informissue 20 october 2010

THE MAGAZINE OF STRABAG SE

SHOPPING LIKE INTHE ARABIAN NIGHTS AL NAEEM SHOPPING MALL

WHEN THE JOB BURNS YOU OUT BURNOUT

STRABAG IN ACTION COMPANY OUTING & CO

EDITORIAL

DEAR EMPLOYEES,LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

Most probably, one of your colleagues has recently become a

father or mother. Statistically speaking, when looking at the EU

average, 617 STRABAG babies should have been born this year

already. And, one ‘baby’ was ‘created’ by all of us at STRABAG

together: the cement holding company Lafarge Cement CE Holding

GmbH, a joint enterprise of STRABAG and market-leading cement

manufacturer Lafarge. Both companies contribute plants to this

new holding. Read more about the advantages for us on pages 26

and 27.

Starting a family and leading a balanced private life has a dis-

tinct positive impact on a person’s happiness. As employers, we

also need to pay attention to the wellbeing of our employees, not

least because happiness can protect from work-related diseases. In

the cover story of this issue (‘When the Job Burns You Out’ on

pages 12 to 19) you can read about how to recognise signs of a

burnout syndrome and how to protect yourself from this state of

physical and emotional exhaustion, from which, in Austria alone,

500,000 people are suffering.

A short summary: Be generous with positive feedback for your

colleagues and unwind in your leisure time. Your colleagues relax

with sports, cooking, or playing with their kids. Or how about a

mental journey around the globe? Our project presentations in this

issue of inform start in Germany, at the twin towers (pages 30 and

31). After a quick side-trip to the Mormon temple in Ukraine (page

34) we go on a treasure hunt at the Kolín bypass in the Czech

Republic (pages 36 and 37) and finally arrive at the Al Naeem

Shopping Centre in the United Arab Emirates for a shopping spree

like in the Arabian Nights (pages 40 and 41).

Diana Neumüller-Klein, Head of

Corporate Communications &

Investor Relations

From now on, inform helps STRABAG employees to get to

know each other better. Acquaintanceships in the company will

ease your daily work: lines of communication become shorter and

work will be even more fun. On pages 10 and 11 we present the

new inform column ‘Newcomers and Careerists’ at STRABAG and

we report on the STRAcafe – a networking event, where employees

got a series of 15-minute-opportunities to get to know colleagues

from other departments while enjoying cocktails and coffee. Maybe,

next time, you’ll also join in?! – Let’s join forces to work on building

a STRABAG family of happy employees!

Yours sincerely,

Diana Neumüller-Klein

Editorial inform 20

02

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS 04 A HANDFUL OF PRIZES Awards

06 LET THE CORKS POP! Celebrations

08 SCRAPING THE SKY BMTI International

08 APPRENTICES WANTED Austrian Apprentice Campaign

10 CAREER AT STRABAG Newcomers and Careerists

COVER STORY 12 WHEN THE JOB BURNS YOU OUT Work Burnout

PEOPLE AT STRABAG 21 MALE PASSIONS STRABAG Personnel in the Spotlight

STRABAG UNITS 24 AROUND THE WORLD Corporate Travel Department

26 NEW FAMILY MEMBER Company Expansion

28 EN ROUTE TO INTELLIGENT ROADS Research Project ‘PAST’

29 SEALING WITH THE HELP OF BACTERIA BioSealing

PROJECTS 30 GERMANY’S TWIN TOWERS Berlin & Frankfurt Towers

32 NEW OPERATIONS HUB Vienna Matzleinsdorf Railway Station

33 LIKE LIVING IN A FAIRY TALE Apartment Complex Terrassenhaus II

34 TEMPLE OF SAINTS Kiev Temple

35 LINK TO THE FUTURE Glattalbahn Light Railway

36 TREASURE HUNT Kolín Bypass

38 PUT BACK ON TRACK Railroad Construction

39 OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED S3 Expressway

40 SHOPPING LIKE IN THE ARABIAN NIGHTS Al Naeem Shopping Mall

42 CHINA: MARKET OF THE FUTURE Division 3G International

EVENTS 44 STRABAG IN ACTION Company Outing & Co

SPECIALS 46 OUR ARTISTS OF TOMORROW Collage Competition

46 SMALL AIDS FOR THE OFFICE ROUTINE Tips & Tricks

47 WANTED: CROSSWORD CHAMPION Raffle

www.strabag.com inform 20 Table of Contents

03

AWARDS

A HANDFUL OF PRIZES

Everyone delights in prizes, no matter if one wins or

presents them. Unfortunately, it would go beyond the

scope of this article to mention all awards, yet there’s

enough space to mention at least a handful of them.

Germany/Austria. To have good employees at hand when you

need them is something that requires planning long in advance.

BMTI in Hoppegarten became aware of this fact early on, and has,

since 2007, been educating young talents in a training workshop.

Currently, 21 young men are attending courses under the guidance of

Peter Ulrich. “Special thanks go to him, for he has been devoting

lots of energy and initiative into our training workshop, and he fully

supports his boys,” praises Wolfgang Schmitz, Sub-division Manager

of BMTI in Germany.

Many a future apprentice gathered his /her first work experience

during a traineeship. For this reason, BMTI initiated cooperation with

the Lenné comprehensive school in the community of Hoppegarten.

The first fruits of this initiative have already been reaped, and now

came the first award. For the fourth time, the Chamber of Crafts

Frankfurt /East Brandenburg, the Chamber of Commerce and

Industry, and ‘Netzwerk Zukunft. Schule + Wirtschaft für Branden-

burg’ honoured 19 companies for their outstanding commitment in

providing hands-on training. “We are happy that our commitment to

in-house education is also recognized and honoured outside the

company,” says Schmitz.

BETTING ON OLD VALUES

New is not always better! In particular, when it comes to old

buildings, it might pay off to pay attention to lovingly designed

details and to preserve them. The residential estate on Robert-Blum-

Gasse in Vienna serves as a perfect example. This estate had been

built around 1900, and was in a very bad state. The structures had

to be completely rehabilitated and improved: among other things,

full thermal insulation was added and elevators and a new heating

system were installed.

28 different decorative elements were used in order to preserve

the romantic charm of the old façade. Rehabilitation works took

roughly two-and-a-half years – an effort which has now been

honoured with the 1st prize in the 25th Urban Renewal Award

(Stadterneuerungspreis) of the Viennese Building Guild.

STRABAG ARTAWARD 2010 GOES TO AURELIA GRATZER

17 June 2010 was the day again: The winner of the STRABAG

Artaward International 2010 was announced. This year, Aurelia

Gratzer convinced the jury with the consistent refinement of her

interior designs and the delicate handling of the medium of painting.

“The artistic quality and distinctiveness of her works have further

increased over the last years,” explains jury member Barbara Baum.

So, Gratzer is now among the laureates of one of the most highly

remunerated awards in visual arts given away by an Austrian

company. In addition to the prize money, Gratzer is honoured with a

sole exhibition at the STRABAG Artlounge. And, she may avail herself

of the artist-in-residence programme at the STRABAG Artstudios.

The success of the STRABAG Artaward International speaks

for itself. The altogether 1,370 contestants of the first two years

demonstrate how important it is to support young artistic talent. “In

In vocational training, BMTI banks

on a training workshop.

The 1st prize for the preservation

of old values went to STRABAG.

NEWS

News inform 20

04

the second year again, the pressure of competition motivated many

young artists to improve the quality of their works even further,” says

Wilhelm Weiss, Director of STRABAG Kunstforum (Art Forum). “We

invite all young artists to also in the future take part in the STRABAG

Artaward International with joy and enthusiasm and to seize this

opportunity,” adds Weiss.

CONTACT: Wolfgang Schmitz, Service Companies,

Central Division BMTI 01, Sub-division Germany

CONTACT: Andreas Degen, Building Construction and Civil

Engineering, Division Austria 3C, Sub-division Vienna (AP)

CONTACT: Wilhelm Weiss, Barbara Baum,

STRABAG Kunstforum

Info + +

A Lucky Dice

For the third time already, the well-known Austrian painter

and poet Anselm Glück painted large-size wooden dices. He

created eight 1 x 1 m dices, which, when put together, result

in various interesting pictures. The STRABAG Societas

Europaea logo was also skilfully integrated into this piece of

art. The figures and heads ‘floating’ in the pictures tell stories

of Glück’s life. They are supposed to be thought-provoking

and shall stir up the viewers’ curiosity.

Then, the idea of a miniature version – as a folding dice in the

format of approximately 8 x 8 cm was born. Additionally, the

artist designed the unique edition of larger-sized dice objects

of 20 x 20 cm. This stable dice sporting an art print on a

canvas-like surface will be produced in a limited edition of

100 pieces and numbered and individually signed by the

artist.

In October 2010, on the occasion of Glück’s 60th birthday,

a special exhibition will be held at the STRABAG Artlounge,

where the latest works of the artist will be displayed and the

small folding dices and the limited-edition larger dice pre-

sented for the first time.

Exhibition:

8 Oct. – 5 Nov. 2010

Vernissage:

7 Oct. 2010

v. 2010

Hans Peter Haselsteiner presents Aurelia Gratzer with the coveted prize. Gratzer convinced the jury with her unique works.nique works.

NEWS

inform 20 Newswww.strabag.com

05

CELEBRATIONS

LET THE CORKS POP!

Like prizes, celebrations must also be mentioned in our

inform magazine. This time, we are happy to present to

you two project kick-offs and one completion.

India/ Ireland/Austria. The first in this small series of celebra-

tions to be mentioned is the laying of the foundation stone for the

Rohtang Tunnel in India. Already back in September 2009, Sub-divi-

sion MJ of Division International won the contract to build the 8.8 km

long Rohtang Tunnel in the north-western Indian Himalayan region.

Completion of the tunnel is scheduled for 2015. Then, this tunnel will

render it unnecessary to drive over the 3,978 m high mountain pass.

And, it will then also be possible to supply the people living north of

the mountains all year round, for the tunnel can be passed in any

weather. Until now, these people used to be cut off from civilization

due to heavy snowfalls for at least six months every year. “This tunnel

will be built at an altitude of about 3,000 m above sea level and will

thus be one of the highest-altitude road tunnels in the world,”

describes Peter Reichenspurner the special situation of this tunnel.

LIMERICK TUNNEL INAUGURATED BY THE PRIME MINISTER

On 27 July 2010, after four years under construction and two

months ahead of schedule, the PPP project ‘Limerick Tunnel’ was

ceremoniously inaugurated by Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. The

project comprised the construction of a 10 km long four-lane dual

carriageway motorway with a 2.3 km long two-lane link road with

15 bridge structures and two toll plazas. The new road serves as

a bypass for the city of Limerick and connects the cities of Cork and

Galway and Dublin and Limerick.

The 436 million euro project was elected ‘European PPP Deal of

the Year 2006’ and was the first infrastructure project in Europe

using bond financing. STRABAG played a leading role in the con-

struction of the 361 million euro project by constructing the centre-

piece, namely the 965 m long immersed tunnel and providing the

tunnel equipment. “The most thrilling moment certainly was when

the tunnel was immersed, for it was a first for the team,” remembers

Christian Sadleder the highlight of the project. STRABAG subsidiary

Efkon supplied the tolling equipment and will operate the toll collec-

tion locations until 2041.

The ‘European PPP Deal of the Year 2006’ was inaugurated

on 27 July 2010.

On 28 June 2010, Sonia Gandhi, head of India’s currently governing

Congress Party, laid the foundation stone for the Rohtang Tunnel.

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NEWS

News inform 20

06

A13 MOTORWAY SERVICE AREA: FIRST SPADEFUL OF EARTH TURNED

On 3 August 2010, within a small celebration with about 50 guests,

the first spadeful of earth was officially turned for the new motorway

service area on Brenner Pass at the A13 Brenner Motorway. “In the

presence of numerous representatives from politics and the economy,

like e.g. Klaus Schierhackl, CEO of ASFINAG, Konrad Plautz, Member

of the State Parliament, and Lord Mayor Karl Mühlsteiger, it was

emphasized how important it is to make good use of the former

customs office premises on one of the leading north-south routes in

European transit and tourist traffic,” reports Project Manager Andreas

Rom. With an annual traffic volume of approximately 1.9 million lorries

and busses and some 14 million cars, the A13 is one of the most

important north-south routes running through Austria. Within the

framework of a PPP project together with ASFINAG, BrennerRast

GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of STRABAG, will see to the

planning, construction and financing of this motorway service area

inclusive of all the necessary external works, and will operate these

motorway services together with its partners OMV and Rosenberger

for the next 30 years. The total investment will amount to approxi-

mately EUR 11 mn.

