Concept for enhancing the grating fences on the Altmann Bridge

A good lightning protection system must be able to do one thing above all: Reliably protect people and buildings from the effects of lightning discharges by channelling the lightning current safely past the object to be protected and into the ground.

This is what Hans Thormählen GmbH & Co. KG made its priority.

Railway earthing on the Altmannbrücke (Altmann Bridge), Münzstraße, Hamburg

Hans Thormählen GmbH & Co. KG

Rail technology

Short-circuit wire, traction system earthing conductor, press connector, bell mouth cable lug

Fenced railway area with a yellow high-voltage warning sign under a clear blue sky.

The challenge

Together with the project management of S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH, the topic of renovating the grated fences around the railway facilities of the Altmannbrücke (Altmann Bridge) in Hamburg was addressed. The railway earthing was also renovated as part of this project.

The grated fences are located in the overhead contact line area and are not capable of carrying short-circuit currents. Objects in the area where the overhead contact line breaks that do not have sufficient short-circuit-current-carrying capacity put people and installations at risk. They must be equipped with sufficiently dimensioned conductors to protect people from touching them.

The solution

At an on-site meeting of all parties involved in the project – Hans Thormählen GmbH & Co. KG, the technical sales department of the railway technology division of DEHN SE and the project management of S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH – a concept for upgrading the grated fences on the Altmannbrücke was drawn up.

The new double-grating fences were connected to the traction system earth via a short-circuit wire with a suitable conductor cross-section in accordance with German railway guideline Ril 997.02. This short-circuit wire was attached to the grated fences using conductor holders and can be routed as far as required. Extensions can be made using press connectors. Short-circuit wires are installed on fences or boundaries and trigger a defined short circuit in the event of a broken overhead contact line.