• The historic masonry was repaired over a period of nine months.
• Numerous damages were repaired; the renovation of the wall contributes significantly to flood protection.
• Similar measures are being implemented on other sections of wall in Kornelimünster.

After nine months of construction, the renovation of the retaining wall on the banks of the Abteigarten in Kornelimünster is almost complete. Stone rollers were recently installed at the base of the wall in the stream bed as scour protection. They provide additional protection for the masonry in the impact area of the water. Now all that remains is to install the railing on the eastern bank wall.

During the main structural inspection in 2019 and 2022, various types of damage were identified in the retaining walls: Cracks, cracked and open joints, missing stones, cavities, bulges, undermining or missing scour protection. The guardrails, the tubular railings mounted on the parapet, also showed signs of damage and were no longer state of the art.

The road maintenance and bridge construction department of Aachener Stadtbetrieb coordinated the project and supervised the renovation. The renovation of the Inde retaining wall was carried out in such a way that the characteristic appearance and the original natural stone appearance were preserved as far as possible. The repair work on the bank walls had been approved in advance by the lower water authority and the Eifel-Rur water board.

"Parapets and copings made of natural stone were demolished from the wall sections and replaced with a reinforced concrete covering," explains Barbara Siodmok, bridge construction officer at the municipal authority. "All exposed surfaces were cleaned, repaired and repointed. After capping the joints, the entire wall structure was grouted in depth using the dry spraying method."

Excessively weathered or missing stones had to be replaced or supplemented so that the wall structure was once again undisturbed. Deeper cavities were filled with grouting concrete in advance and localized washouts in the area of the wall foundation were underpinned.

Drainage holes were drilled at the base of the retaining wall to prevent stratum water from penetrating the wall structure and damaging the masonry joints through frost.

All work to renovate and strengthen the wall contributes to flood protection and makes the embankment wall equally fit for the future.

A similar construction site is currently being implemented in the district of Hahn, where the bank walls are also being repaired.