Look-Out Tower at Treetop Path Steigerwald

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3D model and buckling shape of the look-out tower in RSTAB (© WIEHAG GmbH)

Look-out tower Steigerwald (© WIEHAG GmbH)

Customer Project

03/08/2018

Germany RSTAB Timber Structures Towers and Masts

Investor	Bayerische Staatsforsten AöR www.baysf.de
Architect	Architectural office Josef Stöger www.architekt-stoeger.de
Planning, Structural Engineering, Construction	WIEHAG GmbH www.wiehag.com
Structural Analysis of Foundations	Ing.-Büro Wolf GmbH D-94036 Passau

The look-out tower with a height of over 131 ft is located in Ebrach (Upper Franconia), in the heart of the Steigerwald. The Steigerwald is after the Spessart the second largest deciduous forest area in Bavaria. 300-year-old beeches, amongst the oldest in Germany, soar into the sky with more than 131 feet.

After walking along the 165 ft long treetop path, the visitors can use the spiral ramp to climb up the tower. Once at the top, the visitors can enjoy a unique view over the world cultural heritage Steigerwald.

Construction

The look-out tower has the shape of a truncated cone that opens out upwards. At the tower base, the outside diameter amounts to about 66 ft and at the top to about 105 ft. The main supporting elements form 12 curved glulam timber trusses which are rotationally symmetric arranged in an angular difference of 30°.

The outer spiral structure made of timber is fixed by steel cantilever beams to the timber supports. At a height of about 39 ft is a half-pace which is supported on diagonal braces made of steel.

The viewing platform at the top consists of steel cantilver beams, protruding to the inside and longitudinal glulam timber stringers lying in between with planking.

The structure is stiffened by a circumferential web made of steel diagonals and ring structures.