Marcus Nachbauer, Managing Director of Eugen Nachbauer Gerüstbau GmbH & Co. KG, received a phone call at an unusual moment – before a project had even been put out to tender. That’s because the stonemasons, plasterers, roofers and carpenters who would be renovating the outside of the Protestant Church in the Wiesbaden suburb of Naurod couldn’t be contracted until the church had found a scaffolding company with the expertise to overcome the technical challenges of scaffolding this unusual building.
It chose Marcus and Tobias Nachbauer’s company in Ludwigshafen, which is 100 km away, but presented the best solution to the church’s challenging architecture in the form of the Layher Allround Scaffolding. The octagonal church dates back to 1730 and has a special feature that very few German ecclesial buildings have – a central, 33-metre-high bell tower. This architecture and the fact that the church stands on foundations composed of 250 oak beams driven into the marshy ground beneath the building, makes it essential to ensure that no load is transferred onto the roof or the outer walls. So the scaffolding had to be designed and implemented as a completely self-supporting structure.
The perfect solution to a complex challenge
The project manager – a longstanding Layher customer - immediately realised that the Layher Allround FW System was ideal for this project. This high-load-bearing system was specifically developed to bridge wide spans. It also has standard system dimensions, which means it can be dimensionally and statically integrated in the Layher Allround System. Compared to traditional scaffolding systems, it is a light, compact and modular solution with just three components that can be quickly bolted together. Four 21-metre-long frameworks were crossed in pairs and positioned on a Layher Allround Scaffolding System to erect the scaffolding around the tower. The work scaffolding for the tower was then placed on or suspended from the frameworks. Allround Scaffolding has a very high load-bearing capacity, so it reliably absorbs the 2.4 t weight of the frameworks and the weight of the tower scaffolding. To ensure that the scaffolding was a self-supporting structure, an additional 40 t of concrete and water ballast were used to secure it in the ground. An 8-strong team took 25 days to erect the platform for the restoration work. An Allround stairtower and an additional elevator ensure workplace safety and fast access to the tower.
Passionate about scaffolding – for almost 100 years
The company was founded in 1924 by Eugen Nachbauer, a master carpenter and mason. Today it is run by the fourth generation of the Nachbauer family, meaning that three generations of Nachbauers have been involved in various associations and organisations to promote the scaffolding industry. Marcus Nachbauer is President of the German Scaffolding Association, which means he’s always up to date on the latest market developments. His brother Tobias is also on the Scaffolding Association’s Technology Committee. The successful businessmen send their personnel to Layher in Eibensbach for training at least once a year so they can learn about new products and gain practical experience at the Customer Centre. The fou frameworks were pre-assembled at the depot in Ludwigshafen into 6-metre elements, assembled at the site and then placed in position with a crane. “It was the first time we had used the new FW System and we were entirely satisfied with both the system itself and the support we received from the experts at Layher”, emphasised Marcus Nachbauer. Construction Manager Ralph Steiger added, “The project was a great success and the new frameworks fitted our Allround Scaffolding perfectly – but I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Layher.”
A team that builds confidence
“Especially in industrial applications and when public buildings are scaffolded, our customers often specifically ask us what scaffolding material we use. The Layher brand name and our customer references are guarantees of our quality and reliability”, said Tobias Nachbauer. Construction Manager Andreas Mauren added a practical insight: “Layher’s comprehensive portfolio of accessories also allows us to offer customised and efficient scaffolding solutions to our customers.”
