Berlin East Station

A special contrast can be found in this historic station, which has existed since 1842: Steel structures from the century before last, witnesses to early industrialization, carry state-of-the-art high-speed trains safely into and out of the station.

To ensure this remains the case, IWT-Solutions AG, together with the Chair of Steel Construction at THM (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bertram Kühn), has developed a concept for the non-destructive and rapid identification of historical steel grades and tested it at the Ostbahnhof railway station in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn AG. The concept combines the principle of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) with specific expertise in historical scrap steel.

For over 30 years, IWT-Solutions AG has specialized in steel applications, particularly in the group of historical steels known today as puddled steel and mild steel, and they are characterized by very different mechanical properties.

Historic scrap steel from the century before last is installed in Berlin’s Ostbahnhof

It is therefore important for structural rehabilitation that the material properties of the riveted individual components are known for structural safety calculations, e.g., based on the railway guideline BS805 or other regulations. However, extensive sampling from the enormous number of riveted individual components is hardly realistic. The excessive effort involved, as well as the potential impact on the structural integrity of the slender and resource-efficiently constructed structures due to destructive sampling, are major obstacles.

Measurement points are freed from paint layers for measurement and thus prepared for measurement with the OES

On-site measurement with the mobile spark emission spectroscope (OES for short)

This is where the easy handling of the special OES probe comes in, allowing for trouble-free use under construction conditions and a large number of measurements in a short time. The chemical composition of the bare metal surface is measured using a special probe. Depending on accessibility and advance planning of the measuring points, up to 100 measurements can be performed in a single day. Based on our extensive knowledge of scrap steel, we have developed a special method for the targeted evaluation of the measurement results, which enables reliable differentiation of steel types.

For planners, developers, operators, and owners of steel structures, this means that the new method provides a significantly faster and more practical way to perform statistically significant material type analyses of old steel structures built up to the 1980s within a very short time. Thus, the method also makes an important contribution to the sustainability and preservation of historic buildings in the context of monument protection.

We would like to thank all project partners for the exchange of ideas and the good cooperation.

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