In a modern architectural style, all service area facilities will be

combined under one roof. Apart from an OMV petrol station with

a large VIVA shop, the Rosenberger restaurant will provide for a cosy

ambience for longer rests. The restaurant will seat 300 and will have

a separate dining area with an indoor playground for children.

With this new service area, which shall be opened in the summer

of 2011, 40 new jobs for the regional population are created. This

project is the fourth motorway service area in Austria that is built and

operated by STRABAG in the framework of a PPP project.

CONTACT (ROHTANG): Peter Reichenspurner,

Special Divisions & Concessions, Division International 3G,

Sub-division Asia/Africa (MJ)

CONTACT (LIMERICK): Christian Sadleder, Special Divisions &

Concessions, Division Infrastructure Development 4W,

Sub-division KC

CONTACT (A13 SERVICE AREA): Andreas Rom, Special Divisions

& Concessions, Division Real Estate Development 4T,

Sub-division PPP Building Construction (KX)

Ceremonial project kick-off: May the works commence!

inform 20 Newswww.strabag.com

07

NEWS

Germany. BMTI excelled in flexibility and solution orientation. In

a team approach, it delivered two unusual cranes for the construction

of the two stair towers of Block 9 of the Mannheim Power Station.

The two 120 m high towers were erected by a building consortium

around Züblin. “We, the Crane Department of BMTI in Weiterstadt,

closely attended to the project from the planning through the exe-

cution stages. All the individual work steps were planned and carried

out by BMTI. In this manner, we arrived at so many special solutions

that crane manufacturer Wolffkran even posted a press release about

us,” remembers Thomas Kühner, Crane Foreman at BMTI.

The work phases were tightly scheduled and called for innovative

solutions for mounting the cranes. Despite the enormous freestanding

hook heights, the foundations for the two cranes were relatively small.

Therefore, the two foundations were weighted down with 140 t and

120 t of central ballast, respectively. Also outstanding, apart from the

immense freestanding hook heights of 82.5 m and 98 m, is the fact

that the two topless cranes with final hook heights of 125.3 m and

134.2 m could be attached with just one guy. This eased the slip-

forming of the stair towers considerably. And, since just one inter-

ruption of slipforming was necessary, costs and time were saved on

the construction site.

CONTACT: Thomas Kühner,

Service Companies, Central Division BMTI 01, Sub-division DE

BMTI INTERNATIONAL

SCRAPING THE SKY

For mounting the cranes, an innovative solution was required. Selcuk Özcifci and Reinhard Svoboda demonstrating their physical

fitness.

AUSTRIAN APPRENTICE CAMPAIGN

APPRENTICES WANTED

In Austria, STRABAG has started a new offensive in the

training of apprentices. Following the motto of ‘our

apprentices and their instructors are important to us’,

a uniform apprentice marketing programme, an objec-

tive selection procedure, and a training concept were

developed.

Austria. The Transportation Infrastructures and Building Con-

struction & Civil Engineering lines of business have developed a

cross-disciplinary training programme for apprentices in Austria.

The focus is on apprentice ground engineers, bricklayers and form-

workers, and on apprentices of other skilled industrial jobs. And, the

concept also pays attention to their instructors on site, for they

provide the basis for a good and successful training.

UNIFORM APPRENTICE MARKETING CONCEPT

an appealing website appropriate for young people ->

lehrling.strabag.at

brochure and advertising posters informing of industrial jobs

participation in selected job information events

contacts to schools

video clip

NEWS

News inform 20

08

Info + +

For details visit STRANET or

www.lehrling.strabag.at.

Expressing self-confidence: Manuel Keuschnig on the ad cover.

Info + +

No matter what pose, Raphael Falk enjoyed the shooting.

OBJECTIVE APPRENTICE SELECTION

selection of appropriate candidates

by way of a 4-step procedure:

written application, personal job

interview, acceptance test, days of

practical work experience

CONTACT: Sonja Hartlieb,

Service Companies, Central

Division BRVZ 02, Sub-division

AT/ International

HIGH-QUALITY APPRENTICE TRAINING

clear distribution of all tasks relating to apprentice training in the

company

training seminars for instructors at the

BRVZ Academy

rewards for extraordinarily good

performance at work and

vocational school

additional in-house courses to

acquire further knowledge and

skills during the winter break

STRANET site with all relevant

information on apprentice training

(see STRANET Österreich VWB or

H+I AT)

NEWS

inform 20 Newswww.strabag.com

09

Gerhard Schinnerl (50) fin-

ished his Civil Engineering degree

at the Graz University of Technol-

ogy. Since 1985, he has been

working for the STRABAG Group

and was appointed Sub-division

Manager of the Vienna Building

Construction Sub-division in

2003. For a half-year in 2004, he

also headed the Swiss Building Construction Sub-division. Since

2008, he has been the head of both these Sub-divisions, and early

this year, Gerhard Schinnerl has been appointed Division Manager

of the Building Construction & Civil Engineering Europe Division and

joined the Board of STRABAG AG Austria.

Dirk Vollenbruch (51)

studied business administration

at the University of Cologne,

Germany. Additionally, he had

trained as a bricklayer at his

parents’ construction company

and is a fully qualified master

bricklayer. 1989 he started gath-

ering important job experience by

working in various positions at German construction groups. Since

1 May 2010, Dirk Vollenbruch has been Commercial Division

Manager at STRABAG Rail in Lauda-Königshofen near Würzburg.

NEWCOMERS AND CAREERISTS

CAREER AT STRABAG

In this edition of inform, we are launching a new column,

where we want to introduce newcomers and people who

have hit the up escalator. Do you know someone who

should be mentioned here? Or do you want to introduce

yourself? Just contact us!

Welcome to the STRACafé

Three ... two ... one ... gong! On 18 August 2010, the Corporate

Communications team staged the first STRACafé at the Viennese

STRABAG House. Organized in the style of a ‘speed dating’ flirt

event, participants had the chance to meet as many people as

possible in as little time as necessary. The idea behind the event

was a very simple one: Not a life partner was to be found but

colleagues, who might have been working under the same roof

for many years and whom one might know by sight or by name

but not by their job or anything else. Coffeehouse atmosphere,

cocktails and soft music – the perfect ambience. So, the merry

mood set in automatically, even though some scepticism was palpa-

ble in the beginning. When the moderator disclosed the secret of

the ‘speed dating’, the first 15-minute session was characterized

by bewilderment and nervousness.

Then seats were changed, and with

every round the atmosphere got

more and more relaxed. It was

obvious that people really enjoyed

the event. “The idea behind the

STRACafé was to enhance team

building and to ease coopera-

tion,” explains company spokes-

woman Diana Klein. The Corpo-

rate Communications team was

happy that the event was received

NEWS

News inform 20

10

Hannes Mauracher (36)

began working for STRABAG

Austria in the year 2000, upon

completing his studies at the

Carinthia University of Applied

Sciences. He first saw to engi-

neering projects in Austria before

moving on to Germany as a site

manager. Then, he undertook the

function of a construction manager for a bridge construction project

and a submerged tunnel project. In the spring of 2010, Hannes Mau-

racher was appointed Technical Head of Team at Sub-division Civil

Engineering SEE and Project Manager of the Zadar harbour project

in Croatia.

News flash + +

STRABAG PFS Acquires Rimex

STRABAG Group acquires facility management provider

Rimex. With the acquisition of the majority interest in Rimex

Group as of July 1, STRABAG Property and Facility Services

(STRABAG PFS) GmbH continues on its growth course,

expanding its service spectrum to include in-house services

in the infrastructural facility management segment.

Top 500 Companies

This year for the first time, STRABAG was listed among the

Fortune 500 Companies. As a newcomer, STRABAG made it

to rank 486. Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the world’s

largest companies – almost exclusively corporations – based

on revenue. This list is compiled and published every year by

the US business magazine Fortune.

EUR 220 Million Contract to Build Port Facility in

Abu Dhabi

Ed. Züblin AG won the contract to build the new Khalifa Port.

The new port facility located some 60 km from Abu Dhabi

will replace the existing Mina Zayed port in the centre of

Abu Dhabi by the year 2012. The total investment volume

amounts to approx. EUR 220 mn. STRABAG subsidiary

Ed. Züblin’s share amounts to about EUR 105 mn (47.5%).

15th Anniversary of HERMANN KIRCHNER Polska

On 28 August 2010, Lodz-based HERMANN KIRCHNER

Polska celebrated its 15th company anniversary. 600 employ-

ees with their families and friends of the company enjoyed a

huge, cheerful family picnic.

so favourably, and 97% of the participants said they would take

part again. Because of the success of the STRACafé, it might

also be organized at other locations.

11

NEWS

inform 20 Newswww.strabag.com

WORK BURNOUT

WHEN THE JOB BURNS YOU OUT

Are you one of those people who feel they can work

better when under pressure or who can put themselves

under pressure? Could the following statements be

yours? “I’ve the best ideas when under pressure.”,

“You’ll get the price break-down by tonight.”, or “O.k.

we’ll make it somehow.” Positive stress can motivate

us. But, when is it too much, and when will stress

make you sick?

International. Manuel M. is a site manager. After eleven years

of work for the same company, he feels quite connected and even

obliged towards his employer. Throughout all these years, he carried

out projects to everyone’s satisfaction. Yet, at the same time, a dis-

tinct trend has been emerging: Projects have become more and

more demanding and deadlines shorter. Hence, the challenges grew

bigger and bigger, hand in hand with the stress factor. All the time,

Manuel M. tried to convince himself: “It’ll be o.k. Somehow, I’ve

always made it.” Or: “We’ll manage! Some way or the other, it has

always worked out.” But one night, when he went to bed, he sud-

denly wasn’t so sure any longer. Depressions and self-doubts crept

in and robbed him of his sleep. All tired out, he went to work in the

morning, and at night, he couldn’t sleep. It was a vicious circle. As

time went on, a lack of concentration set in. He could no longer

remember contracts he had signed. Tasks seemed unmanageable.

He felt an internal restlessness. Yet, Manuel still did not think of

giving up. “I can finish this project, for sure!”

This project should be his last, though. Now, Manuel is under-

going medical treatment. The diagnosis: work burnout. A diagnosis

often belittled or even laughed about, and still, a collapse caused by

work is similar to an infarct. The only difference being that it’s not the

heart that can’t keep up any more but the soul.

13

inform 20 Cover Story

SYNDDid you recognize yourself in the story of Manuel M.? According

to the Austrian Medical Chamber, some 500,000 people are currently

suffering from work burnout, and up to one million are at risk. Alarm-

ing figures, aren’t they! Trying to do away with prejudices, inform

took a closer look at the topic.

BURNOUT, BURN-OUT, OR BURNOUT SYNDROME

Originally, the term ‘burnout’ has come from the technical field.

When referring to humans and their health, the term takes on a

totally different meaning. ‘To feel burned out’ describes a state of

‘feeling exhausted’, while ‘to burn oneself out’ means ‘to work

oneself into the ground’. The burnout syndrome as such, is not a

21st century development, though. Already back in the 1930s, burnout

had been an issue among athletes and performing artists. Scientific

literature offers various definitions of the term burnout. Therapeutic

literature frequently uses the term burnout syndrome, and the

word syndrome as it is used in medicine and psychology means

that various symptoms are present simultaneously.

CAUSES AND PHASES

People suffering from burnout syndrome are literally burned out

and exhausted. Burnout is a process of physical and emotional

exhaustion developing over an extended period of time, during

which the body actively fights this exhaustion. Often, burnout is

caused by work, and some experts even see this construct in con-

nection with the job alone. Even though burnout victims are tired,

because their strength is gone, they still behave nervously and rest-

lessly. Due to excessive emotional strain, they lose even more of

their energy.

