New Dimensions 2011 - Rhomberg Bau
New Dimensions 2011 - Rhomberg Bau
New Dimensions 2011 - Rhomberg Bau
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<strong>2011</strong><br />
new<br />
dimensions<br />
Quality of life<br />
Happy and contented_____________________ 7<br />
Thoughts about quality of life<br />
HOW TO CREATE QUALITY OF LIFE ____________ 14<br />
The perfect home for every phase of life<br />
Masterpiece of railway technology_____ 34<br />
Brenner contracts piling up<br />
The magazine of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group
Contents<br />
Editorial 3<br />
<strong>New</strong>s in brief 4 – 5<br />
QUALITY OF LIFE<br />
Focusing on what matters 6<br />
Happy and contented ______________________________ 7<br />
Statements on quality of life 8 – 9<br />
Strategy: quality of life tomorrow and today 10 – 11<br />
<strong>New</strong>s from the life-cycle optimiser 12<br />
Facility Management at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> 13<br />
Current housing projects in Vorarlberg 14 – 15<br />
Project developments in the Lake Constance area 16 – 17<br />
Construction and civil engineering project reports 18<br />
Selection of small construction sites 19<br />
Refurbishment advice booklet 20<br />
Diem factory converted and refurbished 21<br />
Rheintal Resource Center offers<br />
improved customer service 22<br />
Two years of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling 23<br />
Life-Cycle Tower, urban future with CREE 24 – 25<br />
<strong>New</strong> nursery schools for Feldkirch 26<br />
Keys for charitable housing handed over 27<br />
Team-building: General Contractor for Housing 28<br />
Masters study course:<br />
Green Building & Life-Cycle Management 29<br />
Human Resources news 30 – 31<br />
Bahntechnik marketing HandraiLIT and ZOKA 32<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail starts in Great Britain 33<br />
At the Brenner: masterpiece in railway engineering – 34 – 35<br />
Railway engineering: surveying and developing 36<br />
Completion of large long-term BBW projects 37<br />
Track Australia becomes <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia 38 39<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>-Kalebozan – a success story 40<br />
Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> expanding 41<br />
Menegola AG full of power 42<br />
Conversions & Renovations<br />
starts operations in Switzerland 43<br />
Housing projects in Switzerland 44 – 45<br />
What the Accounts department does 46<br />
Opportunity and risk management 47<br />
The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Environment Team 48 – 49<br />
Review of events in 2010 50 – 51<br />
17<br />
34<br />
45<br />
climate neutral<br />
printed<br />
EDITORIAL| Published by <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group, Mariahilfstrasse 9, 6900 Bregenz, Austria, Tel +43 5574 / 403-0,<br />
Fax +43 5574 / 403-309, info@rhombergbau.at, www.rhombergbau.at, www.rhombergrail.com Photos Shutterstock (Cover),<br />
Creative Learning, Dietmar Walser Photografy, Darko Todorovic, Nursery Schools Feldkirch Im Griesseler, Oberer Riegel and<br />
Alvierstrasse, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group Responsible for the content Gabi Schnell Editor-in-chief Gabi Schnell Editorial team<br />
Gabi Schnell, Elisabeth Frener, Simone Grabher, Susanne Dünser, Michaela Mölgg, Anna-Lina Kräutler, Sandra Hermes,<br />
Sarah Krenkel, Diana Koplenig, Milena Simonovic, Stefanie Sutterlueti, Jakob Bonomo, Carmen Bösch, Karin Hubalek,<br />
Jürgen Koblinger, Angelika <strong>Rhomberg</strong>, Madeleine Sargant, Marisa Rusch Concept and design die3, Public Relations<br />
Agency, Dornbirn, Austria Printed on Galaxy matt Declaration pursuant to § 25 Media Act NEW DIMENSIONS is<br />
published once a year; German circulation: 4,500 copies; English circulation: 1,500 copies
Making quality of<br />
life possible<br />
This last year has been a dynamic one. We have managed the commercial<br />
downturn very well. We have been able to reduce our turnover. I am saying<br />
"able" because to survive a reduction in turnover, a company needs to be<br />
financially healthy. And that’s what we are, thanks to our solid capital base.<br />
The motivation and innovative drive of our members of staff have moved us<br />
on in big strides. However, we are not resting on our laurels but continuing<br />
on our path.<br />
26<br />
There are huge challenges ahead of us. Ten years ago, our strategy already<br />
included considerations regarding sustainability and efficient use of resources.<br />
What is the price of planet earth? We don’t know its material value. But we all<br />
agree that we need it to survive. Our planet can produce a huge output every<br />
year (timber, CO 2<br />
, fish). But we use up our ration of resources as early as<br />
August in every year. You might say that from then on we live on credit*. How<br />
long can that last? Our politicians would be in a position to set firm guidelines,<br />
but climate conferences and similar actions seem to produce scant effects.<br />
Initiative is called for. Currently, entrepreneurs are more or less punished for<br />
giving people jobs. There should be less tax on work and more on energy and<br />
in future, funding of the social security system should be linked to the use of<br />
resources.<br />
We all need to make our contribution. This is also true for the construction<br />
industry with its enormous throughput of resources. It is responsible for 30 to<br />
45 percent of resources used. While this is a big challenge, it is also the<br />
biggest market opportunity and holds the potential for innovation in many<br />
fields: efficient project management, partnering models, construction systems,<br />
building materials, new solutions for mobility and logistics and, not least,<br />
considerations regarding regional and local development.<br />
We need to give answers. The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group has been developing these<br />
opportunities and potentials for many years. Our successful market position<br />
is the result of the farsighted management of my father, Commercial Councillor<br />
Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong>. Last October, after 47 active years, he retired from<br />
his position as Managing Director of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding but will continue to<br />
give us his active support as Chairman of the Advisory Board.<br />
Walking the path together. I am proud of all our members of staff, our partners<br />
and our customers who continue with us on our ambitious path. It requires<br />
basic trust in both ourselves and our fellow men. Highly trained members of<br />
staff are the essential factor for success. In the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Academy, in our new<br />
Master study course and, not least, while learning on the job, our staff are<br />
given the right opportunities for personal growth.<br />
When we are able to recognise how things work, to handle increasing complexity<br />
and to think holistically, we can create quality of life for all. Why not help,<br />
and join the action!<br />
Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
* Source: Mathis Wackernagel, Global Footprint Networks<br />
Editorial | NEW DIMensIONS 3
<strong>New</strong>s in brief<br />
Away from site and desk<br />
6 th Vorarlberger Hypo-BaUHeRRenpreis 2010 Distinction for Innovative Living<br />
The Vorarlberger Hypo-<strong>Bau</strong>herrenpreis<br />
(Vorarlberg Hypo Client’s Prize) has<br />
been awarded every year since 1986<br />
in recognition of forward-looking architecture<br />
and exemplary cooperation<br />
between clients and designers. This<br />
year the winners were announced on<br />
28 September 2010 in the Kulturbühne<br />
AMBACH theatre in Götzis.<br />
The international jury of four judges<br />
awarded 10 entries with prizes and<br />
16 with distinctions for impressive,<br />
forward-looking buildings. <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
<strong>Bau</strong> and its project partner, architects<br />
DI Hörburger/Kuess/Ritsch/<br />
Schweitzer, received a distinction in the<br />
housing category for the innovative<br />
Sandgrubenweg residential development<br />
in Bregenz.<br />
Completion party for SandGRUBenweg residential development, Bregenz<br />
This residential complex, the winner<br />
of the Clients’ Prize and prizes for its<br />
future-oriented design, mobility and<br />
use of timber, attracted a great deal of<br />
interest domestically and abroad.<br />
We celebrated with a communal<br />
completion party for all the owners and<br />
tenants in September 2010. Three<br />
fruit trees were planted as a symbol of<br />
sustainability by the company directors<br />
and representatives of the Owners’<br />
Association.<br />
<strong>New</strong> impetus from management changes at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding GMBH<br />
Kommerzialrat Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
(right) left the board of directors at<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding GmbH in September.<br />
He is moving to the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Group, along with DI Roland Jurecka<br />
(left), where he will be Chairman of the<br />
Advisory Board. As of 1 October 2010,<br />
DI Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong> (second from the<br />
right) and Mag. Ernst Thurnher<br />
(second from the left) are in charge<br />
of the company management of<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding GmbH .<br />
4 NEW DIMENSIONS | NEWS IN BRIEF
Social commitment – <strong>Rhomberg</strong> helps the Haiti earthquake vicTIMs<br />
We were very upset by the images of<br />
the earthquake in Haiti on 12 th January<br />
2010. Operations to provide aid were<br />
quickly mobilised. We at <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
gave a generous donation to the relief<br />
organisation, “Neighbour in need”. Our<br />
contribution financed medical aid, food,<br />
hygiene articles, clean water, tents,<br />
blankets and tools were also bought.<br />
MüHLehof Uzwil SwitzeRLand only took 1½ years from contract award to handover<br />
Contracts between <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> and<br />
Credit Suisse for the construction of<br />
