German Transrapid

Development of a cost-optimised driveway

Over the course of the program to secure the future of the German maglev train technology, concluded by the German Ministry of Traffic, Construction and Urban Development, a guide way girder was to be developed in order to reduce the costs of the Transrapid driveway by at least 20%. At the same time, the high system-specific requirements were not to be influenced by the design of the optimised guideway girder.

ZPP or the predecessor company, received the order to develop the ground-level driven guide way girder (construction lot 3) together in an engineering association with the Ed. Züblin AG and the engineering office Spiekermann.

The complete system of the maglev train girder, as developed by the engineering association, is characterised by a continuous girder, which has to constructed by a slip form machine with in-situ concrete, as well as precast slabs which are mounted on the girders by means of steel bearings. The guide way slabs take on the function of the slip plane for the vehicles and are carrier of the technical equipment. The fundamental design principles are similar to the solid tracks of wheel-rail-systems.

A type-approval has been applied for the ready-for-implementation-planning of the ground-level driven guide way girder. Prototypes of the new girder were installed and tested at two sections of the Transrapid test track in northern Germany.