A multi-generational park is being built on the site of the former Sophia-Jacoba coal mine in Hückelhoven (North Rhine-Westphalia) to bring people together through play, sport and recreation. A new pedestrian bridge connects the Millicher Halde with shaft 3 of the former coal mine.
Visible from afar, the bridge is designed as a semi-integral, four-span structure whose form and materials reflect the surrounding buildings: weathering steel is used for the superstructure and the filigree supports, its characteristic reddish-brown patina recalling the history of the old coal mine.
The most important feature of the bridge is not visible from the outside: the use of ArcelorMittal's CO2-reduced steel ‘XCarb® – recycled and renewably produced’ saved around 460 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the production of the required heavy plates alone. Thanks to a high scrap content and the use of 100% renewable energy in the electric arc furnace process, CO2 emissions were reduced by more than 60% compared to conventional blast furnace production.
The sustainability criteria specified in the public tender issued by Hückelhoven make the bridge a showcase project: it is the first structure of its kind for which sustainability criteria are binding. The planning office Werner Sobek realised the planning implementation in close cooperation with Doser Kempen Krause Ingenieure.
The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2026. The low-emission steel – manufactured by ArcelorMittal – will be processed by steel distributor and heavy plate specialist UnionStahl. The products are then assembled on site by the construction companies of the Tholen-Trepels consortium. A total of around 300 tonnes of steel will be used for the new bridge.
Bernd Jansen, Mayor of Hückelhoven: ‘With this project on the former coal mine site, it was important to us to plan sustainably from the outset. That is why we specified the criteria directly in the tender and are thus making a visible contribution to environmental protection – a showcase project for Hückelhoven.’
Andreas Malcher, Project Manager at Werner Sobek AG: ‘In the design, we reduced material consumption to an absolute minimum through structural optimisations. Close cooperation with the client also enabled us to include the use of CO2-reduced steel in the tender, so that we can minimise the emissions associated with the structure in this way as well.’
Sebastian Witthaus, Sales Manager at ArcelorMittal Commercial Germany: ‘Thanks to the clear specifications of the city administration and the close cooperation with Werner Sobek, UnionStahl and Tholen-Trepels, the bridge in Hückelhoven proves that sustainability-oriented projects are possible and feasible. We need more such public examples of sustainability in practice so that the market for CO2-reduced materials can continue to develop positively.’