the Muhlehof community centre were<br />
signed in February 2009. Shortly<br />
afterwards, we commenced work on<br />
the demolition, shoring and excavation.<br />
The foundation stone for the Mühlehof<br />
was laid on 30 June. The handover to<br />
the client took place after just under<br />
15 months on 2 September 2010.<br />
The Mühlehof is located in the middle<br />
of Uzwil and will provide an important<br />
centre for the community. <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
<strong>Bau</strong> AG is proud to have realised and<br />
handed over on time a building so<br />
important and special to the Uzwil<br />
community with the architects Arson<br />
AG and the various design consultants<br />
on behalf of Credit Suisse.<br />
Facility management — unforgettable barbecue for <strong>Rhomberg</strong> employees<br />
The banks of the lakeside camping<br />
site at Bregenz provided the perfect<br />
setting for the Facility Management<br />
Department’s traditional summer event.<br />
55 <strong>Rhomberg</strong> employees from various<br />
departments accepted the invitation to<br />
the 6 th barbecue. A particular highlight<br />
of this mid-summer July evening<br />
was the team competition in which a<br />
sought after challenge cup was<br />
at stake.<br />
The organisers accepted a well<br />
deserved thank-you on behalf of all<br />
the barbecue guests.<br />
Ground-breaking ceremony for <strong>New</strong> Seeschanze Lochau Most of housing units sold<br />
Organised by project partners<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> and Schertler-Alge, the<br />
official ground-breaking ceremony for the<br />
residential development situated between<br />
the Pfänder and Lake Constance took<br />
place on 3 September 2010. Architect<br />
DI Dietmar Eberle and Mayor Xaver<br />
Sinz were invited to the celebrations as<br />
guests. The last of the 95 residential<br />
units are scheduled to be completed<br />
between autumn 2012 and spring 2013.<br />
NEWS IN BRIEF | NEW DIMENSIONS<br />
5
December 1984: Walter <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Contractors receives official State award.<br />
Successful together: Walter <strong>Rhomberg</strong> and Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong>, seen here during an<br />
excursion on Lake Constance, on the occasion of the forty year celebrations in 1978.<br />
Quality of life – focusing on what is important<br />
Kommerzialrat Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> looks ahead and reflects on the last 47 years<br />
“I never wanted to be anything else but<br />
a master builder” says Kommerzialrat<br />
Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> with a smile.<br />
For him, there simply wasn’t a more<br />
attractive profession. In 1892 his<br />
grandfather, Cornelius, founded the<br />
company and managed it very successfully<br />
until his death in 1912. His father<br />
Walter (b. 1911) re-established the<br />
construction company in 1938. Walter-<br />
Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> joined the company in<br />
the third generation in 1963. He has<br />
now served for 47 active years.<br />
There are many stories from his life in<br />
the business: some are stories of<br />
success and some of failure, with strife<br />
and worry, as happens in every business.<br />
As of 1 October 2010, Kommerzialrat<br />
Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> retired from<br />
the management of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding<br />
GmbH and became Chairman of the<br />
Advisory Board. At the same time, his<br />
son Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong> together with<br />
Ernst Thurnher stepped into the role of<br />
Managing Director of <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Holding.<br />
Maintaining a balance<br />
“For an independent entrepreneur, it is<br />
not possible to separate business life<br />
from private life”, explains Walter-Heinz<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>. The two have to be kept in<br />
balance. The time demands of the job<br />
require a steady private life with a lot of<br />
understanding – especially from one’s<br />
partner.<br />
When he was young, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> heard<br />
a lot at the dinner table and learnt to<br />
concentrate on the positive aspects<br />
and to assess risk. That was not<br />
always easy, as the risks in a construction<br />
company in particular are “greater<br />
than you would normally expect”. But<br />
on balance the positive always won<br />
out, which is the only reason why the<br />
company has developed so well.<br />
It is not easy to say exactly which was<br />
his first working day, explains Walter-<br />
Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong>. During the summer<br />
holidays he and his siblings had to<br />
work in the business for three to four<br />
weeks. “We also earned a little money”<br />
adds <strong>Rhomberg</strong> and recounts that he<br />
was ten years old when he first visited<br />
a building site – where a single-family<br />
dwelling was being built. These<br />
experiences were his foundation and<br />
very instructive. Then in 1963 he<br />
officially joined the company as<br />
Assistant Site Manager. At that time the<br />
Walter <strong>Rhomberg</strong> construction company<br />
employed a staff of about 200.<br />
From 1973 he was Managing Director<br />
of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> companies together<br />
with his father, Kommerzialrat Walter<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>. Then for many years he<br />
filled this role as sole Managing<br />
Director. Later on, his son Hubert and<br />
other long-serving members of staff<br />
joined in the responsibilities. “For me,<br />
and I believe for all <strong>Rhomberg</strong> members<br />
of staff, it is fortunate that Hubert,<br />
as the fourth generation, has taken on<br />
the management in an extremely<br />
active and innovative, socially responsible<br />
and competent fashion.”<br />
Motivation and<br />
entrepreneURIal spIRIT<br />
Core elements for success as an<br />
entrepreneur are a long-term perspective,<br />
analysis and focus, explains<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>. In addition, there has to be a<br />
strong ability to make things happen<br />
without which nothing comes about, and<br />
staff who are motivated and who tackle<br />
their tasks with entrepreneurial spirit.<br />
Naturally it also needs a solid capital<br />
base to guarantee the company’s<br />
independence and ability to act. For a<br />
manager to be able to perform his or<br />
her duties over the long-term, it is<br />
important that they are very healthconscious<br />
and engage in regular sports<br />
activities. For me this was also a guiding<br />
principle.<br />
pLeasURe in creation<br />
“Naturally there are things that could<br />
have been done better, but these are<br />
now in the past.” Now Walter-Heinz<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> enjoys the fact that his daily<br />
schedule is no longer controlled by a<br />
long list of appointments – and that he<br />
has time for his new task as Chairman<br />
of the Advisory Board. And of course he<br />
also enjoys more spare time.<br />
In 1963 the young entrepreneur<br />
Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> wanted to<br />
prove that <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> was the<br />
number 1 in Vorarlberg, and one of the<br />
top companies in Austria. Both of these<br />
objectives have been achieved.<br />
6<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS | QUALITy of life
Happy and satisfied<br />
Thoughts about quality of life<br />
Ground-breaking ceremony at Götzis Village<br />
Park in the summer of 1992.<br />
Answers to some short<br />
questions*<br />
• As a child I always wanted to<br />
become a master builder.<br />
• The book I am currently reading:<br />
Welt mit Zukunft (World with a<br />
future, surviving in the 21 st century)<br />
by Franz Josef Radermacher.<br />
• Present-day heroes, for me, are<br />
people who dedicate their lives to<br />
social issues. For example, Bischof<br />
Kräutler, who is receiving the<br />
alternative Nobel Prize. These are<br />
outstanding people with a special<br />
commitment!<br />
• I am most ready to excuse those<br />
mistakes that are openly admitted<br />
and not hidden.<br />
• Motto: live and let live. Be tolerant.<br />
*loosely based on the Proust Questionnaire<br />
KR Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong> lives with his<br />
wife Edith in Bregenz. He is an enthusiastic<br />
golfer and skier and is very proud of his three<br />
children, Thomas, Hubert and Cornelia and his<br />
six grandchildren, who are a constant source of<br />
pleasure and stimulation.<br />
Interview with Walter-Heinz <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
by Anna-Lina Kräutler.<br />
“Do you wish to roam farther and farther? See! The good lies so near.<br />
Only learn to seize good fortune, for good fortune’s always here.”<br />
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<br />
Are we happy – broadly speaking? Or are we lacking something?<br />
What do we need to be happy? What creates the energy that drives<br />
us? And what do we need to maintain this energy?<br />
The science of happiness<br />
Research into happiness is something that actually exists. There is the<br />
Dutchman Ruut Venhooven who, for decades, has been trying to find<br />
out what makes us happy and to provide statistical proof of it. Then<br />
there are major opinion poll institutions and magazines, such as the<br />
American Forbes Magazine, who publish their findings regarding the<br />
"happiness of nations". According to those, the Danes are the world<br />
champions of happiness. Austria is placed 14 th out of 155 surveyed<br />
countries. Switzerland and Australia are both placed 8 th and Turkey is<br />
ranked 103 rd . However, there is no place without potential for<br />
improvement.<br />
Thoroughly content<br />
Do we really move between two worlds – the world of work and the<br />
world of living? Or is it the relationships and feelings that impose this<br />
division? How we feel in our professional relationships – with our<br />
