Building Bridges - Connecting Worlds
Interview with Dipl.-Ing. Carsten Schade, Managing Director of aventas.bau GmbH & Co. KG
The infrastructure in Germany needs to be fundamentally overhauled, or renewed, in many areas. To this end, the federal government has launched a comprehensive program. aventas.bau GmbH & Co. KG from Illingen is a specialist in the renovation of bridges. With a team of highly qualified personnel, the company is able to handle even complex and challenging projects successfully.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Schade, please provide us with some examples of projects you have already completed.
Carsten Schade: One of our references is the Mettnich Valley Bridge on the A1 at the Braunshausen junction, which we extensively refurbished. For example, we renewed the transition structure and the steel railings, installed steel platforms and stairs into pillars, repaired concrete surfaces, and renewed the sealing system. We also installed cable trays and electrical supply lines. The bridge has a total length of 300 m and is 30 m high. The project was divided into four construction phases, of which we won three. Overall, this was a project volume of around six million EUR. Other references of ours include the Rheinbrücke Neuwied, Schwarzbachtalbrücke, Wadgassenbrücke, or the bridge on the A 6 at the Homburg junction.
Wirtschaftsforum: What was the largest project you have ever executed?
Carsten Schade: Our largest project was the Sulzbachtal Bridge, which has a total length of 800 m. The project volume was 20 million EUR. A very challenging project was the renovation of the Rheinbrücke Neuwied, whose pillars stand on a small island in the Rhine. We changed the bridge bearings there. A bearing weighs 13 t and has a diameter of 2.6 m. We had to install an elaborate scaffold under the bridge so that the bearings could be placed onto the scaffold below the bridge using a crane. The bearings were then manually moved under the bridge and onto the pillar. For this, we previously lifted the entire bridge at a pillar axis with 21 presses and a lifting force of 17,000 t, so that the superstructure rested on the presses.
Wirtschaftsforum: For renovations like the ones you perform, one needs expertise and capable staff. How do you address the issue of skilled labor shortage?
Carsten Schade: We work almost exclusively with our own staff out of conviction. This sets us apart from large construction companies. Renovation is indeed a specialty area. You can only work with well-trained people here. We enjoy an excellent reputation in our region and have therefore had a good influx of employees in recent years. We benefit here from recommendations from our own people. In addition, we have been training employees ourselves for many years.
Wirtschaftsforum: What is the basis for this good reputation?
Carsten Schade: We maintain a cooperative leadership style and take each of our employees seriously. The doors of our executives, including mine, are always open. We treat all our people with respect and esteem, and this pays off in loyalty and commitment.
Wirtschaftsforum: How sustainable and environmentally friendly are the processes used for bridge rehabilitation?
Carsten Schade: Bridge construction needs proven methods. You cannot experiment here because it is primarily about safety, but also about robustness and functionality. Cement manufacturers are working to reduce their CO2 emissions, as otherwise cement will soon become unaffordable. Saarland is currently switching to green steel – a project that is supported with around 3.5 billion EUR. So, there are approaches to becoming more environmentally friendly.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are you doing at aventas.bau to improve your own ecological footprint?
Carsten Schade: We already have two photovoltaic systems with a total of 70 kWp in use and will soon be installing a large battery. We regularly renew our machinery so that we always use the latest engines with the lowest possible emissions. Wherever possible, we try to save electricity and operating materials.
Wirtschaftsforum: What have you planned for the second half of 2024?
Carsten Schade: We already have many good projects in the pipeline and would like to gain a few more. We are currently involved in a major project that will span over three years. In general, we are open to new things, for both large and smaller projects.
Wirtschaftsforum: Where do you want to establish aventas.bau in the market in the long term?
Carsten Schade: We are already very well established in our region. There is definitely still growth potential that we would like to exploit in the coming years.