April 6, 2021 CASE STUDY, TECHNOLOGY
There is one thing that we expect from monuments and that is that they withstand the passage of time, standing strong and proud.
But what if they don’t? Our company’s restoration of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is a good case in point.
At the beginning of the 2000s, this symbol of German history underwent a general renovation, and about time. For decades, this structure right on the border of divided Berlin had been untouched by the city’s infrastructure services. However, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate was suddenly a central part of the ever-pulsating metropolis while exhaust fumes and environmental toxins gnawed away at the masonry.
The deterioration became more and more apparent during the restoration work – especially when it was discovered that inferior material had been used for some of earlier restoration work on the columns. The condition of one column was so poor that it was in real danger of collapsing.
Therefore, in 2002, the restorers decided to carry out a spectacular replacement operation. The affected column underwent ‘open-heart surgery’ by being put into a kind of suspended state and replaced.
This was a demanding feat of engineering, partly made possible by HBK force and displacement sensors. With these sensors (and the associated measuring amplifier), the mechanical load condition could be determined at any time, bringing certainty and confidence to every step of the investigation.
At that time, continuous structural monitoring with sensor technology opened a new chapter in technology. And even today, this method is still widely used and based on a wide variety of sensor technologies (for example, strain gauges or Fiber Bragg Grating sensors), depending on the challenge at hand.
So, when we look at the Brandenburg Gate, we can be proud knowing that measurement technology from HBK has contributed to ensure this 18th-century, neoclassical monument’s strength and stability.
Bridges can reach legendary ages – many viaducts and bridges from ancient and medieval times are still in use today. We wonder if the master builders back then ever imagined that their structure would last for thousands of years?
No fruit has achieved such fame in the world of physics as the humble apple. After all, it was an apple falling from a tree that inspired Isaac Newton’s law of gravity. This is the time to HBK pay tribute to the physics of the apple!
During the last Vendée Globe race, HBK was involved in the Advens for Cybersecurity project, which involved developing and installing optical strain gauges on the foils of a boat.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.
This will bring together HBM, Brüel & Kjær, nCode, ReliaSoft, and Discom brands, helping you innovate faster for a cleaner, healthier, and more productive world.