customers, colleagues and network partners also affects our feelings<br />
and moods in the supposedly “different world”: sometimes we take<br />
negative stress and dissatisfaction home with us. The number one<br />
feel-good factor in the company is the social interaction between<br />
colleagues. If the climate in the company is good, the company<br />
obviously benefits. Satisfied and happy employees are more productive<br />
and have a positive effect on company culture.<br />
Quality of life<br />
At <strong>Rhomberg</strong> we try to combine all those feelings, attitudes and<br />
perceptions under the term “quality of life”<br />
which affect our moods, our actions and thinking and through that the<br />
quality of our work and our productivity. For us, people matter most.<br />
With their strengths and weaknesses. Appreciating each other,<br />
listening, responding to individual needs, friendly and trusting communication,<br />
team spirit and loyalty in challenging situations are just some<br />
of the elements that make up the corporate culture and climate at<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>. It involves responding to the needs of our staff, customers<br />
and network partners and improving their quality of life in doing so.<br />
That is part of our social responsibility. That’s our daily challenge. We<br />
have asked our staff, customers and network partners to find out what<br />
quality of life means for them personally: you will find the answers on<br />
the next double page.<br />
Anna-Lina Kräutler<br />
QUALITy of life | NEW DIMENSIONS<br />
7
“What, for you, does<br />
quality of life mean?”<br />
One question, twelve answers.<br />
1 “Quality of life is based on a number of different<br />
parameters: for me, the values of health, enjoyment,<br />
gratefulness and contentedness are the<br />
most important factors for quality of life – which<br />
requires good sources of energy, industriousness<br />
and a portion of luck. The vital sources for achieving<br />
my ambitious aims in my private and business<br />
life are my family, a successful and interesting<br />
world of work at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> for over forty<br />
years, and fellow men with whom I can happily<br />
share the beauty of nature, art and culture.”<br />
Franz Goll, for many years Head of Department<br />
for Cost Calculation and Contract Acquisition at<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong>, now retired<br />
2 “Quality of life manifests with my family within<br />
our own four walls. This summer, my quality of life<br />
was somewhat reduced due to flooding which also<br />
affected our apartment. For this reason, I could<br />
truly empathise with those people in Pakistan who<br />
lost their homes in the floods. Meanwhile, my quality<br />
of life is back on track.”<br />
Claudia Beer, Receptionist, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
3 “For me quality of life means to be able to get up every day in good<br />
health and face the daily tasks, both in my private and professional life:<br />
it means sharing life with a cherished person at your side and enjoying<br />
pleasant and nice things in life every day. It means self-fulfilment and<br />
making my vision a reality. To have a home where I feel comfortable. To<br />
have a home which allows me to meet my needs and desires regarding<br />
wellness and being sociable with friends.”<br />
Gerhard Rauch, Managing Director of Walser GmbH, Rankweil<br />
2 1<br />
4 “I feel that my life has quality when I am content<br />
with my situation. Contentedness is a mental attitude<br />
one has to nurture on a daily basis by focusing<br />
on the precious aspects of one’s life. Usually we<br />
do the opposite and think of all the things we are<br />
missing. That makes us feel that we are lacking<br />
something. When we get that feeling of lack, the<br />
quality of our own lives also seems to be lacking.”<br />
Helmut Gassner, Head of Buddhist Centre Letzehof<br />
3 5<br />
5 “If I take a look at the world, I consider myself fortunate to<br />
live in a country like Austria. We live in a socially and politically<br />
secure environment, enjoy economic stability and have<br />
been largely spared any natural catastrophies. This, for me,<br />
is the best basis for experiencing quality of life and happiness<br />
in my private and family life, as well as at work for 24<br />
hours, 7 days a week.”<br />
Andreas Eder, Head of Marketing & Corporate<br />
Communication, ALPINE Holding GmbH<br />
4 6<br />
6 “Quality of life involves the sense<br />
of having a task which I believe can<br />
contribute to a better world. Material<br />
values don’t really count, and neither<br />
does the quick gratification promised by<br />
consumerism. In addition, quality of life<br />
involves the knowledge that I am rooted<br />
somewhere in this world and that I live<br />
in a social context that I can rely on.”<br />
Hermann Kaufmann, Architect, University<br />
Professor and Managing Director of<br />
Hermann Kaufmann ZT GmbH<br />
8 NEW DIMENSIONS | QUALITy of life
12 “From my own personal situation, I would say that ‘maturity’ can be a very<br />
rewarding time of life. An important prerequisite is the absence of disease –<br />
which is another way of defining health. The next point is to maintain a curiosity<br />
and an interest and shared responsibility in this world, with its daily wonders<br />
and catastrophies. Throughout my life I had so many different interests that I<br />
never had enough time to follow them up outside my main profession. Nowadays<br />
I can largely divide my time as I like and follow my own bio-rhythm; that<br />
means staying awake until long after midnight, going to cultural events and<br />
reading, reading, reading.”<br />
Günter <strong>Rhomberg</strong>, former employee of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong>,<br />
since 1981 President of Bregenzer Festspiele<br />
11 “For me, quality of life means to have time for my family and<br />
friends. And, if there is time, to have a few hours to myself, to slow<br />
down and get some peace as an antidote to my work. Enjoying<br />
the simple things in life, working in the garden, pottering about on<br />
something creative, reading a good book, drinking a glass of wine<br />
or cooking a meal for friends. And in between, simply being myself.”<br />
Martin Summer, Head of Department for Projects and Location<br />
Development, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
12 11<br />
10 “For me, quality of life means first of all<br />
that my family and friends are healthy. That is<br />
the basis for all other aspects of life. A further<br />
factor in quality of life is the opportunity for<br />
being free to act independently and to find<br />
self-fulfilment and achieve one’s defined<br />
goals. When all this is in place, daily life can<br />
be enjoyed without worry and stress.”<br />
Osman Kabaetli, IMS employee,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
8 10<br />
7 9<br />
7 “For me, quality of life means<br />
that I can use of my time flexibly so<br />
that I can satisfactorily coordinate<br />
my passions, family and job<br />
without worries about health and<br />
survival. What I appreciate very<br />
much is also that I can walk from<br />
my home into nature to refresh my<br />
energy.”<br />
Agnes Thurnher, General Practitioner<br />
and Occupational Physician<br />
9 Quality of life from one to twelve: (1) Good health for the<br />
whole family (2) Harmony in one’s private and professional<br />
life (3) Financial security (not luxury), so that one does not<br />
have to worry about one’s basic survival. (4) Friendships with<br />
human values (5) A job with challenges, fun and recognition<br />
(6) Having time (7) Sun (8) A living environment that is worth<br />
living in (9) Living in harmony with nature (10) Safety (no<br />
crime) in the private and work spheres (11) Political stability<br />
(12) Mobility<br />
Erich Wutzl, Daniela Regvart, Karl Gneis and Felix Jonkisch<br />
(not in the picture), Vienna branch, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
8 “For me, quality of life means that I have a family<br />
that is behind me and which supports me. Another<br />
important aspect is health. And, that everything is<br />
OK privately and at work. I was 23 years old when I<br />
decided to start an apprenticeship with <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
<strong>Bau</strong> so that I would gain a different perspective and<br />
can look positively to the future.”<br />
Patrick Scheiber, Apprentice at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
QUALITy of life | NEW DIMENSIONS<br />
9
Contented staff, happy customers AND successful projects?<br />
SENSE<br />
A small game:<br />
You are given three wishes. What will you wish for? Note: world peace,<br />
health, good fortune cannot be used.<br />
How long did it take you to sort out your three wishes? To be<br />
quite honest: I am still pondering. A difficult decision.<br />
And now the million dollar question: what does a<br />
company wish for?<br />
Contented staff.<br />
Happy customers.<br />
Successful projects.<br />
But questions remain: how can you tell that<br />
staff are contented? How can we recognise<br />
happy customers? And when is a project<br />
successful? Again, question after question…<br />
There are many studies whose authors have<br />
thought about motivated employees and staff<br />
satisfaction. Tips include such advice as “Are<br />
you the boss? Then why not simply bring<br />
rolls with you to the office once in a while”<br />
to “Clear structures, clear tasks and clear<br />
competencies give your employee a sense<br />
of direction” through to “Trust is good, control<br />
is better”.<br />
I am convinced that these findings are all<br />
correct – in different situations and taking into<br />
account individual backgrounds. But they do not<br />
apply generally. Of course, there are a few trendy<br />
methods and tools. However, every situation needs<br />
to be looked at individually.<br />
For example, the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group will intensify its<br />
activities in the international market in the coming<br />
years. There will be projects in nearby and far away<br />
countries and on site we will need, of course, our<br />
