Tree Top Walk

Project description

Firmly rooted in the soil – the Tree Top Walk at Edersee is a crowd-puller for thousands of visitors every year. This task came just in time for the BFtec specialists: Suitable foundations had to be found for a Tree Top Walk near Hemfurth at the Edersee, which protrudes into the treetops of the Kellerwald forest with a height of up to 29 meters. The fascinating experience of nature should of course be accomplished with the least possible interference with nature.

The basic ecological idea is not only reflected in the externally visible architecture, but begins with the "rooting", which is taken over by the drilled foundations specially developed by BFtec. The load-bearing steel structure of the 150-ton Tree Top Walk – including the wooden components – has to meet the highest safety standards, as it is used by many hundreds of people every day.

BFtec attaches great importance to safety, which is why the foundation with the special drilling foundations underwent several independent test instances. With heavy equipment, the construction was finally loaded vertically with 40 tons and horizontally with 20 tons. "In addition, the foundations had to be anchored in the smallest of spaces – for what would a Tree Top Walk be that did not lead through the treetops in the immediate vicinity of the surrounding trees," says partner Peter Kellner.

Every single foundation can easily carry up to 30 tons and can be loaded immediately once screwed in. This technique eliminates the waiting time required for a cast concrete foundation. And the economic and ecological advantages are also evident in dismantling: The material – as much as 20 tons of steel – can be removed from the soil again using the same principle as removing a screw from the wood and is completely recyclable. What remains is a small hole that is backfilled with soil.