Experts distinguish between diverse phases in the burnout

process: The first phase(s) is /are characterized by aggression and

activity. Even though this initial stage in the burnout process may

last for a very long time, it is not recognized as such by the victims

for at this stage they do not suffer. Quite the opposite is true: They

are efficient, feel irreplaceable. They set high standards for them-

selves and maybe also their colleagues. Subsequently, i.e. in the

second or following phase(s), efficiency decreases and frustration

increases. Burnout victims experience an increasing feeling that

they don’t have time, and they sometimes fulfil their tasks inade-

quately. They feel replaceable and behave distantly, turn passive

and lose interest.

In the final stages of the burnout process, the degree of suffering

is such that burnout victims are in dire need of help. Hopelessness

and panic attacks set in and people lose sight of their objectives.

HOW BURNOUT DEVELOPS

THE FOLLOWING FACTORS WILL ENCOURAGE WORK BURNOUT

lack of positive feedback

focus on clients’ problems

norms of good helpers’ behaviour

overinvolvement

problems with hierarchies

administrative constraints

poor teamwork

leverage exerted by superiors

poor work organisation

lack of resources (human, financial)

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Cover Story inform 20

14

ROME

Experts divide the burnout process into three to 30 phases, which all

overlap each other and are difficult to demarcate.

www.strabag.com

15

inform 20 Cover Story

INTERVIEW

KEEP YOUR WORK-LIFE BALANCE!

Katharina Schlöglhofer: “Ask

yourself, how you really feel!”

BURRELAXATION TIPS

HOW DO YOU RELAX?

If I really need to relax, what helps me best

is nature and some fresh air!

HEIDRUN PÄTZ, STRABAG INTERNATIONAL

GMBH, COLOGNE

I can unwind best when cooking. Doing this,

I can act out my feelings.

EVELYN NIRSCHI, BRVZ GMBH, VIENNA

Your workday was exhausting? How do

you clear your head? How can you relax

best after a long workday? inform asked

around in the Group!

I let my one-year-old son fly through the air

a few times. When looking into his laughing

face, I forget all may workday stress.

ALEXANDER LOIMAYR, STRABAG SE, VIENNA

I go for a short bike ride or for a chat over to

my friend’s. Yet, also chatting in Facebook

helps me relax excellently.

INES REICHMANN, BRVZ IT GMBH, SPITTAL/DRAU

inform interviewed industrial psychologist Katharina Schlöglhofer

on the topic of burnout. Questions we wanted answered:

Ms Schlöglhofer, are patients aware of the fact that they suffer

from burnout when they come to see you?

Most employees seeking consultation show first signs of distinct

and long-lasting stress. Many are afraid that they already suffer

from burnout. Here, it is important to provide information: What is

burnout? How does it develop? After an in-depth discussion, we

might refer them to professional therapists.

How would you describe the typical symptoms?

Burnout victims can no longer relax in their leisure time, and their

efficiency drops drastically. Frequent symptoms are sleep distur-

bances, concentration difficulties, permanent exhaustion, social

withdrawal, tenseness, all the way to a feeling of hopelessness and

inner emptiness. At the same time, physical symptoms emerge at an

increasing rate, and nicotine and alcohol abuse are other frequently

witnessed signs. Often, patients develop a cynical and pejorative

attitude towards colleagues and other people around them.

What do you advise burnout patients to do?

This depends on how far the burnout process has developed. In

early stages, stress management methods or changes in the work

attitude may suffice. Yet, even here external counselling or coaching

by specialists may be helpful. In more advanced stages, profes-

sional, psychotherapeutic treatment is imperative, and more

often than not, burnout victims will have to take a longer

leave, in order to regain ground under their feet. This can

take weeks or even months.

16

Cover Story inform 20

What do you recommend to

people at risk of stress?

Pay attention to your work-life

balance! Draw a clear line between

work and leisure time. Do not take

work back home, and take care of

your physical and mental needs: i.e. enough

sleep, regular meals, time to relax, etc. Spend your leisure time

doing something you enjoy and like, something that does you good,

and maintain your social contacts.

How can one counteract burnout?

In principle, you should always watch yourself and ask yourself the

question: “How do I really feel?” The earlier you become aware of

first signs or warning signals, the better you can counteract in order

to not enter into the burnout spiral at all. Yet, also employers are

urgently called upon: How does the corporate culture look like?

Where is need for improvement as to work organisation and the

conditions of work? How satisfied are the employees? Are there any

workplace health promotion programmes? In the future, these and

similar questions will become ever more important, for companies

will be increasingly affected by the negative impacts of burnout

through longer sick leaves and drops in productivity.

How to deal with a colleague, who seems to suffer from burnout

already?

By no means ignore it! Try to gently tell this person your impressions

and ask him/her, how he/she regards the situation. Often, burnout

victims only start to react once the issue has been addressed by

someone in their environment. For, they themselves usually become

aware of changes too late or tend to ignore even clear signs.

How to deal with a colleague, who suffered from burnout?

Once someone returns to work after successful treatment, it is rec-

ommended to openly deal with this person and to actively try to

reintegrate him/her into the department or team. This can be done,

for example, by way of taking coffee breaks or lunch breaks

together. Active social support by colleagues will help ex-burnout

victims to settle in again. Often, they want to confide their experi-

ences to others. So, colleagues may offer to talk, but never should

they be pushy or demand explanations.

Thank you very much for the interview!

NOUT

I go for a swim or do yoga to relax after a

stressful day. Sometimes I treat myself to

a massage or a visit to a spa.

PRIYA KAIPPALLY, ZUEBLIN GROUND AND

CIVIL ENGINEERING L.L.C., UAE

When I get home, I first switch off my mobile

and take my time reading the newspaper.

ANJA-KRISTIN SPITZER, DYWIDAG INTERNA-

TIONAL, MUNICH

I lie down comfortably, and recall my day.

CLAUDIA PLATZNER, BRVZ, SPITTAL/DRAU

I check the world news. Then I know that

there are soooo many other things ... or

I kiss my wife and hug my children.

WALTER BINDER, BRVZ IT, LINZ

When everything gets too much, I watch my

chinchillas monkeying about and begging.

That’s a sure way to relaxation!

PETRA BRUNS, MÖBIUS, HAMBURG

I either go jogging or join an aqua fitness

class, or I chill with a cup of tea and a good

book. If the weather is fine, I might even

enjoy a glass of wine out on the terrace.

Then I feel like a new woman.

RENATA MILKOVIC, TECHNICAL HEAD OFFICE,

STUTTGART

I can relax best out in the garden enjoying

an espresso.

DANIELA DIETRICH, F. KIRCHHOFF,

LANGENARGEN

e

of

s: i.e. enough

www.strabag.com

17

inform 20 Cover Story

FIT FOR WORK

THURSDAY EVENINGS: SQUASH

The best burnout prevention and, at the

same time, the perfect counterbalance to

a stressful office job is sport. And, like

everything in life, it is easier to exercise

sport in a group.

Germany. During their first year at Züblin, in

1989, Thomas Rieg, the former Managing Director

of Züblin LOGIS, and Hans Brück, now with the

BRVZ Networks specialist department in Stuttgart,

introduced a squash circle. Back then, Züblin’s EDP

department consisted of eight people, six of whom

played squash. “We also invited members of other

divisions and departments – but I was always

responsible for organising the evening,” remembers

Brück with a smile on his face. From the very

beginning, we played two hours every Thursday

evening. From 2000 to 2007, Züblin LOGIS bore

half of the squash court costs. That is why this

corporate sports team was named ‘Logis-Tiger’.

For the last three years, the hobby squash players

have been playing in private, yet Thursday evening

has become a set date for this hobby. Meanwhile,

colleagues from the Stuttgart Sub-divisions and

the Divisions Central Head Office, Central Secre-

tariat, Procurement, and Tunnelling have joined

BRVZ’s IT specialists. “Aside from providing a

counterbalance to the office job, we enjoy sharing

opinions and maintaining contacts with our cus-

tomers,” says Brück.

The concept of work-life balance describes the idea of keeping

the various areas of one’s life in a balance in which they do not

impede but rather support each other.

EVERYTHING IN BALANCE

Unfortunately, people suffering from burnout have lost this

balance, and one of the first measures to be taken must be to

restore it. There is no universal formula for such a balance, though.

However, fact is that patients need to ‘set priorities’ in order to

achieve compatibility of job, private life, and family.

The responsibility that companies play in this equilibrium cannot

be denied either. A focus on work-life balance in the human resources

policy can even provide for a competitive edge in the labour market.

It brings about advantages in recruitment and staff motivation and

helps reduce staff fluctuation.

A HEALTHY BACK FOR A HEALTHY SOUL

15 years ago already, the ‘Central Secretariat’ of Züblin in

Stuttgart has taken a fantastic initiative. As a counterbalance to the

office job, an exercise class was offered once a week at a back

exercise school. This offer was met with tremendous interest. Mean-

while, this class is held in the office building – every Wednesday

evening. And now, even a fitness room is being prepared in the

cellar, where the class shall be held in the future. It is also planned

to offer relaxation courses during the lunch break. And, twice a week,

a massage therapist offers her services at the office.

These are great examples of how a work-life balance can be

encouraged, but basically it is up to every man/woman him/herself

to find and keep their balance.

Our motto has remained

unchanged: “We haven’t aged

or become slower, but today’s

balls are faster.”

BALACover Story inform 20

I spend my leisure time helping promote

young talents in our football club. There I am

surrounded by 15 ten to 12 year-old boys, who

all dream of becoming football pros. Doing

this, I quickly forget my workday stress.

TILL KAMPMANN, HERMANN KIRCHNER,

BAD HERSFELD

That differs from day to day: Either I enjoy my

balcony, go for a walk in the woods, go on

a bike ride, or take my son to the playground.

CHRISTINE SCHULTZ, HEILIT UMWELTTECHNIK,

DARMSTADT

When windsurfing, I get the workday stress out

of my system, can relax and gain new energy.

KLAUS DANNINGER, TECHNICAL HEAD OFFICE,

VIENNA

During a stressful day, it is important for me

to take breaks, draw a deep breath every

now and then, have a coffee ... or just laugh

together with my colleagues. For me that’s

the best way to relax.

GABRIELE RENARD, STRABAG PFS, FRANKFURT

I spend my leisure time helpin

Info + +

Together to the Top

In the summer of 2009, 15 Slovenian staff members founded

the ‘STRABAG Mountain Challenge’. The idea was to climb

mountains symbolic of the company’s size. The first destina-

tion was the Triglav in Slovenia (2,864 m), then came the

Großglockner in Austria (3,798 m), and the final goal was the

Mont Blanc at the French-Italian border (4,810 m). It started

off rather promisingly, for already in August 2009 they had

climbed both, the Triglav and the Großglockner. Europe’s

giant, however, didn’t make it easy for the team of mountain-

eers. Again and again, bad weather prevented them from

storming the summit. No reason to give up, though. Finally,

on 20 August 2010, the team conquered the Mont Blanc – an

important and bonding moment.

NCE

The idea was brought up by D. Cerjak, an experienced moun-

taineer.

www.strabag.com

19

inform 20 Cover Story

STRABAG PERSONNEL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MALE PASSIONS

This series of introductions is dedicated to our male

colleagues. Starting with dreams that they make come

true or visions that they are chasing. Men up close and

personal.

Germany/Saudi Arabia. “To sail across the most beautiful

waters of the world, drop anchor in unspoiled bays, to set the mind

free without thinking about work – this is what most sailors dream

of,” muses Holger Beyer. This dream came true for him in 2005.

After this year out, Beyer, who joined STRABAG in 1999 in

Berlin as a site manager, returned to the company in 2007 – this time

to Züblin’s Division North. “The idea of taking time out actually came

to me shortly before I completed my studies,” Beyer recalls. However,

fear of harming future career prospects or even losing one’s job,

family pressure and anxiety about the future often keep such dreams

in check.

For Beyer, however, his plans became ever more fixed. He dis-

covered a new hobby in sailing after moving to Berlin. He pored over

sailing books, took sailing tests and booked sailing trips. Finally,

Beyer bought his first small boat to practice sailing on the Baltic

Sea. In September 2002, it was time for a ship: a Comfortina 32.,

9.5 m long and 3.25 m wide – a new home.