members of staff. How can we manage to make<br />
them into contented team members? We have to<br />
admit: we don’t have a cure-all recipe.<br />
BUT we have managers who treat their staff with<br />
appreciation and respect. And<br />
who respond to their needs<br />
as the situation requires. This<br />
needs time and a considerable<br />
amount of sensitivity. It is a constant<br />
challenge. An on-going test. A<br />
tightrope act. But not reaching for the stars.<br />
I am allowed to be human<br />
People are the focus – with their strengths<br />
and weaknesses. Accepting weaknesses and<br />
mistakes, perceiving difficult situations at<br />
work and at home, pulling on the same rope,<br />
supporting each other, a healthy amount of<br />
trust and working on tasks that match my<br />
abilities: that’s what makes me content. And is<br />
that not also what makes a project successful,<br />
and finally, the customer happy?<br />
It makes sense.<br />
Oh and before I forget: it is my wish<br />
… that everybody has more laughter in<br />
their life<br />
… that what I do is meaningful for myself<br />
and others<br />
… that we pay more attention to the effects<br />
and consequences of our actions.<br />
If you like, why don’t you send me your<br />
three wishes:<br />
annalina.kraeutler@rhombergbau.at *<br />
Anna-Lina Kräutler<br />
10 NEW DIMENSIONS | STRATEGy
On the road with VLOTTE<br />
One year of electrical power on the roads of Vorarlberg<br />
In its first year the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> electric car has<br />
already covered 4,615 kilometers. This corresponds<br />
to a reduction in CO 2<br />
emissions of<br />
340 kilogrammes.<br />
The sustainability strategy of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group focuses primarily on the efficient use of resources. The electrically<br />
powered Fiat 500, which is part of the “VLOTTE” project for electric mobility in this model region underscores our aim.<br />
A total of 40 publically funded electric vehicles on the roads of Vorarlberg not only create a stir, but also reduce CO 2<br />
emissions. For a year now staff at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> use the electric car, which is available to all for short trips, and they are<br />
enthusiastic about it. The car has done 4,615 kilometers already, which corresponds to a reduction in CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
of 340 kilogrammes.<br />
Madeleine Sargant<br />
“I use every opportunity to be on<br />
the road with our VLOTTE car, and<br />
thereby spread our company philosophy.<br />
The car drives very well – but in<br />
the mountains or on the motorway its<br />
performance could be better.”<br />
Ulrich Forster, CREE<br />
“I like the quiet and very dynamic<br />
drive (small and nippy). There are<br />
now more and more VLOTTE cars on<br />
the road; even the Bregenz police<br />
have one with blue lights. That tells<br />
me that systematic and sustainable<br />
mobility is popular in Vorarlberg. The<br />
only point I would like to see improved<br />
is the charging process – an<br />
automatic docking station would be<br />
helpful.”<br />
Jakob Bonomo, CREE<br />
“To drive about with nippy four<br />
wheels and a good conscience –<br />
that’s what it feels like for me to drive<br />
in our 500! Its range is adequate and<br />
its top speed of 100 km/h is perfectly<br />
suited to flowing traffic. What I find<br />
fantastic is the drive characteristics<br />
in winter – due to the weight of the<br />
vehicle, its grip on snow has no<br />
comparison.”<br />
Andreas Karg, Building Solutions<br />
STRATEGy | NEW DIMENSIONS 11
Andreas Karg<br />
What does common sense tell us?<br />
Food for thought on the quality of life<br />
Faced with the increasing complexity of our everyday lives and our specialised working roles, we often forget to look at the<br />
big picture and do not think in terms of the finished article. In this column we attempt to promote the overall view – just as<br />
we optimise the life-cycle in our projects: with a little common sense.<br />
• Increase in life expectancy over the last 30 years 8 years<br />
• Remaining life expectancy of a 60-year-old man in 1970 <br />
14 years<br />
• Remaining life expectancy of a 60-year-old man in 2006 <br />
21 years<br />
• Proportion of the earth’s surface that is covered in forest is <br />
• Proportion of the earth’s surface that is covered in seaborne plastic waste is <br />
• Time taken for a plastic bag to decompose <br />
• Proportion of petrels in northern Europe that have plastic items in their stomachs <br />
• Annual fish consumption per head in Austria <br />
• GDP growth in Austria between 1991 and 2005 <br />
• Increase in loss of working days through sickness due to psychological problems in the same period <br />
• Health-related costs of psychological stress according to EU Commission <br />
• Gross domestic product of Lithuania in 2009 <br />
• Average number of hours of sunshine in Vienna <br />
• Average number of hours of sunshine in Rome <br />
• Average number of hours of sunshine in Moscow <br />
8 percent<br />
25 percent<br />
200 years<br />
95 percent<br />
8 kilograms<br />
34 percent<br />
79 percent<br />
EUR 20 billion<br />
EUR 26 billion<br />
1,883 hours/year<br />
2,470 hours/year<br />
1,709 hours/year<br />
• Number of deaths by suicide in Austria per 100,000 population 16<br />
• Number of deaths by suicide in Italy per 100,000 population 7<br />
• Number of deaths by suicide in Russia per 100,000 population 29<br />
• Columbia’s ranking in a satisfaction study by sociologist Max Haller (42 countries in total) <br />
• Russia’s ranking in a satisfaction study by sociologist Max Haller (42 countries in total) <br />
1st place<br />
38th place<br />
All these figures were obtained from our own projects and calculations, the press and international studies.<br />
12 <strong>New</strong> DIMENSIONS | LIFE-CyCLE OPTIMISER
Building certification in focus<br />
Effects on real estate sales<br />
True to its company strategy, <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
decided to become a founding member<br />
of the Austrian Council for Sustainable<br />
Real Estate (ÖGNI).<br />
Based on the international DGNB<br />
certification system of the German<br />
Sustainable Building Council, ÖGNI<br />
has systemised the certification of<br />
buildings in Austria. Buildings are<br />
assessed and evaluated against a<br />
number of performance criteria covering<br />
ecology, economy, social aspects,<br />
technology, process and location. The<br />
objective is to optimise buildings during<br />
the planning and design phases and<br />
show the quality of buildings in a transparent<br />
system. The system considers<br />
the whole of the life-cycle of a building.<br />
This approach reduces building<br />
operating costs, creates comfortable,<br />
resource-saving and functional buildings,<br />
as well as raising the quality of<br />
the design and execution. Moreover,<br />
independent studies have shown that<br />
higher rents and property values can<br />
result.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> has appointed three trained<br />
auditors: Andreas Karg, Rainer Strauch<br />
and Tobias Vonach.<br />
They are involved during the planning<br />
and design of sustainable buildings<br />
and are responsible for attaining final<br />
certification – to the benefit of investors<br />
and later users.<br />
Tobias Vonach<br />
The Austrian Council for Sustainable<br />
Real Estate (ÖGNI) looks at the whole<br />
life-cycle of a building.<br />
All-round service for the customer<br />
Building services team on 24-hour standby 365 days a year<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> facility management<br />
employees complete more than 1,000<br />
jobs per year – from minor repairs to<br />
alterations in leased buildings. The<br />
five operatives from different specialist<br />
areas, such as heating, ventilation,<br />
air-conditioning, sanitary and electrical<br />
engineering are at the service of<br />
over 3000 building users occupying<br />
buildings with over 150,000 m 2 of floor<br />
space.<br />
Professional maintenance of services<br />
installations ensures high availability<br />
and, combined with optimisation measures,<br />
can lower energy consumption<br />
costs and conserve natural resources.<br />
The service hotline (05574 403-403) is<br />
staffed 24 hours, sevend days a week.<br />
Our building services employees are experts in all technical areas.<br />
Diana Koplenig<br />
FACILITy management | <strong>New</strong> DIMENSIONS 13
The right apartment for every phase of life<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> housing projects in Vorarlberg, Austria<br />
THE NEW SEESCHANZE Lochau<br />
The top-class location and quality of<br />
the NEW SEESCHANZE development<br />
means demand is enormously high for<br />
these properties. That’s why 75 percent<br />
of the 95 dwellings have been sold in<br />
only eight months. These sensational<br />
sales figures are the best indicator that<br />
the decision by both partners,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> and Schertler-Alge – to<br />
develop NEW SEESCHANZE together<br />
as a joint project in the Wohnen am<br />
See development corporation – was<br />
absolutely right.<br />
Artist’s impression of the high-quality residential development with a view over Lake Constance<br />
Sold out: WeissenBILdstrasse Lauterach residential<br />
development<br />
All the apartments were sold before completion in October 2010. This development<br />
was prepared with empty ducts for retrofitting with photovoltaic panels at<br />
a later date so that the residents can generate their own electricity. Following on<br />
in the context of sustainability, the apartments are connected to the Lauterach<br />
GmbH & Co KG bio-district heating system.<br />
Bio-district heating and the option for retrofitting<br />
of photovoltaics form the sound sustainability<br />
credentials of this residential development.<br />
Passivhaus monitoring: blocks A and B in SandGRUBenweg<br />
residential development, Bregenz<br />
Modern, energy-efficient building actual figures for energy consumption.<br />
services technologies are so finely This complex interrelationship between<br />
designed and optimised that even environment, people and technology<br />
