Load testing in the context of converting the former Aktienspinnerei building in Chemnitz into the central library of the Chemnitz University of Technology

The former Aktienspinnerei building in the city centre of Chemnitz was built as a solid structure around 1850. It has three full storeys with vaulted ceilings on cast iron supports. The load-bearing safety of the cast supports that are hollow on the inside and whose outer diameter varies, could not be verified mathematically. The same was true for the load-bearing safety of the riveted steel beams, that act as ceiling joists that transfer the load of the ceilings to the cast iron supports. MFPA Leipzig GmbH was therefore instructed to verify load-bearing safety through on-site load testing. For this purpose, biaxial loads of up to 3 MN (300 tonnes) were applied to the cast iron supports.

Load-bearing safety was verified in these tests. The connected welded steel beams (girders) and the cast iron supports were recreated true to the originals and tested in the testing laboratory as a single and multi-field system. It could be verified, also for this historic structure, that it can still transfer loads at a sufficient level of safety. The former Aktienspinnerei building could therefore be converted for use as the central library of the Chemnitz University of Technology. MFPA Leipzig GmbH contributed to this impressive building being conserved in a high-quality manner.

Photos: Real Estate and Building Management of the Free State of Saxony