Prestressing Work in Reconstruction of the Dresden Frauenkirche Cupola, Germany

Siegfried Dornacher, Eng., Ernst Schaeffer, Eng., PAUL Maschinenfabrik GmbH and Co. KG, Duementingen, Germany

Summary
The reconstruction of the destroyed Frauenkirche in Dresden started in 1993. To take up the circumferential tensile forces acting in the main cupola, the engineer decided to incorporate 6 steel stressing anchors which, once stressed, apply a low pretension to the sandstone. The cupola of the old church had developed severe cracks which were to be avoided in the reconstruction. This special task required a specifically designed stressing equipment and a special stressing technology.

Historical Perspective
On Ash Wednesday, February 15, 1945, the Frauenkirche which had been one of Dresdens most memorable landmarks with its distinctive cupola collapsed. What remained was a pile of rubble 22 000 m3 in volume with two ruined stumps rising up above it. The church was not destroyed by a direct hit from the air raid on February 13, 1945, but caught fire from the adjacent Cosel Palais. It was as a result of the fire damage that a pillar gave way, causing the collapse. Over a construction period of just seventeen years starting in 1726, the square central section of the church was built under master carpenter George Baehr with a ground plan measuring 41 m 41 m in area and with a height of over 90 m. The striking external appearance was achieved by the mighty cupola and the four corner towers. The cupola starts at a height of just under 40 m and stretches up to the lantern at the top at a height of around 62 m (Fig. 1). Initially, the master builder planned to complete the cupola in wood with a copper cladding. However, he had the masonry laid thick enough right from the start of the construction work to allow him to present a suggestion just three years later (1729) to construct a cupola made completely of sand stone. He drew up a double-shelled design with a spiral staircase in the cavity to allow visitors to climb up from the cupola base to the lantern. The outer shell is between 2,3 m and 1,3 m thick, the inner shell just around 250 mm.

Static Engineering and Construction

Although Baehr had no detailed knowledge of the statics of his cupola, the principle he applied for the design of this 9000 t construction with its diameter of approximately 26 m at the bottom and approximately 10 m at the top was theoretically correct [1]. The outer shell of the cupola was reinforced by 24 upright ribs each 600 mm thick.
Structural Engineering International 4/2003

Fig. 1: Dresden Frauenkirche according to a painting by Canaletto in around 1750 264 Reports

Four iron anchors with a cross section of 40 mm 40 mm to 50 mm 90 mm wound around the upright ribs. Additional anchors link the piers, frame and external masonry. The enormous loading of the stone cupola was intended to flow not only via the piers but also over the walls of the stair towers and the entrance projection. Limited by the technical possibilities of his times, Baehr had belt-like iron anchors produced, made up of a large number of individual pieces each between 3 m and 6 m in length. He used a material that resembled St 33 quality steel, and to link the individual pieces wedges were driven into the eyelets forged onto the end of each link (Fig. 2).

This creates four quarter segments. At the initially still unclosed quarter points, the stressing points, the stressing anchors are stressed after a masonry height of 1,5 m and a mortar drying time of at least 28 days. After installation of the anchor and prior to stressing, the anchors are walled in with the exception of four open stressing gaps, so that only a tunnel-shaped channel remains to allow free movement of the anchor for stressing. The anchor cross sections and stressing forces are: Anchors 1 and 2: Anchor cross section 100 mm 30 mm, nominal stressing force 1200 kN Anchors 3, 4 and 5: Anchor cross section 150 mm 30 mm, nominal stressing force 1800 kN Anchor 6: Anchor cross section 100 mm 30 mm, nominal stressing force 1200 kN For optimum distribution of load from the stressing anchor to the cupola masonry and for precise positioning, a steel sheet is precisely measured and mounted under the anchor before its assembly. To reduce the friction occurring during stressing, a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film was arranged between this underlay sheet and the stressing anchor.