small changes to the overall system<br />
leads some people to speak of a<br />
can lead to noticeable increases or play-off between energy efficiency and<br />
reductions in energy consumption. living comfort. Therefore we decided<br />
User behaviour can therefore account to conduct a long-term investigation<br />
for some of the large deviation of the housing blocks on the Sandgrubenweg<br />
between the design estimates and the<br />
residential development<br />
at Bregenz to allow us to empirically<br />
determine the factors influencing living<br />
comfort and energy consumption. This<br />
monitoring is being developed working<br />
in cooperation with alp-S and the<br />
Dornbirn University of Applied Science<br />
to ensure the background to the<br />
investigation is objective and based on<br />
sound scientific principles.<br />
This long-term investigation is intended to bring clarity to the interrelationship between living comfort and energy consumption in practice.<br />
14 NEW DIMENSIONS | HOUSING
Benger-Park West Bregenz<br />
Working with the local housing cooperative,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> came up with the<br />
concept for the Benger-Park West<br />
housing development.<br />
The residential development was<br />
designed to achieve the Passivhaus<br />
standard. The apartments in one of the<br />
four blocks are sold to owner occupiers,<br />
whereas those in the other three<br />
blocks are let to tenants. This ensures<br />
a social mix and offers a high quality of<br />
living to owners and tenants.<br />
The development is constructed to Passivhaus standard and some units are offered for sale and<br />
some for rent.<br />
Luger site in DornBIRn<br />
The new building for Haus Mozartstrasse, consisting of 34 dwellings and local<br />
shopping facilities was sold as a complete unit to a private investor. Most of the<br />
housing units in the existing building Haus Bahnhofstrasse, the former Luger<br />
furniture store, are for sale and the commercial space is now being marketed.<br />
The adjacent site is being developed in conjunction with Hotel Martinspark GmbH<br />
as a cooperative venture to form an underground car park and hotel extension.<br />
Commercial floor space and attractive loft and<br />
penthouse apartments are created on several<br />
floors of the Luger furniture store building: with<br />
exclusive room heights and generous terraces.<br />
Sustainably designed dweLLIngs ensURe the<br />
HIGHest living quality<br />
The home is the main stage for private to it that our housing developments<br />
life: a freely available, freely designable always employ the latest technology,<br />
space for a freely moulded life, offering incorporate worthwhile innovations and<br />
the greatest opportunities for personal that they are operated as energy and<br />
happiness.<br />
resource-efficiently as possible.<br />
We integrate the needs of future<br />
residents into the design of a new<br />
housing project as early as the<br />
site purchase stage to ensure that<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> homes are able to fulfil the<br />
changing requirements throughout our<br />
customers entire life.<br />
Our answer to these diverse demands<br />
is to incorporate an extraordinary<br />
degree of flexibility, which allows our<br />
customers to realise their own personal<br />
ideas for living. Therefore we see<br />
We operate a consistent knowledge<br />
management system and keep<br />
ourselves up to date with new developments<br />
by maintaining an extensive<br />
network of innovative suppliers.<br />
Martin Summer<br />
BASIC INFORMATION HOUSING<br />
We are continuously looking for plots of land in<br />
the Rhine valley and undertake to develop them<br />
without delay in a professional and fair manner.<br />
To provide our investors with a higher quality of<br />
advice, we have set up an investment concept<br />
that, with the help of independent experts, can be<br />
fine-tuned to the individual needs of our clients.<br />
Housing projects in Austria currently at the<br />
marketing stage<br />
• Am Liebenstein-Park, Bregenz<br />
• Am Pfänderhang, Lochau<br />
• Sandgrubenweg residential development,<br />
Bregenz<br />
• Dr.-Anton-Schneider-Strasse, Dornbirn<br />
• Rohrbach Park, Dornbirn<br />
• Höchsterstrasse, Dornbirn<br />
• Frauensteinweg, Feldkirch<br />
• Bahnhofstrasse, Lochau<br />
• Benger-Park, West Bregenz<br />
• NEUE SEESCHANZE, Bregenz-Lochau<br />
• <strong>Bau</strong>mgartstrasse, Schwarzach<br />
For further information please contact<br />
Karl Nussbaumer, Tel. +43 5574 / 403-364<br />
Hans-Peter Sohm, Tel. +43 5572 / 22323-11<br />
www.rhombergbau.at<br />
HOUSING | <strong>New</strong> DIMENSIONS 15
Pure quality of life: at the yacht harbour in Lindau, Germany, a new high-spec residential development is under construction.<br />
having – loving – being<br />
At the Lindau yacht harbour a dream of living on the Lake is coming true<br />
Give every day the opportunity to be the finest of your life*<br />
– clearly this was the maxim of those happy purchasers<br />
of the Lindau yacht harbour project who, already one year<br />
before completion, can look forward to many “finest days”<br />
in their new homes.<br />
A unique residential development is being created which,<br />
with its direct access to the Lake and the inner city, must<br />
be one of the best positions around Lake Constance;<br />
completion is scheduled for the end of <strong>2011</strong>. With its 32<br />
well-designed apartments, most of which face directly over<br />
the Lake, and its three prestigious commercial units, the<br />
development is becoming one of the most exclusive residences<br />
on Lake Constance – and promises pure<br />
quality of life.<br />
When we choose an apartment, our own idea and definition<br />
of quality of life plays the most important role. For most of<br />
us, when we buy an apartment, our ambition is that everything<br />
is perfect. After all, in many instances such a purchase<br />
is fulfilling the dream of a lifetime. That means that many<br />
individual requirements and wishes have to be met in the<br />
right proportion. Do I like the position, the location, the<br />
view and the architecture and what is important for me in<br />
terms of sitting out in the open and how much money am I<br />
prepared to spend on my dream? Obtaining support when<br />
answering these questions is important for making the right<br />
decision, that’s where one needs a partner who is reliable<br />
and flexible and has experience and innovative ideas in<br />
equal measure.<br />
For this reason we have opted to create individual residences<br />
in the right locations in connection with a high<br />
standard of living and sustainable user and customer<br />
satisfaction. Our focus in this context is on the selection of<br />
suitable plots and the construction of high quality properties<br />
with sophisticated architectural design and which hold<br />
their value accordingly. Lindau too is an example where<br />
innovative ideas and an exceptional construction and space<br />
concept are implemented without compromising comfort<br />
and the feel-good factor. The successful interior designs,<br />
underfloor heating, parking in underground carparks and<br />
a lift provide a high standard of living, as do the immediate<br />
proximity to the inner city and the outstanding regional and<br />
inter-regional transport connections.<br />
* Mark Twain, 30 November 1835 to 21 April 1910<br />
Tobias Kiechle<br />
At the yacht harbour, Lindau Island, GeRMany<br />
Architecture Design: Planungsgruppe<br />
Prof. E. Kasper, Aachen,Germany<br />
Execution Elwert & Stottele, Architects, Ravensburg, Germany<br />
Scheme two detached blocks (new construction and<br />
refurbishment of existing)<br />
Contract value EUR 20.5 million<br />
Project Development <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH, Bregenz, Austria<br />
Developer & Contractor <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH, Bregenz, Austria<br />
Floor space 3,900 m²<br />
Units 32 residential and 3 commercial<br />
Car parking 48 underground spaces, 10 surface spaces<br />
Scheduled completion end <strong>2011</strong><br />
Website www.yachthafen-lindau.de<br />
16<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS | PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
“The service station of the future” in Hörbranz<br />
Creating sustainability with modern architecture and energy efficiency<br />
After working on the Hörbranz Customs Office for several<br />
years, the Project Development Department, led by Bernd<br />
Bischofberger, won the ASFINAG competition for the<br />
construction and operation of the filling and service station<br />
in the summer of 2010. In cooperation with Alpine <strong>Bau</strong><br />
GmbH, the Swiss My Stop group and Schindele filling station<br />
operators from Ravensburg, the Department is developing<br />
an attractive service station, which will point the way to<br />
the future. Successful implementation is ensured through<br />
the expertise and competence of the partners involved.<br />
With its modern and yet local Vorarlberg architectural style,<br />
the service station will draw in visitors from home and<br />
abroad. “On the entrance side, the service station comprises<br />
a filling station for cars and HGVs and a curved building<br />
with shop, cafe, fast-food area and restaurant. These<br />
facilities are accommodated under one floating roof. On the<br />
exit side, there is a filling station for HGVs with four pumps<br />
under a generous floating roof.” (Project description by<br />
architect Christian Lenz from Schwarzach, Austria).<br />
An attractive service station is being developed at the former Hörbranz<br />
Customs Office, a traffic intersection between Austria and Germany.<br />
The new service station at the border will give drivers of<br />
cars and heavy goods vehicles the opportunity of filling up<br />
directly at the motorway. We hope that this will reduce the<br />
traffic on the secondary road networks of the surrounding<br />
communities.<br />
With its unique architectural style, which uses wood and<br />
concrete as the main materials, the Hörbranz Service Station<br />
is as inspirational as it is attractive. “The current design<br />
