25 kg so that they can

30 m and to carry MLC40 loads will be fully tested and trialled. Both of these mobile lightweight

be easily handled and assembled at the site.

bridges are assembled from modules of only 4 or 5 m in size using special connections.

Solution with Sikadur

Solution with Sikadur

The Swissfiber bridge VC02 is a simple to install, low maintenance bridge system for pedestrian

Lightweight emergency bridges have to be designed for mobility and flexibility. Additionally sufficient du

use. It can be supplied in standard widths of 1, 2 or 3 m, plus other widths can be produced on re

rability with minimal maintenance has to be considered. A GFRP bridge prototype with a length of 20 m

quest. Basically the system consists of one or two oval main beams of 1 m in length. Each of these

has already been built and successfully tested. Semi finished pultruded GFRP profiles were bolted together

is pre
tensioned with 4 steel rods, and to keep the place, and to transfer the load every 1 m, there

to form the bridge. All of the standard section needed were bonded to the profiles with the two compo

nent epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. For the second bridge new connection techniques including in

is a transverse beam installed. On top secondary beams are positioned, one on either side, which

ductive bonded collars or jackets, and bonded cold formed fittings for additionally strengthening the GFRP

the handrail supports, which are held by 5 screws. The handrail is hinged to its supports and held
with rivets. For long term durability these can be upgraded using Sika CarboDur CFRP pla

are supported by the transverse beams. On top of the transverse beams the deck is fixed as well as

profiles, are being investigated. A new deck section has also been designed using the Classical Laminate
Theory and Puck's Differentiation Criterion.

tes to support the steel. The plates can be bonded with the two component epoxy adhesive
Sikadur-330 just after construction right on site.

Project Information
Design:

Institute of Steel Construction and lightweight structures, RWTH Aachen

Project Information

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S

Client:

City of Winterthur, Department for Civil Construction

Completion:

2002 and 2005

Consultant:

www.swissfiber.com

stb

Contractors:

swissfiber, HEEBAG

Completion:

2001

Bridge Deck, Lausanne, Switzerland

Pedestrian Bridge, Schwerin, Germany

Project

Project

GFRP bridge deck Testing at CCLab Lausanne (Switzerland)

GFRP Pedestrian bridge over the B106 road, Schwerin (Germany)

Requirements

Requirements

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are becoming a promising alternative composite construction ma

A new GFRP cable stayed bridge had to be designed and built to cross the B106 road. The bridge

terial for bridge decks. The static and fatigue performance of two large scale hybrid bridge girders

has to carry pedestrian traffic and snow blowers in winter with a total weight of up to 5.0 tons.

consisting of cellular FRP bridge decks and steel girders have been evaluated for their serviceabil

ity, ultimate limitations and failure modes.

Solution with Sikadur

The GFRP bridge has been designed using standard sections available on the market, which are

Solution with Sikadur

then bonded into modules in the workshop. The profiles are made of a UV resistant and fire retar

The FRP bridge decks from two different manufacturers were bonded to steel girders with the two
component epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. In testing to evaluate performance in service condi

dant unsaturated polyester matrix. Pre treatment of the surfaces was by sanding and degreasing
before bonding with the two component epoxy structural adhesive Sikadur-30. The adhesive

tions, these act as the top layer of the composite section. Compared to reference steel girders, the

had to be thixotropic and able to accommodate fabrication tolerances in a way that shear loadings

stiffness and static load carrying capacities of the composite girders were considerably increased;

would not be negatively affected. Combining flat sheets produced a 40 mm FRP composite deck

this was due to the composite action between the FRP decks and the steel girders. Failure due to

plate and the vertical support structure was made from channels with flat sheets added to them.

static loading occurred in the FRP decks during yield of the bottom steel flanges. The adhesive bond

Transport of the modules to the final location was also a quick and uncomplicated task because of

between the FRP decks and the steel girders showed no signs of damage due to fatigue loading.

the maximum module length of 26 m and their low weights of below 10 tons. Most of the site con

nections used stainless steel bolts, fitted into stainless steel inserts and secured with washers and

Project Information
Design, Testing:

CCLab, EPFL Lausanne

lock nuts. The bridge will now be monitored long term, and has been fitted with integrated sensors
for this purpose. It is built to be extremely durable with weather resistant Icosit polyurethane

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S, Martin Marietta Composites

coatings also applied overall.

Completion:

2003

Project Information
Client:

SBA, Schwerin

FRP profiles and components:

Creative Pultrusion and Bttger GFK

Structural calculation:

Consulting engineers Knippers Helbig

Manufacturing and fabrication:

Bttger GFK

Material tests:

Eng. office Wrner & Nordhues

Design: Eng. Office FormNord

Completion:

2003

The "Eyecatcher", Basel, Switzerland

Project
The "Eyecatcher" building in GFRP for the Building and Construction Show SwissBau 1999 in Basel
(Switzerland)

Requirements
After its first appearance at the SwissBau exhibition the innovative building had to be dismantled
and then rebuilt at another location in Basel. The maximum live load of the building is only 4 kN/m2
per storey, and at the trade fair it was visited by 20'000 visitors in one week. The five storey 15 m
tall structure represented the tallest Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) building in the world at
that time.

Solution with Sikadur

The primary load carrying structure of the "Eyecatcher" consists of three parallel trapezoidal GFRP
frames that are connected by wooden decks. The two outer frames are integrated into the faade
without creating thermal bridges. Due to a range of cross section shapes and sizes being requi

red, the individual members making up the frames were assembled from standard available GFRP
elements. Build up of these members was made possible by bonding the sections together with
the two component epoxy adhesive Sikadur-330. The frames were built by a steel fabricator,
which gave two additional advantages. Firstly, curing of the bonded connections was achieved in
only two hours at 80 C by using the fabricators paint drying oven. (At ambient temperatures, har

dening of the adhesives would have taken several days). Secondly, it was possible to check the
bonded connections using non destructive ultrasonics
the system used for testing welded steel
joints
thus providing a substantial level of additional quality assurance.
The load carrying behaviour of the built up members was tested in full scale "laboratory" tests.
Four point bending tests were carried out on 6.0 m long girders. The failures always occurred wit

hin the elements, or in the surface layer of the elements containing the surface finishing fabric; ne

ver between the individual elements and the adhesive, or in the adhesive itself. The structural joints
in the frames were bolted in order to facilitate dismantling of the structure after its first use at the
trade show. In order to minimise the number of bolted connections, the frames are built in multiple
layers with spliced joints. The horizontal floor girders made of bonded box sections are placed in

No 04 / 2005

Corporate Construction

Sika at Work

Construction and Strengthening

of GFRP Structures

the middle of the frames and extend the entire length of the structure. The columns made from
channel sections pass through the entire height of the building on both sides of these floor girders.
Buckling of the columns between the floors is prevented by I
beams, inserted and bonded in bet

Construction and Strengthening

of GFRP Structures with Sikadur
Structural Adhesives

ween the channels.

After their fabrication in the workshop all of the individual bonded elements were easily assembled
into three frames on site. Each of these frames with a weight of only around 3500 kg, were then
craned into place. The entire framework of the "Eyecatchers" structure was therefore erected in
only three days.

Project Information
Designer:

Dr. Thomas Keller, EPFL/ETHZ

GFRP Profiles:

Fiberline Composites A/S

Completion:

1999

Sika Services AG
Corporate Construction
CH
8048 Zrich
Switzerland
Phone +41 44 436 40 40
Fax

+41 44 436 46 86

www.sika.com

Corporate Construction 03.05 / 04 / 1 / ar