THE WAY OUT

Despite the concerns, his urge was too great and thus Beyer set

out on his adventure. On 1 May 2005, he set out to sea from Stral-

sund. His journey took him first on a planned test trip via Stockholm,

Helsinki, Tallinn, Gotland and Bornholm back to Stralsund. Once this

was completed, he then finally set sail for the Caribbean. The route

took him from Vigo along the Portuguese coast, past Oporto and

Lisbon, to Portimao and Lanzarote. “The days at sea simply flew

by,” remembers Beyer. The next destinations were the Lesser Antil-

les, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, where his girlfriend

was waiting to greet him. Together, they wed in idyllic style to the

sound of waves breaking on the beach. The honeymoon took them

towards Abaco, the northernmost island of the Bahamas, and from

there on to Bermuda. “From that point, the time for one-man journeys

was over. The patter of tiny feet would soon be heard, so a crew had

to come on board to complete the return trip – it is still safest to

travel in a team,” explains Beyer.

21

inform 20 People at STRABAG

In this one year, he travelled 16,716 nautical miles (1 nm =

1.852 km) – 3,604 nm of these alone. “Not only was I able to fulfil a

dream with this journey, but I have also been able to rid myself of inner

restlessness. My experiences have had a profound impact on me –

I wouldn’t have missed out on them for the world,” finishes Beyer.

50,000 LIGHTS FOR CHRISTMAS

Each of us celebrates Christmas in a different way. For some

people, Christmas begins with the first snowfall while, for others, it

begins when they go to the first Christmas market. For STRABAG

PFS employee Jörg Pingel, it is something else. The magic of

Christmas begins as early as September for this father-of-two.

Inspired by the film ‘Christmas Vacation’, he decorates the house

and garden with white chains of lights. Everything is planned with

care and attention.

“We decorated our house with chains of lights for the first time in

Christmas 1999. Back then, it started out with just a few chains of

lights. However, they were often battered against the wall of the house

and light bulbs were constantly being broken – it was all very half-

hearted,” explains Pingel. Things were to change the following year –

perfection was the goal. Tubes of lights replaced the chains – but

Pingel was not happy with this solution, either. He continued to tinker

with the setup. As the years passed, experience and ambition grew –

with 45 meter-long light tubes, his imagination knew no bounds. Finally,

in 2004, Pingel won the Dortmund competition for Christmas lights.

Driven by the vision of a larger, more harmonious image, the

display was extended, tweaked and improved over the following

years. “In Christmas 2009, we used approximately 570 m of light

tubes, 800 m of extension leads, 70 m of icicle lights, 25 net lights,

15 net light covers, 13 chains of lights and five light curtains,”

recounts Pingel. In addition to this, the family’s garden was deco-

rated by Santas, starlight curtains and 23 small illuminated trees.

Every contour of the house was illuminated, including dormers and

chimney, every window was framed and, on the flat roof of the

double garage, there was even a homemade fir tree forest with a

team of reindeer and imitation snowfall. Even the large fir tree in the

front garden was made more festive with twinkling lights.

“All in all, around 50,000 tiny lights are illuminated, consuming

13,600 watts of electricity!” Pingel always does most of the work

himself. His wife helps him in the front garden – only the work on the

roof is done by a friend, who is a roofer and has experience working

at dizzying heights.

A dream come true: sailing around the most beautiful places on earth

for a year.

570 m of festive lighting decorate every feature. Pingel holds a ‘switching-on party’, collecting donations for a children’s

charity.22

People at STRABAG inform 20

We are looking for you!

We know that our employees are gifted with exceptional talent

which they do not reserve exclusively for use at work. As we

value every area of life of our employees, we would again like

to present people who go that extra mile, not just for the

company, but in their private lives, too. Are you one of these

people? Or perhaps you know a colleague who has particular

skills or interests? If so, we would be delighted to hear from

you: STRABAG SE, Corporate Communications, Barbara

Saulich.

After much time spent planning and setting up the display, the

highlight is of course the moment at which electricity finally flows

through the wires and allows the tiny lights to shine in all their glory.

This event must be celebrated properly, and so Pingel organizes a

‘switching-on party’, like others in this part of the world might throw

a party for St. Nicholas. Last year, around 150 guests came to share

the moment of ‘enlightenment’. Pingel does not use this event to

make advertising for his own ends. Christmas is a time of helping

people whose need is greater than that of one’s own, so he collects

donations for ‘Kinderlachen e.V’, a charity to help children. “Last

year, we were able to raise EUR 1,027 for the charity,” says Pingel,

proudly. A gesture that even adds a sparkle to a child’s eye.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

After fulfilling a dream and pursuing a vision, ‘attention to detail’

rounds off the stories of ‘male passions’.

Thomas Kilian discovered his love of model railways at an early

age. However, the idea of a desert-style model railway was born

many years later – when he went to Saudi Arabia in 2006 for

DYWIDAG. Märklin, the Rolls Royce of model railways, is not yet

well known in Saudi Arabia – thus he had to import most of the parts

such as tracks, coaches or engines via Germany. There was sufficient

material locally to create a model world – notably sand. However,

he had the most fun explaining why he needed parts sized exactly

1:87. “The bridges are made of cardboard, very small pieces of

wood and a little bit of paint, for instance – I needed three weeks to

finish crafting this,” explains Kilian with a smile. It goes without

saying that the construction of large-scale projects is the overriding

theme of the Märklin H0 exhibition in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. He simply

could not resist including this bridge construction site in his model

world, although DYWIDAG Saudi Arabia does not actually build

bridges.

A particular highlight is the Pharaoh temple – Kilian acquired

this during a visit to Luxor. “I simply had to have it,” he recalls.

Similarly, it would not be complete without a small lake and crocodiles.

The construction site of a cooling tower makes up another part of

the layout, where concrete is being poured for the floor ring. “I paid

particular attention here to ensuring the authenticity of every building

such as the site office and place of worship, as well as generators and

tanks – I had the correct dimensions right in front of me every day at

our cooling tower construction site. I took the red sand from the

motorway to Riyadh,” continues Kilian.

After four years of work, the layout is just about finished – but

there is no end in sight. “I have enough ideas about how to go on,”

confides Kilian.

Kilian has been working on his model railway for four years.

www.strabag.com

23

inform 20 People at STRABAG

Info + +

CORPORATE TRAVEL DEPARTMENT

AROUND THE WORLD

It is well known that STRABAG has its own Corporate

Travel Department. However, which subjects and tasks

form the daily work of colleagues here, and how has

the volume of bookings changed over the years? A

service department introduces itself.

Austria. A typical example of daily life in the company: someone

needs a flight, hotel and transfers – the standard program, if you like.

The need for business trips has risen in line with the needs of a

growing company over the past few years. “While the total volume

of journeys amounted to around EUR 3.5 million ten years ago, we

expect this figure to reach EUR 22 million this year,” reveals Doris

Stoiser, Operational Manager of the Corporate Travel Department.

300 TRAVEL APPLICATIONS A DAY

Despite a six-fold increase in turnover, it has been possible to

hold down the number of employees in the Corporate Travel Depart-

ment, which increased just about four-fold within the last ten years

to incorporate 17 people (including four part-time workers) now.

“Ten years ago, we were receiving around 500 travel applications a

month. Now, we have to deal with around 300 such applications

every day, and up to 400 daily applications at peak times. Approxi-

mately 20 percent of the applications involve more than one compo-

nent, such as flights, hotel, rental car or transfers. This translates

into a 1,200 percent increase,” says Stoiser, describing booking

habits. Our partner travel agent Carlson Wagonlit Travel provides

support in issuing, rebooking or cancelling flight tickets.

OPERATIONAL VS. COMMERCIAL

The service department is divided into an operational and com-

mercial area for organizational reasons. Ten employees take care of

travel bookings under the operational leadership of Doris Stoiser. “In

order to continue to meet the high level of demand, as well as to

ensure that every request is handled in an efficient way, our employ-

The Range of Services at a Glance

Consultation when planning and carrying out business trips

for the entire company

Checking invoices and internal billing

Information via STRANET on current issues such as travel warn-

ings, strikes, flight cancellations and travel application changes

Company travel regulations

Purchasing: bundling and regulation via targeted negotiations

with service providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies,

travel agencies, railways, etc.)

Miles&More: booking mile award tickets and managing

M&M accounts.

Creating interfaces to/with suppliers in order to process the

volume of bookings more efficiently and to align the fees of

various service providers at the same time; ongoing development

of IT instruments for the travel department.

Service agreements: billing of external services – third-party

companies by arrangement

Reports: booking and rebooking habits

24

STRABAG Units inform 20

As with any service department, the Corporate Travel

Department is also committed to cutting costs through

clever negotiations and to identifying potential cost-cutting

measures. Your help is also needed here: By planning and

booking business trips in a timely fashion, you make it

possible for the company to save up to 47% on the cost of

flights. These amount to approximately 61% of the total

volume of trips. If you inform the travel department promptly

about new projects, it can then contact the appropriate

service provider (airline, hotel, car rental agency, etc) and

negotiate the optimum conditions for you.

Please refer to STRANET for current information posted by

the Corporate Travel Department.

ees receive regular training. In addition to this, we continually fine

tune our technical set-up and establish interfaces with suppliers,”

explains the manager. Raimund Ulicny is responsible for commercial

management. With his team of five, he currently manages 2,200

mileage accounts from the Miles & More frequent flier program, and

is responsible for internal and external billing, checking invoices and

performing statistical analyses.

CONTACTS: Doris Stoiser

(operational), Raimund Ulicny

(commercial), Service Companies,

Central Division BRVZ 02,

Corporate Travel Department

GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE:

transfer partner for Germany

MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Congresses, Events)

hotel reservations platform

online booking tool

internal customer satisfaction analysis

www.strabag.com

25

inform 20 STRABAG Units

COMPANY EXPANSION

NEW FAMILY MEMBER

On 25 May 2010, French building materials producer

LAFARGE and STRABAG announced the foundation of a

joint cement holding company in Central Europe. inform

took a closer look at this new addition to the family.

‘OFFSPRING’ HOLDING COMPANYLAFARGE CEMENT CE HOLDING GMBH

concentration of cement activities in Central Europe by founding

a joint cement holding company headquartered in Vienna

on 25 May 2010, the contract was signed by Bruno Lafont and

Hans Peter Haselsteiner

Lafarge Cement CE Holding GmbH will start operations

on 1 Jan. 2011

the annual total production capacity will range around

4.8 mn tonnes of cement

creation of synergies in the investment and cost sectors by jointly

working the Austrian, Czech, Slovakian, Slovenian and Hungarian

markets

exploitation of economies of scale in procurement and

administration

combination of the strengths of two market leaders

creation of a bigger industrial network – new ways of creating

added value are opened

optimisation of logistics

26

STRABAG Units inform 20

‘MOTHER’ STRABAG

largest construction group in CEE

75,500 staff on more than 500 sites around the world

annual turnover 2009: EUR 13 bn

brings in the Pécs (HU) cement plant currently under construction

30% share in the joint company

On 25 May 2010, Bruno Lafont and Hans Peter Haselsteiner signed

the contract.

www.strabag.com

27

inform 20 STRABAG Units

‘FATHER’ LAFARGE

world market leader in building materials, such as cement, stone/

gravel & concrete, and gypsum

78,000 staff in 78 countries

annual turnover 2009: EUR 15.8 bn

six times in a row, listed among the ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable

Corporations in the World’

strong in innovations, due to own research facility

know-how in the building materials market

brings in the cement plants Mannersdorf (A), Retznei (A),

Cižkovice (CZ) and Trbovlje (SL)

70% share in the joint company

CONTACT: Alexander Loimayr, Service Companies,

Central Division BRVZ 02, Sub-division Mergers & Acquisitions

RESEARCH PROJECT ‘PAST’

EN ROUTE TO INTELLIGENT ROADS

The volume of traffic is constantly increasing – roads are

reaching their limits. PAST analyses weak points and

develops new approaches based on innovative construc-

tion and mechanical engineering.