and sustainable operating concept contributes to the local<br />
economy, both in construction and operation, and enhances<br />
the identity of the region.” This is how Joachim Nägele,<br />
Head of Project Development, describes the special<br />
features of the project.<br />
Marisa Rusch<br />
An interesting combination of wood and concrete provides a boost to the<br />
local economy with unique architectural appeal.<br />
HÖRBRANZ Service Station, Austria<br />
Owner and operator Raststation Hörbranz GmbH<br />
Total investment: approx. EUR 15 million<br />
ASFINAG looks for interested parties 14 December 2009<br />
to 31 May 2010<br />
Design & Build contractor Hörbranz Service Station consortium,<br />
(50 % Alpine <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH, 50 % <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH)<br />
Project Manager Bernd Bischofberger<br />
Start of construction Spring <strong>2011</strong><br />
Scheduled completion mid 2012<br />
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT | NEW DIMENSIONS 17
Sewer refurbishment at Stuben<br />
Completion on time in spite of difficult weather conditions in the Arlberg region<br />
KEY DATA OF<br />
seWER NETWORK AT STUBen, Austria<br />
Two years ago, a project commenced to renew the sewers and water supply in Stuben am Arlberg<br />
and also to redesign the layout of roads.<br />
Client Municipality of Klösterle, Austria<br />
Engineering Ing. Büro Riedmann<br />
Construction period September 2009 to<br />
September <strong>2011</strong><br />
Contract value EUR 1.8 million<br />
Total material shifted 22,000 m³<br />
Demolition 1.500 m of existing sewers<br />
Total length of pipe about 4.000 m<br />
Inspection chambers about 150<br />
Asphalt surfacing about 14,000 m²<br />
Anti-frost packing material about 7,500 m³<br />
Water pipes about 1,700 m<br />
Site Managers Roland Marte, Monika Mandl<br />
In September of the previous year,<br />
refurbishment work on the sewers<br />
and water supply in Stuben had<br />
already been started. The contract was<br />
placed by the Klösterle Municipality<br />
and includes not only the renewal<br />
and extension of the entire sewer<br />
network, but also the reconstruction<br />
of stormwater drains, the repair of the<br />
water supply system and the upgrade<br />
of the existing road network including<br />
design features and surface finishes.<br />
As part of the construction work,<br />
Steffen Fritsche and his Minor Works<br />
team also created an underground<br />
link tunnel between two hotels. In<br />
spite of adverse weather conditions,<br />
construction proceeded according to<br />
plan thanks to the team of Werner<br />
Wild, Jürgen Fruhmann, Karl Schmid<br />
and Roland Branner. After the heavy<br />
mudslide in Klösterle in July 2010,<br />
our crews were on site straight away<br />
to help the local community with<br />
clearing the stream and subsequent<br />
clearing up work.<br />
Roland Marte<br />
<strong>New</strong> construction: Mäser residence, Dornbirn<br />
Fast and good – the building construction team shows what it can do<br />
Building owner Manfred Mäser instructed <strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s<br />
Building Construction team to carry out the work of building<br />
the underground garage, the ground floor and three upper<br />
floors. The building in Mozartstrasse was designed by<br />
Nikolussi/Hänsler Architects and was completed successfully<br />
and to the full satisfaction of the client in a record<br />
period of only four months by the crew under Senior Site<br />
Foreman, Thomas Boch.<br />
The contract also included excavation work, spray concrete<br />
application including ground anchors and borehole drilling<br />
for geothermal energy.<br />
In view of the very restricted space available on the building<br />
site, we were very grateful to the main contractor for allowing<br />
us to install construction containers and materials, etc.<br />
on the adjacent Luger site.<br />
Klaus Chlopik<br />
KEY DATA FOR NEW MÄSER ResIdence, DORNBIRN,<br />
AUSTRIA<br />
Building owner Ing. Manfred Mäser<br />
Design Nikolussi/Hänsler Architects<br />
Construction period February 2010 to June 2010<br />
Contract value EUR 800,000<br />
Excavation work 3,500 m³<br />
Spray concrete application including earth anchors 360 m²<br />
Borehole drilling 1,700 m<br />
Site Manager Klaus Chlopik<br />
18 NEW DIMENSIONS | CIVIL ENGINEERING, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Good cooperation of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Building<br />
and Civil Engineering teams provides foundation<br />
for success: the tight programme for<br />
McDonald’s Hard was met and the client’s<br />
special wishes implemented thanks to our<br />
usual flexibility.<br />
Civil Engineering and Building well coordinated<br />
Perfect teamwork helps to cope with enormous time pressure on small building sites<br />
Hard, Austria: fast-track conversion of McDonald’s<br />
When the program is tight, work must progress speedily – just the job for<br />
Herbert Zitz and his minor works team. McDonald’s in Hard had to be refurbished<br />
and extended with a McCafé in a construction period of only two months.<br />
The new commercial facility occupies the whole length of the building at ground<br />
level. <strong>New</strong> childrens’ play zones enhance the restaurant, indoors and out. The<br />
outside areas are used for seating and provide green space. Vehicular access<br />
to the drive-thru counter is now very convenient. All the external works – from<br />
demolition through lighting to traffic markings were carried out by our civil<br />
engineers.<br />
Client AWP Immobilien Verwertung und<br />
Beteiligung GmbH, Dr. Dimitri GmbH, Austria<br />
Design Leitner & Marius<br />
Planungsgesellschaft m.b.H./DI Kurt Schuster<br />
Contract volume EUR 360,000 (including<br />
EUR 170,000 for external works and demolition)<br />
Construction period 26 April to 25 June 2010<br />
Site management Herbert Zitz (building) and<br />
Markus Tschurtschenthaler (civil engineering)<br />
Foremen Michael Sponsel (building), Gerd<br />
Engelhardt (civil engineering) and Gerhard<br />
Sailer (civil engineering)<br />
DORNBIRN, Austria: Factory<br />
extension<br />
Master baker Ölz depends on the reliability<br />
of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> team. This time<br />
it was on the extension of the factory<br />
in Achmühle, Dornbirn. The new wing<br />
with a plant room and social area was<br />
constructed in only five weeks. The<br />
facilities include a rest room, locker<br />
room, wet cell and WC.<br />
The construction period was kept as short as<br />
possible to cause minimum disruption to the<br />
food manufacturer’s operations.<br />
Client Master baker Ölz, Dornbirn, Austria<br />
Contract value EUR 130,000 for<br />
demolition and builder’s work<br />
Construction period 3 rd to 28 th May 2010 new<br />
building, 9 th to 20 th August 2010<br />
demolition.<br />
Site manager Jürgen Ropele<br />
Foreman Jack Moosmann<br />
kLaus, Austria: new garden<br />
Elmar Rist commissioned the minor<br />
works team to enclose his parcel of<br />
land in Klaus and create his dream<br />
garden. The ground had to be retained<br />
with a reinforced concrete wall and in<br />
some places with a blockwork masonry<br />
wall. Our team also redesigned the<br />
area in front of the house: installing<br />
drainage, surfacing with asphalt and<br />
laying cables for post, electricity and<br />
telephone services.<br />
The garden for this discerning client was<br />
transformed into an idyllic haven for people and<br />
nature.<br />
Client Elmar Rist, Klaus, Austria<br />
Contract volume EUR 70,000<br />
Construction period March to May 2010<br />
Site manager Jürgen Ropele<br />
Foreman Steffen Fritsche<br />
Herbert Zitz<br />
MINOR WORKS | <strong>New</strong> DIMENSIONS 19
REFURBISHMenT<br />
FOR MORE<br />
ADVICE BOOKLET FOR<br />
INFORMATIon GO TO<br />
ResIdenTIAL BUILDINGS<br />
WWW.RHOMBERGBAU.AT<br />
Housing refurbishment advice booklet<br />
Practical tips from the experts<br />
We have produced our refurbishment advice<br />
booklet in conjunction with the Vorarlberg<br />
Home-Owners Association (VEV) and Austrian<br />
Real Estate Agents Association (ÖVI).<br />
In future, this advice booklet on refurbishment<br />
can be downloaded from www.rhombergbau.at.<br />
ReFURBIsHIng existing<br />
BUILdings: ExpeRIence pays<br />
As a leading general contractor in the<br />
field of conversion and modernisation,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> has more than ten years’<br />
experience in the refurbishment of<br />
housing properties. In total to date we<br />
have dealt with more than 150 housing<br />
properties – taking most of them<br />
from the initial idea, through planning<br />
and design to realisation. This creates<br />
experience and our advisors are<br />
pleased to pass on the benefit of this<br />
experience to our clients.<br />
Great need for information<br />
Different legislation applies to the<br />
refurbishment of condominiums than<br />
to renovating non-commonhold properties.<br />
Other points of difference include<br />
the building, the resident profile and<br />
therefore the residents’ wishes. Many<br />
refurbishment projects fail not because<br />
of financial viability, but because of<br />
defective decision-making processes<br />
and tools, often combined with lack of<br />
or one-sided information. Our objective<br />
is to ensure that owners, builders<br />
and refurbishment designers all benefit<br />
from the content of our advice booklet.<br />
"Through this advice<br />
booklet, we<br />
would like to offer<br />
our knowledge and<br />
practical experience,<br />
and positively support the decisionmaking<br />
process with helpful tips. "<br />
Gerhard Vonbank<br />
BUILding life-cycle<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> has been concerned with<br />
sustainability and life-cycle optimisation<br />
of buildings for years.<br />
In the refurbishment phase, we pay<br />
closest attention to retaining and<br />
optimising the original, and bringing<br />
the building up to the current state of<br />
technology. By early consideration of<br />
the possible future uses, the type of<br />
energy used, including how existing<br />
energy usage might be made more<br />
