1461x
000541
2012-06-17

New Saldome2 Building in Rheinfelden, Switzerland

The "Saldome2" salt storage building in Switzerland is the biggest dome construction in Europe.

The timber structure was designed and built by Häring, a Swiss company specializing in timber technology, which used a unique structural concept, "Häring Ensphere".

Huge Salt Storage Building

With a base area of 11,300 m² (121,632 ft²), Saldome2 is about the same size as two soccer fields. Thus, it is almost twice as big as the first dome structure ("Saldome1"), put into operation in August 2005.

More than 110,231 tons of road salt can be stored in the new Saldome2. The base area of the salt storage building has a circumference of 377 m (1,236.8 ft).

"Häring Ensphere" Structural Concept

The shell structure of Saldome2's structural system is a radical departure from traditional construction methods. C. Häring calls his concept the "Häring Ensphere" (from an American term meaning to envelope a space with a spherical shape). This concept is based on the fact that each double-curved construction is free-standing and spans the space above a ring foundation, thus creating complete freedom of use inside.

The lamella arch structure made of glued-laminated timber consists of a primary and a secondary framework structure. In total, the construction is composed of 894 structural elements that are supported by 48 foundations and connected by 163 nodes (two connection points per node). The individual elements of the dome were rigidly bolted using 4,272 bolts (eight bolts for each main beam). The result is a high-capacity structure rivaling steel and concrete constructions with regard to efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The entire structural system was cantilevered (built without scaffolding) using aerial work platforms. This is why separate analysis models were used to analyze the high number of resulting construction stages.

Structural Design Häring Project AG
Eiken, Switzerland
Engineers: R. Schneider, C. Zihlmann
www.haring.ch
Structure General Design
Häring & Co. AG

Structure Assembly
Häring Holz- und Systembau AG
Investor Schweizer Rheinsalinen AG
www.rheinsalinen.ch


Project Specifications

Do you have any questions?