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000886
2014-08-27

"Himmelsstürmer" Lookout Tower in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany

A highlight of the 2014 State Garden Show in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, is the "Himmelsstürmer" lookout tower, which is almost 131.2 feet high.

It is made of approximately 6,215 ft³ of cross‑laminated timber and consists of an inner and an outer tower.

A staircase with 209 steps in the area between the internal and external walls leads to the tower top.

The structural analysis of the "sky climber" was created by Andreas Wirth from Freiburg, who used RFEM and the RF‑LAMINATE add‑on module.

Structure

The tower has a square base area with lateral lengths of 17.7 ft. The inner tower consists of cross‑laminated timber slabs with three layers of a thickness of 4.7 inches. The outer tower was built with CLT elements as well. These consist of seven layers and have a total thickness of 7.8 inches.

There are 123 openings arranged in the external walls. Thus, visitors can always enjoy the outdoor scenery. The structural components were precast to a great extent. The inner tower consists of two tubes. The outer tower was divided into three construction sections. Each section was subdivided into four L‑shaped corner elements.

The structural connection in the vertical joints is ensured by numerous fully threaded screws. They were crosswise screwed in through the vertical joints with an angle of 60° relative to the transversal direction of the slabs. In the horizontal joints, the CLT elements are connected to each other by slotted sheets and dowels.

Once the Garden Show ends, the lookout tower will continue to be operated by an association. Thus, visitors will still have the possibility to enjoy the incomparable view over the landscape park of Wetzgau.
Structural Design Jing Kong & Associates Consulting Structural Engineers Inc.
Construction Concept and Design
KuKuK GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany
www.zumkukuk.de

Work Planning and Realization
Schlosser Holzbau GmbH, Jagstzell, Germany
www.schlosser-projekt.de
Structural Design AGICEA, France
www.agicea-bureau-etudes.fr


Project Specifications

Model data

Number of Nodes 429
Number of Lines 425
Number of Members 7
Number of Surfaces 4
Number of Load Cases 4
Number of Load Combinations 4
Total Weight 63.607 tons
Dimensions 17.06 x 17.06 x 114.99 feet
Program Version 5.03.00

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