The Hammelbach Bridge, which crosses the Bernhardstaler Teich in three arches, is regarded as the oldest railway bridge in Austria. It was put into operation in 1839 as part of the northern railway line Vienna-Brno-Krakow and is still in use today. It was built by the Austrian bridge construction pioneer Carl Ritter von Ghega, who worked as construction manager of the northern railway line before being commissioned as overall planner of the southern railway line Vienna Trieste.
On behalf of ÖBB, the structural dynamics team of the AIT Center for Mobility Systems has now carried out extensive measurements on the Hammelbach Bridge. The dynamic behaviour of bridges is of essential importance, as adverse loads or vibrations can occur, especially due to the interaction between rail vehicle and bridge. The AIT team used a non-contact laser Doppler vibrometer to determine the vibrations in the centre of the arch and at the abutment points during the crossing. The results are now being incorporated into a reassessment as part of planned construction measures.