efficient, we seek to positively influence<br />
operating costs at this preliminary<br />
stage.<br />
Gerhard Vonbank<br />
20<br />
<strong>New</strong> DIMENSIONS | CONVERSION & MODERNISATION
Conversion and refurbishment<br />
Apartment and office block of Diemwerke Lochau, Austria, modernised<br />
to incorporate top energy conservation standards<br />
The apartment and office<br />
block before and<br />
after modernisation:<br />
with the help of the<br />
extremely long-lasting<br />
aluminium sandwich<br />
panels used for the<br />
facades, this “ugly<br />
duckling” was turned<br />
into a bulding of the<br />
highest architectural<br />
quality.<br />
This recently-completed apartment and office<br />
block in Lochau is a good example of a commercially<br />
viable modernisation which includes<br />
optimum energy conservation measures. The<br />
building had been converted a number of times<br />
but nevertheless was showing its age so that a<br />
number of extensive modernisation measures<br />
had to be carried out. The building owner knew<br />
that this was a unique opportunity to add sustainable<br />
value to the building and to create a better<br />
quality of life for its residents.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> was asked to research the best refurbishment<br />
option for the building. Top priorities<br />
were longevity, energy efficiency and commercial<br />
viability. A number of different variants were<br />
studied and evaluated using life-cycle analyses.<br />
In this way, the best solution for the building<br />
owner could be found quite quickly: it involved<br />
an upwards extension of one floor, comprehensive<br />
refurbishment of the interior, renewal of the<br />
services installations and upgrading the facade to<br />
high energy conservation standards.<br />
The project was developed using the so-called<br />
GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) model. This<br />
is a design and build model which ensures a winwin<br />
situation through teamwork and transparency.<br />
The guaranteed maximum price provides an<br />
additional measure of security.<br />
Daniel Mohr<br />
Interview with Daniel Mohr, the site<br />
manager responsIBLe for the project:<br />
What was unusual about this project?<br />
We had an intensive preparation period and looked<br />
very carefully at the energy conservation potential of<br />
the building. As the Design and Build contractor, we were<br />
responsible for all designs and calculations.<br />
It also fell to us to obtain all approvals, including the Energy and<br />
Building Certificates. The project was concluded when we handed<br />
over the keys and a special User Manual which we had produced<br />
for the owner and tenants.<br />
What challenges did you have to face in this refurbishment project?<br />
During the construction period, two whole floors remained occupied,<br />
which made demolition work extremely challenging. Here it<br />
was helpful that this work was carried out by our specially trained<br />
in-house refurbishment team. Also, it was not easy to comply with<br />
all requirements by the authorities, both technically and architecturally,<br />
on this existing building.<br />
dates & facts<br />
Design <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
Total floor space, residential and offices 1,100 m²<br />
Reduction of CO 2 emissions 60 tonnes per year<br />
Construction period 7 months<br />
Space heating requirement, before 91 kWh/m²a<br />
Space heating requirement, after 23 kWh/m²a<br />
CONVERSION & MODERNISATION | NEW DIMENSIONS 21
Two separate weighbridges for HGVs entering and leaving the site facilitate efficient processing of journeys in and out of the<br />
Rheintal Resource Center, Dornbirn/Hohenems, Austria<br />
Rheintal Resource Center<br />
<strong>New</strong> weighbridge improves customer service<br />
Following the renewal of the access road to the Resource<br />
Center last year, the old weighing facility was demolished<br />
and replaced by a new one, as the Centre wanted to<br />
improve processing efficiency for its hauliers. Now customers<br />
are welcomed at an attractive reception counter. There<br />
are two separate weighbridges for incoming and outgoing<br />
vehicles, which considerably speeds up the weighing<br />
process, as lorries have to queue less, which saves drivers<br />
valuable time.<br />
The new weighing software collects and manages the data<br />
and records all transport jobs for <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling. In<br />
addition, this central location is used for monitoring the<br />
automatic loading of HGVs with sand and chipping materials.<br />
There is also the option of communicating with the<br />
quarry workers via radio.<br />
Carmen Bösch<br />
The strings of the Rheintal Resource Centre are pulled from<br />
Albert Niedermaier’s desk. Functions include weighing, loading<br />
and communicating.<br />
22 NEW DIMENSIONS | RHEINTAL RESOURCE CENTRE
Young and incredibly dynamic<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling in Dornbirn Stöcken, Austria, has been going for two years<br />
A lot has happened in the two years since the formation<br />
of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling at Stöcken. The Management is<br />
backed up by a team of motivated and competent members<br />
of staff who advise <strong>Rhomberg</strong> clients regarding waste management<br />
and related legal matters.<br />
The continuing upgrade of the Stöcken facility is particularly<br />
rewarding. As business development is very encouraging,<br />
the facility is continually being expanded. Recent additions<br />
were a floating roof above the recycling boxes, asphalt<br />
surfacing of various areas on site and new plant and<br />
equipment.<br />
Our team in Dornbirn, Stöcken (from left to right): Markus Sommergut,<br />
Eva Huber, Albert Niedermaier, Carmen Bösch, Gerhard Elbs from the<br />
Höfle company, Martin Elbs and Walter Hermann<br />
Members of staff have the benefit of specialised training<br />
combined with the background experience of the whole<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> group, and are highly committed and well prepared<br />
to give comprehensive advice to recycling customers<br />
to their fullest satisfaction. Economical and practical<br />
solutions can be found for very specific individual customer<br />
requirements.<br />
Another plus: in spite of the fact that the company has only<br />
been in existence for a short while, it uses resources carefully<br />
and orientates its work towards customers to reflect<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s sustainability strategy.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling keeps developing: in recent months the floating roof<br />
was extended and an asphalt surface applied to the yard.<br />
To improve customer service, opening times were recently<br />
extended. <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling is now also open on<br />
Saturday mornings. This option is used primarily by private<br />
customers who can dispose of their waste materials comfortably<br />
and without stress.<br />
Eva Huber<br />
DATES & Facts<br />
Schwarzach Offset Printers disposes its waste materials using a<br />
stationary press at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling.<br />
• Company formation: April 2008<br />
• Majority owner: <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Steinbruch GmbH & Co OG<br />
• Number of staff: 7<br />
• Serves industrial and commercial companies<br />
• Provides specialised disposal services<br />
• Waste materials include: household waste, wood, scrap metal, paper,<br />
plastics, glass, construction rubble, construction waste materials and<br />
concrete<br />
• Opening times: quarry and recycling Monday to Friday from<br />
7.00 to 17.00 hours and Saturday from 7.30 to 12.00 hours<br />
These different kinds of waste disposal containers make a strong<br />
contribution to <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling’s turnover.<br />
RecyCLING | NEW DIMENSIONS 23
From metropolis to megacity<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s Life-Cycle Tower is part of our urban future<br />
The usual rush-hour traffic jams, smog<br />
warnings on the radio, congested inner<br />
city streets: everyone who lives in the<br />
centre of a major city is well acquainted<br />
with this scenario. This is just a tiny<br />
foretaste of the future. Today’s metropolis<br />
is possibly only about 40 years<br />
away from being described as a<br />
“megacity” – so innovative ideas for<br />
urban living space are more urgently<br />
required than ever before.<br />
By 2007 more than half of the world’s<br />
population was living in cities with<br />
more than a million inhabitants.<br />
Scientists all over the world are predicting<br />
that in 2050 the figure could<br />
be three-quarters. And all the time,<br />
our planet’s natural resources are<br />
becoming increasingly more scarce,<br />
energy more expensive and more in<br />
demand. If you take a few minutes to<br />
think about these two developments, it<br />
becomes clear that providing the conditions<br />
for working, living and life for<br />
people in the megacity of the future<br />
will become an almost insurmountable<br />
challenge for town planners without<br />
innovative technologies and ecological<br />
concepts.<br />
sUstainability is not just a<br />
temporary fad<br />
In view of the fact that over three-quarters<br />
of the world’s energy consumption<br />
takes place in cities, there is surely no<br />
need to ask why the term sustainability<br />
is on everyone’s lips. A move to using<br />
the earth’s renewable resources is<br />
not only sensible, it is important to life<br />
– and this applies above all in architecture.<br />
The idea of multistorey green<br />
buildings that do not waste resources<br />
and provide large numbers of people<br />
with an environmentally friendly urban<br />
living space has become more than<br />
just a global trend. The Life-Cycle<br />
Tower, developed under <strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s<br />
leadership, is one of those projects<br />
that is capable of not only keeping<br />
up with but setting new international<br />
standards, because its basic material<br />
is a quick-growing natural substance:<br />