Fig. 2: Iron ring anchor as devised by Baehr showing wedges driven into forged on eyelets Fig. 3: Main cupola with lantern. 3D model. The position of the stressing anchors is indicated by arrows

But as early as 1738, while the church was still under construction and before the death of George Baehr, the first building flaws became evident. This was followed later by further damage, which was to trouble the church throughout its history. Today, in the archaeological reconstruction, the load is distributed or carried down from the cupola equally by the piers and the walls of the four stair towers in a deliberately controlled manner. Taking into account conservation-related considerations and under an obligation to Baehr to use a design made of only stone and iron in the reconstruction, as described in more detail in [1] a restressable polygon anchor ring made of flat steel with anchorages facing outwards was installed at the height of the main cornice. The cupola itself is no longer encircled by four non-prestressed anchors, but with 6 steel stressing anchors distributed over the height as illustrated in Fig. 3. When selecting the new stressing anchor material, in the main the stone and iron philosophy was adhered to, as a result of which a decision was taken to reject a suggestion made by the author to use modern stressing tendons such as double extruded strands.

Steel Stressing Anchors of New Main Cupola

The structural engineers selected a weldable, high-strength structural steel designated S 690 QL 1 for the stressing anchors. This is laid in bands 100/ 150 mm high and 30 mm thick around the cupola. The stressing anchors are supplied in eight sections of up to 10 m in length each (anchor 1 and 2) and are mounted in groove-shaped recesses in the outer shell of the cupola. Two of the pre-bent sections at a time are linked immediately following their assembly using a butt strap joint and precision bolts (Fig. 4).

Stressing Equipment and Process

The task to be performed by the provided stressing equipment was to engage the ends of the anchor positioned opposite each other at the four stressing points, to stress them (by pulling), prevent pull-in losses while the joints were drilled and screwed and then to release them again. A solution was found which has since proven highly successful (Figs. 5 and 6). Before delivery to the building site, steel plates

Fig. 4: Screwed butt strap joint at stressing anchor 1 Structural Engineering International 4/2003 Reports 265

were welded to the top and bottom side of the stressing anchor ends at the stressing joint. On both sides of the joint, vertical stressing plates are supported against these welded steel plates. As the stressing plates are only mounted shortly before the stressing process, and then removed again, they are constructed featuring a split design permitting them to be screwed together. On the right-hand stressing plate (Fig. 5), the stressing stools with their elbow bends and the stressing jack support are screwed into place. Two auxiliary tendons at each stressing point, one each above and below the anchor, are used for stressing. Each tendon comprises four strands with a nominal cross section of 200 mm2 in strength 1740 N/mm2. For anchoring these strands, special anchor wedges capable of reliably absorbing the high forces occurring during stressing and force transmission were developed. The length of the temporary tendons, measured from the anchorage point VSt1 to VSt3 behind the stressing jack was very short, at only around 3,3 m. This called for a precise length adjustment of the individual strands before stressing. This was achieved using special screw adjusters at the stressing jack head. The anchor wedges in the anchor barrels of VSt1 and VSt3, which tighten under load during strand adjustment, are blocked using wedge securing caps which prevent them from working loose again. Uneven strand lengths would have brought about an incline in the stressing anchor joint and the stressing equipment during stressing which could have resulted in them being destroyed. In order to avoid stressing the anchor under load during length adjustment of the strands, spacer wedges were inserted between the stressing anchor joints. The supports at the tensioning stools at VSt2 have the function of accommodating the anchor grips at these points and at the same time allowing the detensioning inserts and spacers to be inserted. Use of the detensioning inserts created the possibility to completely detension the entire system if necessary after stressing. The spacers served the purpose of wedge draw-in compensation. Wedge drawing is created by transferring the stressing force to the anchor grips at VSt2 once stressing is completed. To insert the spacers, it is necessary to stress the tendons again. In order to move out of the radius of the stressing anchor, the stressing stools
266 Reports

Stressing anchor

Vertical stressing plate

Strands of the auxiliary tendons Vertical Welded stressing Spacers steel plate plate

Stressing stool

Stressing anchor

Anchorage point VSt 1

Butt straps

Anchorage point VSt 2 Stressing jack 1000 kN, 100 mm stroke

Screw adjuster VSt 3 Wedge securing cap

Wedge securing cap Spacer wedges Stressing joint and stressing equipment

Detensioning insert

Stressing jack support

Fig. 5: Stressing joint and stressing equipment

Fig. 6: Stressing joint and stressing equipment, status prior to stressing

were fitted with elbow bends which led away from the building. It was only in this way that it was possible to gain the space needed to arrange the two stressing jacks required at each stressing point. Since the cupola does not contain any supports as they are available e.g. in the tank construction, the stressing anchors with their four stressing points had to be designed in such a way that they could be tightened, i.e. stressed like a belt. The auxiliary tendons are stressed as the stressing jack pistons extend which draws the stressing anchor ends together. During this operation the auxiliary tendons bear on the left side via the anchor grips against the stressing plate and on the right side against the stressing jack piston, as shown in Fig. 5. The stressing jack presses via the stressing stool onto the right-hand stressing plate. On completion of the stressing operation and the wedge draw-in compensation and before screwing the strapped joints together, the stressing force is transferred from the stressing jacks to the anchor grips at anchorage point VSt2. The auxiliary tendons between the stressing jacks and VSt2 are released whereas the auxiliary tendons between