Germany. Our future economic potential is intrinsically linked

to the efficiency of the road transport infrastructure. Roads are by

far the most important route of transport and will grow in impor-

tance as additional European markets are opened up. Growth

forecasts predict a 20 percent increase in passenger traffic and a

40 percent increase in goods traffic by 2015. Even now, traffic

jams in Germany alone are responsible for an estimated 4.4 billion

lost hours. A tremendous amount of lost time.

Conventional asphalt roads, which make up the majority of

our road transport infrastructure, are increasingly unable to handle

this growing volume of traffic. This results in damage such as

deformation, poor traction, unevenness, traffic jams and high

maintenance costs, which will become increasingly difficult to

finance in the future.

OPTIMISING THE PROCESS CHAIN

Two parameters are key: on the one hand, the material itself

and, on the other, the building process. Under the project leadership

of KIRCHNER, these important factors are examined in both a com-

prehensive and interdisciplinary way, together with research and

business partners as part of the PAST research project. The aim is

to optimise the entire process chain, from the production of ready-

mix and loading of trucks through transportation to placement and

compaction, and to identify factors that have a negative impact on

quality. The project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry

of Economics and Technology and supported by TÜV Rhineland,

was launched at the end of 2008 and is set to last three years.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Mid-July 2010, over an approximately 5 km long test stretch

of road on the A4 motorway close to Jena/Thuringia, around 130

road construction experts and representatives from both the

regional and federal governments witnessed at first-hand the find-

ings in an on-road test. Five different types of mixtures and eight

different construction techniques were tested on this section of

road. In addition to this, technical enhancements to road pavers

were presented, along with brand new transponders (RFID-TASs),

which are integrated into the asphalt, to record comprehensively

both the thickness of the road surface and the temperature of the

asphalt. “Our vision is to create an intelligent road that both stores

and passes on information, as well as to develop multifunctional

road surfaces which can constantly feed information about their

condition to both the user and the operator thanks to an inte-

grated system of sensors,” enthuses Carsten Lips, Head of Divi-

sion and PAST coordinator, who, together with Project Manager-

ess Susan Pagel, fully believes in this interdisciplinary project.

CONTACT: Thomas Gallistl, Transportation Infrastructures, Divi-

sion Germany 6J, Sub-division Thuringia/Northern Hesse (EL)

Technical enhancements to road pavers and the comprehensive

recording of road surface thickness and asphalt temperature using

state-of-the-art transponders.

Mid-July, the findings were presented to some 130 road construction

experts and delegates from the regional and federal governments.28

STRABAG Units inform 20

BIOSEALING

SEALING WITH THE HELP OF BACTERIA

A revolutionary sealing method for seepage flows has

been developed. Having become aware of the potential of

this invention immediately, Züblin attained a pioneering

position by securing the marketing rights.

Austria. Already some years ago, the Netherlands-based

company Deltares (formerly GeoDelft) embarked on an innovative

development. The idea was to use natural processes and resources

to seal leakages. In drinking water production, ochreous deposits

in ground water wells are a well-known phenomenon. Applying this

knowledge, Deltares tried to achieve similar blockages of groundwater

leakages on desired sites using mechanical, chemical and biological

processes. The biologically initiated processes turned out to be

successful.

THE PROCEDURE

BioSealing is a combination of biochemical, chemical and

mechanical processes. By injecting a sugar solution (nitrolase) into

the subsoil, bacterial growth is stimulated. This bacterial growth

accelerates erosion processes in the subsoil. The groundwater flow in

the subsoil transports the clayey minerals dissolved in the course of

this erosion, together with the bacteria, to the site of the leakage,

where clogging takes place. Once the bacteria die, the clayey miner-

als seal the leakage permanently. BioSealing is considered to be a

highly cost-efficient sealing procedure, which requires only minor

interference with existing structures.

In 2004, first field tests were conducted near Rotterdam. When

these tests were successful, Züblin Spezialtiefbau GmbH decided to

apply this method in the framework of a project carried out for

Verbund Austrian Hydro Power AG in the Austrian town of Tulln. The

aim of the project was to rehabilitate dams in the backwater area of

a hydroelectric power plant at the River Danube. During the years

since the power plant was taken into operation and the water

dammed up, seepage water has begun leaking through some parts

of the dams. From September 2008 until September 2009, injection

observation points and a comprehensive biological and physical

measurement system were installed in the dam section Greifenstein/

Tulln. In the course of two separate injection campaigns, a nutrient

solution was introduced into the soil, which led to an increase in

bacterial growth. After the second injection campaign, a marked

decline in the amount of water seeping through the dam could be

witnessed at the observation points.

Measurements attested the environmental compatibility of this

procedure. “BioSealing provides an alternative to conventional ground

engineering procedures in sealing already existing underground

structures,” adds project manager Michael Willner

CONTACT: Michael Willner, Special Divisions & Concessions,

Division Special Civil Engineering and Tunnelling 2L,

Sub-division Special Civil Engineering (IG)

terrain surface

groundwater

5 (m)

injection lances

Sectional drawing of possible tunnel sealing using BioSealing

terrain surface

permanent water level

impervious stratum

5 (m)thin cut-off wall

impervious layer

injection lances membrane

Sectional drawing of dam system describing the mode of action of

BioSealing through injection of nitrolase.

www.strabag.com

29

inform 20 STRABAG Units

BERLIN & FRANKFURT TOWERS

GERMANY’S TWIN TOWERS

Airports in Germany are upgrading. Frankfurt airport

is building a fourth runway and Berlin-Schönefeld

airport is undergoing a complete overhaul. However,

these projects both have one thing in common: towers

with the same design.

Germany. “LH 123, wind 220, six knots, runway 23 left, cleared

for take-off”, or similar will ring out from the control tower at Berlin-

Schönefeld as of June 2012. Radio communications from Frankfurt’s

tower will start as early as June 2011. Twelve air traffic controllers

will have a commanding view of all movements on the airfield from

their new position in the almost 70 m high tower.

A control tower is being built at Frankfurt airport as part of its

expansion program and at the new Berlin-Schönefeld airport. The

tower’s design originates from a competition back in 1996 won by

Stuttgart architect Ondra. Züblin Systembau (System Construction)

Germany is responsible for the construction work, together with the

regional Business Units SF2/Division Central (Frankfurt Tower) and

Berlin /Division Stuttgart /Komplettbau (Berlin-Schönefeld Tower).

The optimum location for the towers was determined using a

tower simulator. This way, even the most obscure stands will be

seen without any obstructions. Although the two structures are the

same shape, there are a number of differences in the details, e.g. the

ground-level buildings. This is due to the fact that they are being

adapted to meet staff requirements and the lie of the land. In addi-

tion to technical and administration areas, they also house the rec-

reation areas for the air traffic controllers. While in Frankfurt the

ground-level building has taken an elongated, two-storey shape, the

building in Berlin is a square with an inner courtyard, which is linked

to the tower via a bridge. The tops of the control towers consist of

the control rooms and two cubes at 90 degrees to another. The

weight of the towers is borne by combined pile and slab foundations.

EACH TOWER IS A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF

There is relatively little space to work with at Frankfurt airport.

On one side, there is the Lufthansa maintenance hanger for jumbo

jets and, on the other, there is a manoeuvring area currently under

construction. ‘Just-in-time’ delivery was the only option in view of

the lack of storage possibilities. Moreover, the 80 m high tower crane

had to be placed inside the ground-level building, which had a sig-

nificant impact on the construction sequence. Similarly, the protracted

process of obtaining IDs for the employees became somewhat of

a mission in itself. “In view of the strict security regulations govern-

ing the airfield, employees had to undergo security screening every

day – just like the passengers,” explains Francesco Caruso, Frankfurt

Tower Project Manager.

At Berlin-Schönefeld, on the other hand, there was enough space

but insufficient infrastructure. “When construction work began, there

were no electricity, water, waste water or telephone connections

available anywhere – even the construction site was unsurfaced,”

recalls Christian Bittner, Berlin-Schönefeld Tower Project Manager. It

was also necessary to adhere strictly to the 100-page-long docu-

ment on construction site and logistical regulations for the Berlin

Brandenberg International (BBI) construction site. In addition to

regulations concerning noise abatement and protection of the

environment, this also included guidelines on issuing employee

IDs and equipping all vehicles with access stickers or GPS trans-

mitters.

Berlin Tower

Contract volume: EUR 18.5 mn

Completion: September 2010

Tower height: 72 m

Frankfurt Tower

Contract volume: EUR 17.5 mn

Completion: June 2010

Tower height: 70 m

The ground-level building is directly adjacent to the control tower.

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Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects inform 20

SAFETY FIRST

Safety is always the number one priority. With this in mind, a

detailed concept was developed with the aim of reducing the

number and duration of particularly dangerous fitting procedures on

the towers. “Many procedures were done on the ground, with pre-

assembled floor and ceiling parts then being lifted with a prefabricated

trapezoidal metal plate cover,” explains Bittner.

Together with the SFB-FAS Department of Zentrale Technik

(Technical Head Office) in Stuttgart, the diverse range of requirements

for fibre cement, alucobond and mullion/ transom façades were

carefully analysed, with the right solution being found for every

application. The way in which the control room was glazed is par-

ticularly noteworthy. The view was optimized by having dispensed

with the support profile, which would otherwise have been neces-

sary. The glass panes, each weighing 700 kg, were assessed accord-

ing to strict criteria together with the air traffic controllers to ensure

they met the exacting demands.

Of course, just as much attention needs to be paid to the ‘inner

values’ of the building as to the external detail. The building’s

equipment is thus also subject to stringent requirements. All relevant

systems have a back-up and are continually monitored. The building

also meets energy efficiency requirements so as to reduce its impact

on the environment. “A combination of heat pumps and concrete

core cooling enable the building to be heated and cooled in an

energy-efficient way,” says Caruso.

CONTACTS: Christian Bittner (Berlin-Schönefeld),

Francesco Caruso (Frankfurt), Building Construction

and Civil Engineering, Division Germany/Benelux 2F,

Sub-division Bavaria/System Construction (DN)

Even the most distant stands can be seen without obstruction. Each 700 kg glass pane was subject to stringent criteria.

The design of the towers originates from Stuttgart architect Ondra.

www.strabag.com

31

inform 20 Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects

VIENNA MATZLEINSDORF RAILWAY STATION

NEW OPERATIONS HUB

On behalf of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB),

STRABAG turned Vienna Matzleinsdorf railway station

into a new high-tech operations hub within the space of

23 months. 1,000 ÖBB employees have had a new place

of work since December 2009.

Austria. Vienna is upgrading its railroad stations. In addition to

its work on modernising Vienna Central Station, STRABAG was also

in charge of upgrading the Vienna Matzleinsdorf railroad station. The

contract was awarded to a consortium consisting of STRABAG,

Alpine, Porr and P&B in 2007 by ÖBB companies ÖBB-Personen-

verkehr AG, ÖBB-Technische-Services GmbH and ÖBB-Produktion

GmbH. The former goods terminal with freight handling facilities

entered operation as a high-tech operations hub in December 2009.

Around 380 personnel constructed the new operations hub in

a record time of 23 months; both the size and the technical facilities

of the building are impressive. In addition to an operations building,

the new site includes maintenance workshops, hangers for break-

down trains and for Austria’s only tandem underfloor wheel lathe,

a filling station and seven service areas each 700 m in length,

sidings and 41 stabling sidings for locomotives. Maintenance work

on locomotives and railroad passenger carriages, as well as the

interior cleaning of carriages, all take place centrally at the 1.4 km

long and 180 m wide site. In addition, trains are also prepared for

their next journey. The unique thing about this facility is that all of

these services take place at one site and are carried out as if on a

conveyor belt. Even now, resource planning comprises more than

500 passenger carriages and

locomotives.

The centrepiece is the

240 m long, five-storey opera-

tions building with a total area

of 15,000 m2, which houses the

administrative, storage, person-

nel and technical areas of the

aforementioned ÖBB compa-

nies. Adjacent to this, there is

a large hanger for the traction

The trains are serviced in-line, as if on a conveyor belt, thanks to

cutting-edge technology.

Vienna Matzleinsdorf railroad station has become a new high-tech

operations hub.

Contract volume: EUR 41.96 mn

Length of construction: 01/2008 – 04/2010

Excavation work: 200,000 m³

Concrete: 54,000 m³

and technical services divisions, covering an area of 17,000 m2.

