Hochbrücke Rottweil

Initial situation and concept

The Hochbrücke in the center of Rottweil dates back to the 13th century. Since 2010, the structure has been secured with temporary construction fences, which, however, did not meet the requirements of historic preservation. They detracted from both the bridge’s appearance and the view of the city skyline.

A permanent safety solution was therefore sought that is effective, unobtrusive, and low-maintenance. Since no complete construction documents or structural analysis reports were available for the approximately 800-year-old bridge, the concept had to be flexibly adapted to the existing structure. The choice fell on a transparent safety net construction made of Webnet.

Construction and implementation

The safety nets were installed on both sides of the bridge approximately three meters below the roadway. They are supported by tension struts on the bridge piers as well as by cantilevered rods that extend the net surface beyond the edge of the bridge.

Webnet with a rope diameter of 6.5 millimeters and a mesh size of 200 millimeters is used. The structure is supplemented by suspension ropes with diameters ranging from 10 to 28 millimeters. The high transparency of the stainless steel rope nets preserves existing sightlines and natural light patterns. At the same time, the safety barrier prevents falls and jumps and blends harmoniously into the historic cityscape.