History of the Geierlay
How it all began...
carticleecarticleecpeThe history of Geierlay describes the journey from the first idea to the construction of the suspension bridge. Learn how this extraordinary construction project in the Hunsrück was realized step by step.c/pec/articleec/articlee
From Idea to Implementation
The creation of the Geierlay suspension bridge began in 2006 with an initial workshop on village renewal. From an initially discarded idea, a concrete project developed over several years, which could ultimately be realized through volunteer commitment, political decisions, and secured funding.
2006: It all started with a workshop
In 2006, during a public workshop for village renewal and the development of the local community, it was presented and initially dismissed as "not feasible".
2010: The Feasibility Study
2014: Securing the Financing
Until the start of construction, several years passed. Above all, the financing had to be secured. Thanks to funding from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, as well as donations from the surrounding local communities and the Verbandsgemeinde Kastellaun, the financing was in place at the beginning of 2014, and concrete planning could begin.
2014/15: Building Application & Start of Construction
After the building application on December 23, 2014, and the subsequent tendering and awarding process, construction began on May 26, 2015. In a record time of just under 6 months, the Geierlay was ultimately completed.
A large number of companies were involved in the planning and construction of the Geierlay suspension bridge. Feasibility studies, nature conservation expert reports, landscape analysis, static calculations, soil assessments, and much more preceded the actual construction of the suspension bridge.
The Geierlay – an extraordinary structure
The bridge was built as an unstiffened construction based on the model of the Nepalese suspension bridge. The planning of the construction and the static calculations were carried out by the Swiss engineer Hans Pfaffen.
Materials & Sidewalk Construction
The walkway of the Geierlay Bridge is made of rough-sawn Douglas fir, which is screwed onto cross-running hanger constructions at a distance of 1.50 m. Douglas fir offers high resistance – comparable to oak – and is particularly durable.
A constructive wood protection is achieved through a distanced installation of the planks, which creates optimal air circulation, especially at the fastening points. All steel parts used are hot-dip galvanized according to EN 1461 and thus permanently protected against corrosion.
Structure & Safety Structure
The cross-section of the bridge is designed to be functional and safe:
- The overhead load cables serve as handrails.
- The walkway ends are made of square timber (8/12 cm) from Douglas fir.
- The fall protection is provided by tensioned guard ropes parallel to the walkway, to which a wire mesh fence is attached.
Structure, Anchorage & Stability
The bridge is supported at both ends by pylons, which absorb the redirecting forces of the suspension cables and intercept additional lateral forces from wind or dynamic movements. The anchorage is achieved through two heavy-duty anchors each, which – depending on the substrate – were drilled up to 25 meters deep into the rock and pressed there.
The necessary stability and vibration damping are provided by wind load cables, which are parabolically tensioned to the load cables. Cross cables are attached to these, ensuring a secure bracing of the entire bridge structure.
