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001323
2025-02-26

Airship Hangar in Essen-Mülheim, Germany

The structure of a new multi-purpose hall on the premises of WDL Luftschiffgesellschaft mbH in Mühlheim offers the airship Theo, among others, protection from the weather and a safe place for maintenance work. Furthermore, it serves as an event hall for up to 1,500 people. Dlubal customers Marx Krontal Partner and Ripkens Wiesenkämper were responsible for the structural design of this project.
Model 005470 | Airship Hangar in Essen-Mülheim
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Airship Hangar in Essen-Mülheim

The supporting structure of the hangar is made completely of timber, a renewable resource. The timber truss consists of 15 double-hinged arches made of glued-laminated timber, with a span length of 42 m (137.8 ft). Furthermore, timber connections were used at a total of 592 nodal points. The supporting structure is made of 557 metric t (613.98 US t) of wood from German forests.

The foundations of the previous hall structure were broken up and returned to the building material cycle as recycled material for the substructure of the new hall. For the new foundations, 8,000 m³ (282,530 ft³) of earth were excavated.

The recyclable aluminum facade protects the airship's interior from the weather. A glass joint on the west side extends over two floors, providing natural light. The dimensions of the new building are based on the floor area of the previous hall and measure 92 by 42 m (301.84 ft by 137.8 ft) with a height of 26 m (85.3 ft).

The structural engineers from Marx Krontal Partner and Ripkens Wiesenkämper used RFEM software to calculate and implement both the supporting structure of the hall and the movable gate structure. This multi-purpose hall is undoubtedly a truly exciting customer project and even won the German Engineering Award 2024.

Location Luftschiffhangar Mühlheim
Lilienthalstraße 8
45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Germany
Investor Westdeutsche Luftwerbung
Theodor Wüllenkemper GmbH & Co. KG
Architects Smyk Fischer Architekten GbR (Design planning)
www.s-f-architekten.de

Gronau plan GbR (Execution planning & construction)
www.gronau-bau.de
Structural Design Marx Krontal Partner
www.marxkrontal.com

Ripkens Wiesenkämper
Beratende Ingenieure Part GmbB
www.rw-ingenieure.de
Timber Structures W. u. J. Derix GmbH & Co.
www.derix.de
Fire Resistance Design IB Römling – Dipl.-Ing. Lars Römling
www.ibroemling.de
Mechanical Engineering Dr. Schippke + Partner mbH
dr-schippke.de

Project Specifications

Model Data

Number of Nodes 3168
Number of Lines 3302
Number of Members 3295
Number of Load Cases 35
Number of Result Combinations 168
Total Weight 304.055 t
Dimensions (Metric) 92.349 x 42.060 x 26.030 m
Dimensions (Imperial) 302.98 x 137.99 x 85.4 feet
Program Version 5.26.02

Do you have any questions?

Events
Videos
Models to Download
Knowledge Base Articles
Visualization of the shear flow result diagram and acting forces on a timber panel wall
In this article, the design of a timber panel wall with the beam panel thickness type is performed.
Illustration of equivalent lateral force method for seismic analysis in structural engineering
This article provides a comprehensive overview of essential seismic analysis methods, explaining their principles and applications, as well as the scenarios in which they are most effective
Fire design according to Chapter 16 of the NDS [1] for wood members and surfaces is available in the Timber Design add-on. This article shows how the charring of wood and reduced cross-sectional dimensions can be accounted for in the fire design with an example from AWC Technical Report No. 10 [2].
Experimental Wind Tunnel Test – Aachen University
Validating CFD simulations with experimental data enhances accuracy by comparing simulation outcomes with real-world conditions. This process identifies discrepancies, allowing adjustments to enhance model reliability. Ultimately, it builds confidence in the simulation's ability to predict wind load scenarios.
Screenshots
Product Features
The image shows the hierarchical control between load transfer surfaces and floor slabs in RFEM 6.

In RFEM 6, there is an option of a hierarchical control between the load transfer surfaces and floors in Building Model. This also allows you to create walls made of load transfer surfaces in order to consider curtain walls in the facade, for example.

Feature 002901 | Plywood Materials According to ANSI/APA PRG 510 Plywood Standard (USA/CAN) in RFEM Material Library

In the material library of RFEM, you can find plywood materials according to the US and Canadian standards ANSI/APA PRG 510 Plywood (USA/CAN).

Feature 002870 | Charring Diagram

For the fire resistance design of timber surfaces, you can display a charring diagram depending on the time of fire exposure.

It is also possible to print this charring diagram into the printout report.

Feature 002825 | Shear Walls and Deep Beams Consisting of Members

When generating shear walls and deep beams, you can assign not only surfaces and cells, but also members.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I determine the sufficient total simulation time for an accurate transient wind analysis in RWIND?

Do I need to add a line hinge/line release for the CLT wall-to-floor connection in the Building Model add-on?
How can I add counteracting dead loads (0.9*D) in NBC load combinations?
How can I perform member design by case for different settings in the design configuration?
How can I exclude the dead load in NBC load combinations when performing a deflection check?
What is the conservatism factor for CLT in Timber Design?
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