“Given that the entire infrastructure of Vienna’s southern railroad

station (Südbahnhof) had to be transferred to the Matzleinsdorf

station, we were working to very tight deadlines. However, we

managed to complete the construction shell in just twelve months,”

says Division Manager Herbert Weier, describing the biggest chal-

lenge. “An impressive feat made possible by an excellent team. The

team spirit of the four consortium partners, with a total of 380 people

on the construction site at peak times, was excellent,” says

Project Manager Johannes Lackinger, commending the working envi-

ronment on the construction site.

CONTACT: Johannes Lackinger, Building Construction and

Civil Engineering, Division Austria 3C, Sub-division Special

Civil Engineering AT East + South (IC)

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Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects inform 20

Along with playgrounds and a communal room, the tenants also have

access to a rooftop swimming pool.

APARTMENT COMPLEX TERRASSENHAUS II

LIKE LIVING IN A FAIRY TALE

The apartment complex Terrassenhaus II was designed

under the motto ‘The Town Musicians of Bremen’. A fairy

tale quality of life thanks to a very individual design.

Austria. “This apartment complex is one of a kind in Europe.”

This is how Vienna’s Vice Mayor and Executive City Councillor for

Housing Construction Michael Ludwig opened the Terrassenhaus II

apartment complex on 17 February 2010, on Tokiostraße in Vienna’s

22nd District. Both builders and architects are very satisfied with the

‘Town Musicians of Bremen’ on Tokiostraße. Industry experts are in

awe of the plans and the way in which they have been implemented,

while tenants feel very comfortable in their new home.

IMPRESSING WITH A PYRAMID-STYLE DESIGN

The housing association Neues Leben won the housing devel-

opment competition with a design put forward by the Vienna archi-

tectural bureau ARTEC under the motto of ‘The Town Musicians of

Bremen’. “Just as the animals in the fairy tale stood on each other’s

backs to impress the robbers, the building on Tokiostraße is also

built in a way that the apartments are stacked on top of and at

angles to each other,” explains Construction Manageress Ina Heike

Drechsel, describing the unique design. The resulting recesses and

protrusions created covered areas that encourage ideal lighting and

ventilation conditions, as well as proving to be effective blinds.

Of the 100 apartments in total, 41 maisonettes with lawns in the

terrace or balcony area were built at every level from the ground to

the fifth floor. 15 two-storey, one-family houses sit on top of the

building, on the sixth and seventh floors, like a crown. “We described

these houses, built in the style of the Town Musicians of Bremen, as

‘birds’ nests’,” says Drechsel. Each individual roof has a different

slope, lending each house a unique character. The somewhat

unconventional way in which the apartments are set and the light

optical appeal of the building were only made possible by making

full use of every technical and structural possibility available. For

instance, part of the external walls of the two-storey houses had to be

built using a lightweight design (dry walling) for structural reasons –

uncharted waters for all those involved. The 497 window elements

were designed and produced in almost 100 different variations. At

the request of the architects, the windows were offset in the align-

ment of the 16 cm thermal insulation façade without jambs, using

generously sized, non-sectioned panes. The imposing steel con-

struction on the building’s façade is also an eye-catcher. “It was

described as a ‘spider web’ on the construction site. It is not just

an artistic element – this construction enables water to drain away

from the balconies without the need for visible drain pipes,” explains

Drechsel.

There is a rooftop swimming pool, a communal room and two

children’s playgrounds available for the tenants to use. The land-

scaped inner courtyard is also open to the public. The Town Musi-

cians of Bremen have arrived in Vienna and have every intention of

staying put.

CONTACT: Ina Heike Drechsel, Building Construction and

Civil Engineering, Division Austria 3C, Sub-division Vienna (AP)

Contract volume: EUR 14 mn

Construction period: 20 months

Completion: January 2010

Staff: up to 130

The building elements are stacked on top of and at angles to each

other like the Town Musicians of Bremen.

www.strabag.com

33

inform 20 Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects

A couple is bound together in matrimony for life in this room.

Ukraine. Although the parish council announced its intention to

build a new temple in Kiev in July 1998, construction work only

began nine and a half years later. “Not only is this temple different in

the way it is used compared to conventional church buildings, but

the technical requirements and quality specifications are also rather

particular,” remarked Sub-division Manager Georg Grünberger at

the start of the interview. “We were very concerned about being able

to meet such high standards using Ukrainian suppliers. For this

reason, we imported M&E engineering equipment from Germany

and granite slabs from Portugal,” concedes Grünberger.

The beautiful temple made of Amarelo Macieira granite is

divided into six official rooms: separate seminar, wedding, prayer

and baptism halls (the latter with a dedicated font) and a hall for

mass. In addition, the entrance area was designed to be a magnifi-

cent concourse. The total area covered by the rooms amounts to

2,000 m2. At the top of the tower, at a height of 42 m, a statue of the

Angel Moroni with a trumpet has been sculpted, which signifies the

spread of evangelism throughout the world. Long, narrow carpets

KIEV TEMPLE

TEMPLE OF SAINTS

Within 32 months, STRABAG Sub-division MU completed

a project that was remarkable in every sense of the

word. The temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints are particularly sacred buildings.

There are currently only 143 such temples in the world,

and STRABAG built the first one in Eastern Europe.

and elaborate windowpanes were designed especially for the intri-

cately planned interior decoration. Similarly, the grained woodwork

is representative of quality, perfectly rounding off the overall image

of the building. The temple was officially handed over to the church

on 5 August 2010. Its doors were then open to visitors for 14 days

from August 7. Following this, the temple was officially sanctified,

meaning that, from that point on, only the 31,000 members of the

faith from around the world are allowed to enter the temple. People

Start of construction: 15 January 2008

Completion: 5 August 2010

Total area of temple: 2,000 m²

Construction site team: approx. 400 employees

Left to right: G. Grünberger, H. Friewald, H. Luschin (church), T. Birtel,

M. Kollau & B. Bilfinger

Impressive interior design thanks to elaborate windowpanes.

Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects inform 20

Switzerland. The Glattalbahn light railway is a defining project

in efforts to urbanize the area to the north of the city of Zurich

together with the central Glatt valley. As a modern, efficient system,

the light railway serves to complement the public transport network

and therefore makes a long-term contribution to encouraging car-

free mobility. Glattalbahn flows through the city like a lifeline. There

are 21 stops over a distance of 12.7 km, with new centres, meeting

points and residential areas springing up along this route.

The new lines and stops constitute an urban-planning element.

The stops are designed in a way to fit in with the existing city image

but are nevertheless eye-catching. In the course of this six-year

project, STRABAG has been constructing the 1,210 m long viaduct

from Zwicky Areal in Dübendorf to the Wallisellen railroad station.

The ramp to the viaduct rises parallel to the SBB railroad tracks

before it crosses over the Zurich-Winterthur /Zurich-Ulster tracks.

Given that the viaduct is being built as a hollow box girder bridge

with prestressed concrete, the project can be completed in a very

short space of time. The average distance between the pillars, which

are built on cast-in-situ piles, is 35 m – the largest span width is

47 m. The cantilever heads were prefabricated as units.

CONTACT: Markus Meier, Building Construction and Civil

Engineering, Division Austria/Switzerland 3B, Sub-division

Civil Engineering AT West + CH (IE)

GLATTALBAHN LIGHT RAILWAY

LINK TO THE FUTURE

Top: A view of the 42 m high temple from outside.

Below: Holy font.

The viaduct extends from Zwicky Areal to Wallisellen railroad station.

who are not members of the church, as well as children, were only

allowed access to the temple before its sanctification. “This explains

the reason why the church demanded such high standards – after

sanctification, no more maintenance and service work could be

carried out,” says Grünberger.

Besides the temple, the project also involved the construction

of a hotel and a building for the control room. The hotel has 64

rooms and offers lodgings to pilgrims. The control room is linked to

the temple via an underground cable duct. From here, the entire

building equipment in the temple can be regulated by computer,

such as the air conditioning or the 3,500 sprinkler heads needed to

water the green areas.

Grünberger has every reason to be proud of himself and his

team; this project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

CONTACT: Georg Grünberger, Building Construction and Civil

Engineering, Division RANC 3M, Sub-division Direct Export (MU)

Contract volume: CHF 29 mn (approx. EUR 22.2 mn)

Construction period: July 2008 – December 2010

Length: 1,210 m

Pillar span width: Up to 47 m

www.strabag.com

35

inform 20 Building Construction and Civil Engineering Projects

Czech Republic. The city of Kolín is situated in the Central

Bohemian Region, almost 60 km to the east of Prague. This is a

regional crossroads for traffic with highways 38 and 12 coming

together, along with two important railroad lines. The automotive

industry is the most important source of economic activity. Since

February 2005, an automobile assembly plant belonging to the

TPCA consortium (Toyota-Peugeot-Citroen Automobiles) has

been situated on the northern city perimeter. In the first year,

100,000 cars were assembled in the plant, increasing to one million

cars by December 2008. Trucks are then needed to transport these

newly built cars to their respective destinations. Around 40,000 heavy

trucks trundled through the city centre day after day, which was

taking a heavy toll on the roads. In order to relieve the stress being

put on the roads and to reduce the burden of traffic noise on the

residents, the City of Kolín was forced to act. Thus, in spring 2008,

STRABAG Transportation Infrastructures Sub-division TC was com-

missioned to build a bypass south of the city perimeter.

The project involved building an eight-kilometre-long express-

way from scratch with three very demanding bridges and extensive

excavations. However, before work could even begin, proprietary

disputes broke out, which resulted in the construction work being

discontinued. In addition, the award documents required an archae-

ological survey to be carried out, in view of the archaeological

importance of the Bohemian Basin. “Actually a purely routine task –

nobody could have foreseen the ramifications of this at that time,”

explains Group Leader Eduard Mach.

OVER 7,000 ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES

The survey covered an area of land approximately 8 km long

and 40 ha large. “The modern day city of Kolín is situated at the

point where the Elbe turns north. During and after the Stone Age,

this was a crossroad for travellers from South Moravia, the Balkans

and Eastern Europe – an area where trade must have been prolific,”

says Radka Šumberová from the Institute of Archaeology of the

Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

While a total of around 7,000 artefacts were found, the real

treasure of these excavations lies in the knowledge they provide.

“This area has obviously been very important to every society since

primitive times. It was used for almost the entire length of primitive

history, and even into early medieval times at some locations,” adds

Šumberová. Around twenty settlements with houses, furnaces,

storage pits and 15 burial sites with a total of 150 graves stretching

from the Neolithic Age into the Ninth Century A.D. were uncovered.

KOLÍN BYPASS

TREASURE HUNT

The city of Kolín needs a local bypass, as trucks are an

increasing burden on both roads and residents. Given

the archaeological importance of the area, special

studies were necessary. However, nobody could have

guessed at the treasures that were to be unearthed.

Contract volume: CZK 1.9 bn (approx. EUR 75 mn)

Completion: December 2012

Length: 8 km

Bridges: 3

36

Transportation Infrastructures Projects inform 20

PRICELESS, ARCHAEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING

Complete settlements, burial sites and roundels were found for

the very first time. The four roundels are of particular importance –

three to four meter-deep burial sites in concentric circles with a

diameter of approximately 200 m. They must have been created

between 4,700 and 4,500 years before the Common Era.

Together with glass jewellery, glass bracelets and pearls, a shard

of an amphora was also discovered. It showed the image of a

human face in an extremely elaborate design for that period. This

leads to assumptions of what people looked like back then.

Excavation work was completed in October 2009, with the arte-

facts due to be put on display in the Kolín regional museum in the

course of 2011. Construction work on the bypass was finally

resumed after one and a half years of delays. “A delay which,

although was not caused by the Sub-division TC, our team is now

trying to make up for by meeting the agreed deadline,” says Mach.

CONTACT: Eduard Mach, Transportation Infrastructures,

Division Czech Republic/Slovakia 6O, Sub-division Middle (TC)

Over 7,000 archaeological treasures were uncovered during routine

surveys.