VSt1 and VSt2 still remain under load. The stressing equipment was completed by stressing jack supports and the hydraulic pumps with their pressure gauges required for operation of the stressing jacks. Much of the equipment used was specially designed for stressing the stressing anchors in the Frauenkirche cupola. It had been requested and also considered necessary to test the stressing equipment in advance under conditions largely similar to those on site, and to train for the stressing process. This ensured that right from tensioning the very first anchor, the process would run smoothly and safely. In addition, the loss of force due to friction from the stressing system tendon stressing stool stressing jack could be determined experimentally. The stressing force and elongation were predefined by the planning bureau in the stressing program. Due to the friction losses to be expected during stressing, for the first anchor 1280 kN was specified as a target stressing force and 38 mm as an elongation per stressing point. Detailed stressing instructions were elaborated in accordance with the stressing program. To ensure
Structural Engineering International 4/2003

that the prescribed stressing force was actually transmitted into the building structure and that the target elongations were reached, the stressing anchor 1 was fitted with strain gauges at a total of 16 locations around the circumference. This permitted additional and precise monitoring against force measurement by the stressing jacks and elongation measurements using calliper gauges. For simultaneous and even transmission of the prestressing at the four stressing points of the anchor, all the stressing points were equipped identically as shown in Fig. 6 and manned by suitably instructed personnel. Eye contact between the stressing personnel was out of the question. Communication between them took place using two-way radio. A supervising engineer spoke the instructions for machine operation, i.e. the individual steps to be carried out, which were acknowledged each time. Stressing took place over a number of gradual force steps. After each step, the achieved values for the stressing force and elongation were recorded at each of the stressing points and compared. After the last stressing step, the stressing force of the stressing jacks was transferred to the anchor grips at VSt2. The wedge drawin occurred as a result was compensated by repeated tensioning and insertion of spacers in front of the anchor grips. Up to around the first half of the stressing force, different stressing elongations were measured at the four stressing points. During the second half of the stressing force application, a good proportionality between the stressing force and the stressing elongation developed. Overall, stressing force and elongation were transmitted with a good degree of precision. The monitoring measurements taken using strain gauges confirmed the measured results obtained using the stressing equipment.

Fig. 7: Drilling equipment at the stressing joint

Fig. 8: Stressing anchor joint after stressing and dismantling of the stressing equipment

Drilling and Screwing the Stressing Joints

Strapped joints were prepared at the stressing points. At the left-hand stressing anchor end, the straps were screwed on prior to stressing. At the right-hand stressing anchor end, the front strap only was pre-drilled. After stressing, this meant that the anchor plate and the rear strap still had to be drilled through in order to allow the joint to be screwed together. To guarantee preStructural Engineering International 4/2003

cise drilling, a drilling machine fixture was screwed to the stressing equipment at the joint (Fig. 7). After completion and screwing together of all the splice plates, the stressing force could finally be transferred to the butt strap joint. To allow this to happen, the auxiliary stressing tendons had to be tensioned again to allow the spacers and detensioning inserts to be withdrawn. Finally, the stressing equipment was dismantled (Fig. 8). After stressing, the stressing recesses were largely walled in and closed before they and the stressing anchor ducts were grouted with a special cement mortar.

chors on the reconstructed sandstone main cupola of the Frauenkirche Dresden were specifically designed and suited to this particular application. Although basic elements could be adopted from the prestressed concrete technology, a lot of features had to be newly developed, i.e. modified or adapted. The machinery and equipment proved highly successful in prestressing the cupola. The specified stressing forces and elongations were obtained with a high degree of precision.

References
[1] WENZEL, F.; JAEGER, W. Der archologische Wiederaufbau der Frauenkirche zu Dresden. Beton- und Stahlbetonbau 91, No. 11 (1996), (in German), pp. 257276.

Conclusion
The equipment and prestressing technology used for stressing the 6 steel an-

Reports

267