Load tests successfully carried out on the Nibelungen Bridge

Extensive load tests were carried out on the Nibelungen Bridge (Worms) on the nights of November 19-21, 2025. The aim was to precisely record the static and dynamic behavior of the well-known structure under defined loads.

A jour fixe on the digital maintenance of the bridge was held on 19 November. Andreas Jackmuth (LBM Worms), Chris Voigt (MKP GmbH) and Chongjie Kang (TU Dresden) reported on the current status of the work from the perspective of the road administration, the engineering office and research. Afterwards, the participants were able to take a close look at the sensors installed in the bridge's box girder.

The actual tests began at 7 p.m.: four 30-tonne trucks were guided over the bridge in various load positions while the structural behavior was continuously recorded statically and dynamically. Projects from the SPP 100+ were also involved: TU Dresden and the University of Duisburg-Essen supported the test planning with numerical analyses, while RWTH Aachen University tested an innovative DFOS patch for recording 2D strain fields on the bridge.

Many thanks to LBM Worms, MKP GmbH and Eiffage for the excellent organization of the tests and the supporting program.