15 burial sites with a total of 150 graves were found among glass

jewellery and pearls on a patch of land covering some 40 ha.

www.strabag.com

37

inform 20 Transportation Infrastructures Projects

Hungary. The railroad line Tárnok – Székesfehérvár is part of

the number 30a railroad line operated by MÁV, which forms part of the

core European network. Trains hurtle along this line towards the

heart of Transdanubia and Lake Balaton, while international trains

head towards Zagreb, Trieste, Fiume, Venice and Ljubljana.

ONLY 20 KM /H PERMITTED ALONG SOME STRETCHES

The railroad line was built back in 1861, so it should come as no

surprise that the tracks are showing signs of wear and tear. Although,

generally speaking, the speed limit is 120 km/h, this has had to be

reduced to between 60 and as low as 20 km/h in view of the dubious

condition of certain sections of the line.

Project kick-off was on 31 March 2009. The aim of the work is

to renew the existing railroad lines, overhead power cables and sta-

tions. In the future, the tracks should be capable of withstanding an

axis thrust load of 225 kN and speeds of up to 160 km/h. Also asso-

ciated with this project is work on the branch line Pusztaszabolcs –

Börgönd with a view to enabling this line to bear an axis thrust load

of 225 kN and speeds of up to 80 km/h. This project was success-

fully completed in August 2010.

RENEWING 90.95 KM OF TRACKS

As part of the reconstruction work being carried out on the

Tárnok – Székesfehérvár line, almost 90.95 km of old, existing tracks

have to be removed and replaced. Furthermore, new dams and cut-

tings (450,000 m3) are being constructed, the substructure (200,000 m3)

stabilised and a new protective layer (236,000 m3) installed. A new

210,000 m3 ballast bed was also laid.

The work has to be carried out without restricting train services –

a key factor that requires good time management.

In the meantime, the stations are being renovated in several

phases using manual and small machine technology. A total of 56

buildings along the line are being renewed. “In order to preserve

two-track railroad service, we have to carry out provisional railroad

construction work, along with work on the safety installations and on

the overhead electrical power lines,” explains Construction Manager

Viktor Drabant. In building the stations, new station buildings, waiting

rooms, and, in certain cases, buildings for safety installations will be

necessary. STRABAG MML Kft. is carrying out the building con-

struction work.

Now the railroad line between Tárnok and Székesfehérvár is

being gradually modernised. “This work is due to be completed on

31 December 2012. We are confident of our ability to meet this

deadline thanks to the high degree of expert knowledge possessed

by everyone involved,” says Drabant.

CONTACT: Viktor Drabant, Transportation Infrastructures,

Division Hungary 6L, Sub-division Railroad Construction (HF)

RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION

PUT BACK ON TRACK

The stretch of track between Tárnok and Székesfehérvár

is in urgent need of repair. The existing tracks, overhead

power cables and stations are to be gradually upgraded.

This work is due to be completed in December 2012.

The railroad line is being renewed bit by bit – the work is due to be

completed on 31 December 2012.

Modernisation work on the stretch of railroad between Tárnok and

Székesfehérvár.

Contract volume: HUF 54.9 bn (approx. EUR 200 mn)

Completion: 31 December 2012

Track length: 41 km

Objects: 56

38

Transportation Infrastructures Projects inform 20

Road construction in the west of Poland: KIRCHNER com-

pletes key section of the S3 expressway between Szczecin

and Gorzów Wielkopolski. On 24 May 2010, the stretch of

road between Klucz and Pyrzyce was opened.

Poland. On 24 May 2010, the objective was reached. With the green

light to traffic having been given after just 24 months of construction,

a further section of the S3 expressway between interchanges Klucz

and Pyrzyce entered service. As the technical leader of a consortium

with another German partner for road construction and ground engi-

neering and a Polish partner for bridge construction, HERMANN

KIRCHNER Polska headed the 28 km project with a total volume of

around EUR 160 mn. Part of the building mandate was also to

establish a connection to the existing A6 motorway at the request of

the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways

(GDDKIA).

“We are particularly proud that we were able to complete the

road section, including the connection to the motorway, in time,

thanks to the dedication of the construction site workers. The use of

a specially installed asphalt mixing plant helped to ensure the largely

uninterrupted supply of ready-mix. We were able to keep shortages

and logistical problems to a minimum by ensuring that mineral mix-

tures and chippings were arranged and stored early on in interim

storage facilities, as well as by producing anti-freeze material just in

time. Ultimately, these measures ensured that the construction work

was successfully completed,” says Project Manager Hubertus Otto,

who, together with Division Manager Clemens Fey, is satisfied with

the efficiency of the project management.

FOUR-LANE WIDENING OVER 28.3 KM

In the course of the construction work, 1.2 million m3 of earth

were moved, an additional 600,000 m3 of earth delivered, and around

one million tonnes of anti-freeze layers and asphalt produced and

placed. The work also involved building three interchanges, recon-

structing highways and rural roads over an additional 45 km and

constructing 30 bridges.

CONTACT: Clemens Fey, Transportation Infrastructures,

Division Germany 6J, Sub-division Poland (EK)

S3 EXPRESSWAY

OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED

Info + +

Large Follow-on Contract Landed

A large follow-on contract was landed at the end of July

2010 with the signing of a deal to construct another section

of the S3 close to the town of Swiebodzin. It involves the

construction of a new section of the S3 expressway extend-

ing over a total of 7.4 km, including two interchanges and the

construction of several bridges. The total volume amounts

to around EUR 51 mn and the planned construction time is

25 months.

Contract volume: EUR 160 mn

Construction period: 24 months

Track length: 28.2 km

Asphalt: 516,000 t

K. Kozdroj-Wojciechowska and

C. Fey signing the contract

A further section of the S3 expressway between junctions Klucz and

Pyrzyce entered service.

www.strabag.com

39

inform 20 Transportation Infrastructures Projects

AL NAEEM SHOPPING MALL

SHOPPING LIKE IN THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

A new 140,000 m² shopping palace was completed

in the Arabian emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. 164 shops

are spread over four storeys and connected, under

a glass-domed ceiling, by a panorama lift.

United Arab Emirates. Anyone who has ever been to Dubai or

another emirate of the UAE knows that little value is placed on the

concepts of ‘small’, ‘dainty’ or ‘straightforward’. Just think of the

Burj Khalifa, also known as Burj Dubai – currently the world’s tallest

building at an impressive height of 830 m. Buildings are erected with

one thing in mind: the bigger the better. Thus, every building seems

larger and more impressive than the next. It was with this guiding

principle in mind that the new shopping mall in Ras Al Khaimah was

designed – approximately one hour’s drive from Dubai. Situated

between the Etisalat Tower – the largest mobile communications

provider in the UAE – and the Hilton Hotel, the shopping mile, with

one of the largest glass-domed ceilings in the Emirates, should invite

people to linger.

STRABAG LLC in Dubai took over the construction contract in

December 2006. The private investor Ahmed Essa Al Naeem gave

the order to produce a design, implement this and to hand the build-

ing over ready to use. In January 2007, planning work began in earnest

before construction work was started early the following year.

On a total area of 140,000 m2, there are 164 shops spread over

four storeys, which incorporate approximately 48,000 m2. There are

more than 1,200 parking spaces on the upper floors, which can be

accessed via two parking ramp towers. Three panorama lifts link the

shopping levels with each other under the impressive glass-domed

ceiling. There is also an entertainment centre in the mall, in addition

to the shopping area. Five cinema screens, a food court and a health

club provide alternatives to just shopping.

The pre-fabricated ceilings were produced in a specially built

pre-fabrication plant. Moreover, STRABAG provided all of the build-

ing services – with the exception of sensitive equipment. “This was

completely new territory at that time and, therefore, the reason why

this project is so special for us,” explains Klaus Szep. Szep was

Project Manager for the building services installations and was

specially dispatched from Austria to Ras Al Khaimah for this project.

He accompanied the project over three and a half years, from the

planning stage to its opening. Not only was a dedicated planning

team set up, but also a team of industrial personnel that were tasked

with installing the building services equipment, an engineering team

to supervise on-site construction work and a small commercial team

that was responsible for purchasing materials. This style of team-

work proved its worth and is now being used in other projects

throughout the Middle East.

MULTICULTURAL

“The degree of multiculturalism in the project team proved to

be a real experience,” describes Szep. In addition to a wide range

of European nationalities, the team was complemented by a great

number of Asian colleagues from countries such as the Philippines,

Indonesia, Thailand, India and Pakistan. On average, there were up

to 20 different nationalities represented on this construction site.

A mix of cultures enriches any team – each culture has its own

peculiarities, which people first have to learn to deal with. “I

quickly learned that you have to take considerable care here. Our

typical European style of being inquisitive and direct is not always

well received elsewhere. You have to remember this, as it is not an

insignificant factor in achieving success,” says Szep.

40

Special Divisions & Concessions Projects inform 20

Contract volume: approx. EUR 62 mn

Construction period: January 2007 – March 2010

Total area (4 storeys): 140,000 m²

Commercial personnel: 1,200

In March 2010, the Al Naeem Shopping Mall was completed: It is now

possible to shop under the Arabian sky thanks to a glass-domed ceiling.

Info + +

Working in the Middle East

Highs of up to 50°C and humidity levels reaching 80% in the

summer! During the summer months between July and September,

it is unbearable outside, and it cools down only slightly at night.

During these months, the workers at the construction sites are

given an extended lunch break for their own protection.

In line with an Arabian tradition, a lamb was slaughtered to mark

the beginning of construction work, which was then cooked

according to an Arabian recipe and eaten together.

The month of Ramadan: the Arabs’ holy month. It is forbidden to

eat and drink during the day throughout this month, and it is also

expected that non-Muslims respect this religious custom.

Therefore, restaurants are closed during the day. This month has

a huge impact on the progress of construction work, as the site

comes to a virtual standstill during this time – an aspect that

absolutely has to be factored into the schedule.

Dubai is already very westernized, with only around 10% of the

population being actual locals – the rest come from abroad. The

other emirates continue to observe strict traditions, and some-

times expect this from foreigners too – e.g. with regard to

clothing.

CONTACT: Franz Stopper, Special Divisions & Concessions,

Division International 3G, Sub-division Middle East/Far East (MS)

www.strabag.com

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inform 20 Special Divisions & Concessions Projects

DIVISION 3G INTERNATIONAL

CHINA: MARKET OF THE FUTURE

Züblin took on its first project in China some 36 years

ago. Not only has it since been able to gain a foothold in

this market, but it has also built up an impeccable repu-

tation. European expertise combined with a motivated

staff is the recipe for its success in the Far East.

China. With a population of 1.3 billion spread over an area of

around 9.5 mn km2, the People’s Republic of China is the most

populous country on earth. Its size alone matches that of the whole

of Europe – although approximately 90% of the population live in the

crowded third of the country to the east of the Heihe-Tengchong line.

A project in 1974 – to build a production hall for the German

Mannesmann Demag Group in Wuhan – was Züblin’s first taste of

China. Züblin entered new technical territory when constructing

the Xinsha port facilities at Huangpu Port in 1991. The underwater

caisson method was used for the first time to build the pier – with

success. The 1,177 m long Ting Kau Bridge, which was opened in

Hong Kong in 1998, is one of the largest cable-stayed bridges in

the world and is considered a showcase project. However, the

Xiaolangdi Dam, which was built in 2002, raised pulse rates even

higher. As part of this dam project, a 9 km long tunnel with a diameter

of up to 20 m was built in addition to the dam, intake and outlet

structures.

Züblin has since successfully completed more than 120 indus-

trial construction projects. “Regular clients include primarily interna-

tional corporations such as Bayer, Siemens and INA Schaeffler.

Moreover, we work with medium-sized companies from the supplier

and consumer goods industries, such as Brose, Boysen, Heidenhain

and Zwilling. We are the general contractor in most of the projects,”

adds Harald Kuhn, Technical Head of Division for industrial con-

struction in China.

EUROPEAN EXPERTISE

“High quality and reliability are also very much in demand by

European companies in the Chinese market, and, therefore, German

construction companies are often the first choice when setting up

industrial sites,” explains Kuhn. Züblin receives most of its building

contracts from the Shanghai and Beijing metropolitan areas; however,

projects further afield, in regions such as Changchun and Shenyang

in the north or Yinchuan in the west are no longer uncommon. “We

go where the customer needs us.”

