Look-Out Tower in the Nature Discovery Park Panarbora, Germany

Structures Analysed with Dlubal Software

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3D model of look-out tower and deformation in RFEM (© Harrer Ingenieure)

12-sided look-out tower with connected treetop path on left (© Harrer Ingenieure)

Inside view of look-out tower (© Harrer Ingenieure)

Customer Project

18 November 2015

Germany RFEM Timber Structures Towers and Masts

Structural Engineering	Structural Planning, Fire Resistance Design Harrer Ingenieure GmbH Karlsruhe, Germany www.harrer-ing.net Preliminary Structural Analysis Engineering office Miebach Lohmar, Germany www.ib-miebach.de
Construction	Timber Structures Schaffitzel Holzindustrie GmbH + Co. KG Schwäbisch Hall, Germany www.schaffitzel.de
Investor	German Youth Hostel Association Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk, Landesverband Rheinland e. V., Germany panarbora.de

In September 2015, the nature discovery park Panarbora was opened near Cologne. A highlight of the park is the 40 meter high 12‑sided look‑out tower made of glued‑laminated timber which offers the visitors a breathtaking view over the Bergische Land.

A wooden treetop path, 540 m long, is connected to the look‑out tower. The Dlubal Software customer Harrer Ingenieure from Karlsruhe, Germany, was in charge of the structural analysis and the fire resistance design.

Modeling and Design of Tower in RFEM

For the calculation of the look-out tower, a spatial beam structure model of the whole structure was created in RFEM.

Twelve columns are arranged in both the exterior and in the interior circle with the dimensions 24 / 72 cm. To consider the eccentricity of the connections of the supporting girder to the member axis of the columns, rigid-rigid and rigid-release connections were planned.

The construction consists of glued-laminated timber Gl32c with the exception of the round steel crossing diagonals, supporting girders, support rings and the connections.

Tension member systems with the steel grade S 460 (type Macalloy and BESISTA) were used for the round steel diagonals.

The look-out tower is located at an altitude of 350 m above sea level in snow load zone 2a (sk = 1.06 kN/m²) and wind zone 1. It is situated in an rea outside of earthquake zones. The maximum traffic load on the walking routes was set to 5 kN/m².

The design of the wooden elements was performed in the RF‑TIMBER Pro add-on module, the design of the steel elements in RF‑STEEL EC3.