“We have a whole host of successful projects under our belts

thanks to the high quality level ensured when executing projects, as

well as the attention paid to keeping deadlines and adhering to

contractual stipulations,” says Kuhn, proudly. As a result, Züblin

enjoys an excellent reputation in China and, therefore, is able to

stand out positively from the local competition. This level of cus-

tomer confidence was the foundation of its expansion to Singapore,

Malaysia and India. “We intend to cement our long-term relationships

with the usual reliability and professionalism in the up-and-coming

Indian market in particular,” says Kuhn.

CONTACT: Harald Kuhn, Special Divisions & Concessions,

Division International 3G, Sub-division Major Bridges/

Hydropower Plants (MK)

Staff: 72 locals, 8 expatriates

Annual turnover: approx. between EUR 20 and 40 mn

Currently: 4 projects in construction

Largest projects: Ting Kau Bridge and Xiaolangdi Dam

More than 120 industrial construction projects successfully completed

within 36 years.

European companies set great store by German efficiency.

Special Divisions & Concessions Projects inform 20

An impeccable reputation is the best competitive edge.

The 1,177 m long Ting Kau bridge in Hong Kong

History of Züblin China

1974

1974–88

1988–95

1993

1994

1993

1995

2005

2006

First project in Wuhan for Mannesmann DemagImplementation of numerous industrial con-struction projectsAssignment of the first infrastructure projects, financed by the World Bank: e.g. Guangzhou port, sewage tunnel in Shanghai, Xiaolangdi Dam on the Yellow River, Ting Kau Bridge in Hong KongShanghai subsidiary foundedBeijing subsidiary foundedFocus on industrial construction projects for western investorsCertification as a foreign construction company in the Chinese marketCertification as a second-degree general con-tractor – from now on we are permitted to carry out in China any kind of civil engineering project of a total size of up to 120,000 m2, up to 28 storeys, a freestanding span width of up to 36 m and a construction height of up to 120 mFounding of Changjiang-Züblin Construction & Engineering Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Züblin International GmbH and the Second Navigational Engineering Bureau (SNEB) in Wuhan. To protect the Chinese domestic market, foreign construction companies are no longer permitted to operate or perform construction work in China as a wholly foreign owned enter-prise, and for this reason, companies are officially required to set up joint ventures of this kind. At the same time, Ed. Züblin AG founded the wholly-owned subsidiary Züblin Construction Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which focuses on providing consultation services during the construction phase.

CHINA IS DIFFERENT

Other countries – other cultures. We all agree on this and it goes

without saying that we try to gather information on the new country

in which we end up. Yet, the difference between theory and practice

is often greater than expected. Only in the course of the project in

Yinchuan it became clear to Björn Meier just how much greater – off

the beaten track in Inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. He was

mainly concerned about occupational health and safety, and the

quality of workmanship. While there were experienced working

teams and sub-contractors on hand in Shanghai, Meier and his team

were on their own on this construction site. Already during the plan-

ning and approval phases, he came up against resistance from the

local authorities, which would have preferred a local general con-

tractor. It then seemed fitting that, despite the findings of the ground

survey, 90,000 m3 of poor quality earth first had to be removed and

replaced. Moreover, conditions deteriorated further with the onset of

winter. Only four and a half months remained until temperatures

would plummet. During this short period of time, 40,000 m2 of the

building had to be fully protected against the elements. “A gruelling

task – but nobody thought of giving up. The most important thing I

learned from this project was that, while experience is important,

flexibility is vital in China,” says Meier.

CHRONOLOGICAL BALANCING ACT

At the end of 2009, Gregor Holch assumed leadership of the

project to build an approximately 19,000 m2 large production plant

for the German company Amann GmbH & Co. KG in Yancheng,

around 300 km north of Shanghai. From early 2011, this plant is to

supply sewing thread to the automobile and textile industries around

the world. In view of the fact that the ground earmarked for con-

struction is wet land and not very capable of bearing heavy loads,

typical for the area around the Yangtze delta, around 8,100 m of

concrete piles had to be installed before work on the construction

shell could begin. Thus, there remained eight months before the

project was due to be handed over at the end of October in which

to construct the 18,500 m2 of gross production, warehouse and

administration areas and have them ready for occupancy. “A period

of time that doesn’t really sound realistic – however, if you consider

how much manpower is available to work on the construction site

seven days a week, then you gradually learn to ‘think outside the

box’,” describes Holch with justifiable pride.

www.strabag.com

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inform 20 Special Divisions & Concessions Projects

COMPANY OUTING & CO

STRABAG IN ACTION

380 colleagues went on a company outing, 49 took

part in a joint motorbike trip and 241 in the STRAtria.

There is always something happening here.

International. Omar Al-Rawi and his team of ten show a great

deal of dedication when it comes to the company outing. In May 2010,

380 ‘Strabagians’ flew on two chartered jets from Vienna to Sicily.

“Only one manager came along, unfortunately. We hope that more will

come next time,” said Al-Rawi during his welcoming speech at the

hotel. Over the course of four days, participants enjoyed a diverse

program of events, e.g. tours of Taormina, Syracuse and Neapolis.

There was something for everyone: culture, shopping or simply

soaking up the sun. A short holiday that everyone enjoyed – we are

already looking forward to the next one.

G & CO

G IN ACTION

ent on a company outing, 49 took

torbike trip and 241 in the STRAtriaia.

something happening here.

Omar Al-Rawi and his team of ten show a ggrer at

hen it comes to the company outing. In May 201010,0,

lew on two chartered jets from Vienna to Sicily.

came along, unfortunately. We hope that more will

aid Al-Rawi during his welcoming speech at the

urse of four days, participants enjoyed a diverse

e.g. tours of Taormina, Syracuse and Neapolis.

hing for everyone: culture, shopping or simply

n. A short holiday that everyone enjoyed – we are

ward to the next one.

44

Events inform 20

STRABIKE ON TOUR

In August 2009, Michael Prudlik, Dirk Wons and Ingo Krause

set off on their motorbikes to explore the Harz mountain range in

Germany. In doing so, they had the idea of going on a joint STRABAG

motorbike outing with colleagues, which was named ‘STRAbike’, in

January. Following an announcement on STRANET, 70 people on

50 motorbikes signed up – one colleague even travelled all the way

from Austria, and received a present for having undertaken the

longest journey, along with a cup.

The tour started in Braunschweig and led south towards the

Harz. After a detour through the Elm, they then headed towards

Schöppenstedt and past Zilly. Here, in the custom bike workshop

(Bikeschmiede), they could see the heaviest motorbike in the world,

along with other old motorbikes. After touring the Harz, they returned

to Braunschweig, where the most beautiful bike received an award

during an evening of festivities. The winner was Heiko Waschkau

from Hamburg with his Triumph. The next day, the first stop was in

Lengede (The Miracle of Lengede). The trip took a route via Seesen

into the Harz to Torfhaus (Brockenblick) and on to Braunschweig via

countryside highways. “Feedback from those who took part was

very positive, and everyone was very happy with the way in which

the trip was planned and carried out. Thus, we are already making

preparations for the 2nd STRAbike from 11 to 13 June 2011,” says

Michael Prudlik, happily.

CONTACT: Omar Al-Rawi, Service Companies,

Central Division BRVZ 02, Employee Works Council

CONTACT: Michael Prudlik, Service Companies,

Central Division BMTI 01, Germany

CONTACT: Mario Rabitsch, Service Companies, Central Division

Technical Head Office 30, Sub-division Technical Head Office

Vienna

Info + +

5th STRAtria

This year, STRAtria celebrated its 5th birthday, and there were

a record number of registered participants to celebrate. 241 par-

ticipants from twelve countries took part. Around half of them

were sport-minded colleagues from our business units in Germany,

Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary and

Austria. With a time of 1:14:26, Johannes Oberleithner was the

in-house winner of the day, while Simone Fürnkranz was the

fastest woman at this event with a time of 1:13:06.

Congratulations to all participants – regardless of the time taken,

your achievements are worthy of applause!

Info + +

The organisers from left to right: Michael Prudlik, Dirk Wons,

Johannis Sidiropuolos, Ingo Krause

Johannes Oberleithner was the fastest STRABAGian.

www.strabag.com

45

inform 20 Events

TIPS & TRICKS

SMALL AIDS FOR THE OFFICE ROUTINE

1Book Recommendation: The Joy of Burnout: How the End

of the World Can Be a New Beginning.

Glouberman, a founder of the Skyos Holistic Holiday Center,

believes that burnout on the job is both destructive and positive.

From her own experience, she knows that physical ailments and

even serious illnesses can be symptoms of burnout that are too

often ignored. However, Glouberman argues that burnout can be the

first step to a new and happier life. “Burnout is, or rather can be,

a door to walk through into a life with space, love and joy-indeed,

a sense of being able to be one’s true self.

2Phone and Web Conference – ARCADIN

There is a new solution available for phone and web confer-

ences. From now on, phone conferences can be joined by a

random number of persons. In web conferences, the ‘moderator’

can show his /her screen to all participants and can, at the same

time, use the phone conference for speaking. Do you need such a

thing? Then register via ‘goAPP’ under ‘Communications’. With an

‘Anytime Account’ you can send out Lotus Notes invites for phone

and/or web conferences.

3Small Talk in the Corridor

You are certainly familiar with the unpleasant situation in

corridors. You meet a person you know, but you don’t know

what to talk about. Here are some tips for making perfect small talk:

1. Do not ask any yes/no-questions.

2. Ask open questions (how, what, why, what for).

3. Your interest and enthusiasm make or break a conversation. Not

even the most sophisticated technique will help, if you lack this

inner attitude.

4Office Organisation

‘Order is for idiots, genius can handle chaos.’ Still, a good

filing system will ease your work considerably. Tips that

might help:

1. You don’t need a file entitled ‘miscellaneous’. For these things

you have got the waste basket.

2. Always file documents immediately.

3. Create free space: Tidy out regularly and show courage by

throwing things out!

4. Aim at creating a ‘paper-free office’: You don’t need to have

bits of paper everywhere.

COLLAGE COMPETITION

OUR ARTISTS OF TOMORROW

Thank you so much for your beautiful collages – we liked

them very much. To thank you for your participation in the

contest, all of you will receive a STRABAG children’s T-Shirt.

Jakub Laszczkowski (8)

Mrko (2) & Viràg (11) Varga

Maciek Laszczkowski (12)

Mrko (2) & Viràg (11) Varga

46

Specials inform 20

RAFFLE

WANTED: CROSSWORD CHAMPION

Since it is not all just about physical fitness but also

about mental fitness, we worked out a crossword

puzzle on the topic of ‘burnout’. Can you find the solu-

tion word? Among all entries we will raffle off three

STRABAG watches. Take part! It‘ll be worth it!

Entry deadline: 31 March 2011

Solution word

1 3 6542 7 8 10 119 12

I

T9 1

10

walk in the moun-tains

5

work interrup-tion

8

7

isolation through …

profes-sional group first affected

2

way to deal with patients

7

4

relaxing at a spa

D

L L

L

counter-balance to job

infarct of the soul

P

S

11

6

3

12

www.strabag.com

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inform 20 Specials

www.strabag.com

IMPRINT Editing and publishing: STRABAG SE, Villach Editor: Barbara Saulich (editor-in-chief) Contributing editors:

Jaroslava Trlicová (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Evelyn Agocs (Hungary), Marko Mihajic (Poland), Elena Beljakowa (Russia)

English translation: Monika Farnleitner, Vienna Layout and print management: Gundula Schmid Prepress: finishingmove

Printing: MACK GmbH, Schönaich Photography: Fotolia (cover photo Boss, p. 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28,

29), Frameburst (cactus+palm tree, p. 44), Istockphoto (p. 46) Inquiries and mail to: STRABAG SE, attn. Ms. Barbara Saulich,

phone +43 1 22422-1956, fax +43 1 22422-1177, barbara.saulich@strabag.com, Donau-City-Straße 9, A-1220 Vienna

Equal opportunities for women and men are a top priority at STRABAG. For this reason, we want to point out that terms such as

‘employees’, ‘clients’ or ‘experts’ used in this magazine always refer to both genders.