wood.<br />
An idea to shape the future<br />
Short construction times through innovative<br />
system building methods, clear<br />
cost management, top construction<br />
quality and hence better living quality –<br />
the concept for the world’s current tallest<br />
20-storey wooden hybrid building<br />
is impressive down to the last detail.<br />
The construction of energy-efficient<br />
towers, like the Life-Cycle Tower, is not<br />
only an expansion to the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
range of products and services and<br />
a major commercial opportunity for<br />
the company; it also provides a simple<br />
answer to the question of whether<br />
the world of tomorrow needs sustainable<br />
building concepts in order to face<br />
the future with confidence. And the<br />
answer is “Yes”.<br />
Construction phase 1 Construction phase 2 Construction phase 3<br />
The completed Life-Cycle Tower<br />
24 NEW DIMENSIONS | CREE
CRee – a vision becomes reality<br />
A new <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group company<br />
looks to the future<br />
A wooden hybrid building system for<br />
multistorey towers that can be individually<br />
designed and built in the shortest<br />
possible time – and above all uses<br />
a minimum of resources and energy<br />
over its whole life-cycle. The Life-Cycle<br />
Tower is a yardstick for the building<br />
methods of the future. And it will soon<br />
become reality.<br />
Good concepts always come from a<br />
good home. A new company closely<br />
associated with the Life-Cycle Tower<br />
project and with a great deal of knowhow<br />
devoted to establishing wood as a<br />
building material in the urban context<br />
has been established in the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Group: the company’s name is CREE<br />
and it has borrowed its ideas from<br />
the philosophy and lifestyle of one of<br />
the First Nations of North America,<br />
the Cree. Their close relationship with<br />
nature has inspired us to continue this<br />
way of life in a modern context:<br />
CREE stands for Creative Renewable<br />
Energy & Efficiency.<br />
As part of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group, CREE<br />
is the logical result of four generations<br />
of high-rise building experience since<br />
1892 – arising out of the necessity to<br />
set an example of measures to counter<br />
climate change and to engender a sustainable<br />
shift in our approach to urban<br />
architecture.<br />
We can take a communal step forward:<br />
into a future of treating nature and its<br />
resources with proper respect.<br />
Only those who move<br />
can make progress.<br />
We’ve got big plans: the next steps.<br />
From the website to the mail drop:<br />
communication in all its forms is indispensable<br />
to CREE. But of course there<br />
is nothing better than the creation of<br />
an actual building demonstrating the<br />
CREE principals. That’s why the first<br />
two storeys of a Life-Cycle Tower<br />
are to be built in spring <strong>2011</strong> on the<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> site in Dornbirn. This opens<br />
up a range of possibilities: final testing<br />
and technical optimisation of the<br />
facades, floors and items of building<br />
services equipment, as well as the official<br />
fire resistance requirements. Later<br />
the Life-Cycle Tower can be leased<br />
out as offices at no additional cost to<br />
the project budget and further storeys<br />
added at any time.<br />
Jakob Bonomo<br />
The new company logo for CREE GmbH<br />
CREE | NEW DIMENSIONS 25
<strong>New</strong> nursery schools for Feldkirch<br />
Modular nursery school system: high flexibility, short construction time,<br />
ecologically sound performance<br />
Floors, walls and ceilings were built with solid<br />
wooden elements, the large windows extend<br />
from floor to ceiling in some places.<br />
At the heart of the Vorarlberg education<br />
policy is the earliest possible<br />
provision of comprehensive play<br />
activities to our children. The need for<br />
nursery school group accommodation<br />
has risen sharply with the adoption by<br />
the regional government of its latest<br />
forward-looking nursery school education<br />
and teaching plan. In conjunction<br />
with the local Feldkirch council and<br />
architects Atelier Rainer + Amann, our<br />
response has been the development of<br />
a modular system for the cost-effective<br />
and rapid construction of nursery<br />
school rooms.<br />
pILot project successFULLy<br />
completed<br />
Three new modular nursery schools<br />
have already been erected in Feldkirch<br />
by <strong>Rhomberg</strong> as the general contractor.<br />
The buildings are built entirely of<br />
wood. Work on site started in June,<br />
completion followed in October 2010.<br />
Special characteRIstics<br />
The wooden construction involved<br />
the use of prefabricated wall panels<br />
with a high-quality natural finish. This<br />
allowed the entire wooden construction<br />
(floors, walls and ceilings) for each<br />
nursery school to be assembled in only<br />
two weeks. All recesses, penetrations<br />
and empty ducts for cables and pipes<br />
(electrical and heating, ventilation and<br />
sanitary fittings) were made and preinstalled<br />
in the factory.<br />
Elisabeth Frener<br />
"The whole building<br />
was constructed<br />
using dry materials –<br />
long drying out or curing<br />
times were therefore<br />
avoided. A detailed construction<br />
programme allowed different trades<br />
to work in parallel in confined spaces<br />
and ensured the smooth progress of<br />
the works in the shortest possible<br />
time. The repetition factor in the three<br />
nursery schools led to an optimisation<br />
of construction time and quality."<br />
Jürgen Heinlein<br />
Dates & facts<br />
Scope of work Construction of three nursery<br />
schools in wooden construction as a general<br />
contractor including detailed design<br />
Nursery school “Oberer Riegel” one exercise<br />
and three group rooms, social rooms, office<br />
Nursery school “Im Grisseler” one exercise<br />
and two group rooms, social rooms, office<br />
Nursery school “Alvierstrasse” Extension<br />
to existing building, two group rooms, social<br />
rooms, office<br />
Construction period June to September 2010,<br />
three months per nursery school<br />
Contract value about EUR 2.4 million in total<br />
Project manager Jürgen Heinlein<br />
The young artists each create an image of a beautiful life.<br />
"What do you need to be happy?"<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> seeks dialoGUe with nURsery<br />
schools<br />
We wanted to ask the youngest in our communities for<br />
their opinions, suggestions and ideas on the theme of living<br />
quality to cast light on this edition of <strong>New</strong> <strong>Dimensions</strong> from<br />
all sides.<br />
The Feldkirch nursery school helped us in our project. The<br />
children answered our questions about the criteria for living<br />
quality with innumerable fascinating paintings – which did<br />
not make it easy for us to choose the best eight for our<br />
postcards.<br />
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all our little<br />
artists, the organisers and nursery school teachers.<br />
26<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS| GENERAL CONTRACTOR
In the centre of the “Wohnen im Park” residential development is a<br />
communication facility of generous proportions for the residents.<br />
Guests of honour (left to right): Landesrat Karlheinz<br />
Rüdisser, Prok. Ing. Wilhelm Muzyczyn and<br />
Mayor Markus Linhart<br />
Keys handed over for “Wohnen im Park”<br />
This is the largest community project ever created through Alpenländische Heimstätte<br />
On a sunny Monday in July 2010<br />
the prime residential development<br />
“Wohnen im Park”<br />
was opened by Prok. Muzyczyn<br />
(Alpenländische Heimstätte) to the<br />
future residents during a hand-over<br />
ceremony. In addition to the 180<br />
guests, we were pleased to welcome<br />
Mayor Markus Linhart, State Official<br />
Karlheinz Rüdisser, KR Walter-Heinz<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> as well as the architects DI<br />
Markus Dorner and DI Andrea Niehoff.<br />
The “Wohnen im Park” project is the<br />
largest ever community project resulting<br />
from the long-standing cooperation<br />
between Alpenländische Heimstätte<br />
and <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong>.<br />
The development, which is located<br />
in Arlbergstrasse near the entrance<br />
of Bregenz, has raised much interest<br />
amongst the press as modern technologies<br />
and aspects of sustainability<br />
lift this community project out of the<br />
ordinary.<br />
In its projects, Alpenländische Heimstätte<br />
places a lot of emphasis on<br />
freedom from barriers, family-friendly<br />
design, qualification for public funds<br />
and of course, commercial viability. All<br />
these aspects were successfully implemented<br />
in the “Wohnen im Park” prime<br />
residential development, which was<br />
completed in the period from October<br />
2008 to July 2010. The development<br />
stands on a site area of 7,052 m² and<br />
comprises four<br />
“The apartment is lovely and light and<br />
the rooms are well proportioned. I<br />
find the ventilation system very comfortable<br />
because it means that I can<br />
close the windows at night.”<br />
Alexandra Bitschnau<br />
blocks with a total of 74 apartments for<br />
rent. Each apartment has a generous<br />
balcony and its own cellar space.<br />
There are bicycle stores for a total<br />
of 90 bicycles and, the central<br />
underground carpark provides space<br />
for 77 cars.<br />
In order to provide amenities for children,<br />
the development features three<br />
protected playgrounds which are well<br />
equipped for children and teenagers.<br />
Sarah Krenkel<br />
“I love the peace and quiet and like<br />
going barefoot because the parquet<br />
flooring feels so good. Although I live<br />
right in the city, wherever I look I see<br />
greenery.”<br />
Rosemarie Kettenmeier<br />
KEY DATA<br />
"Wohnen im Park" residential development<br />
at Bregenz, Austria<br />
• Public funding for ecological housing, level 5<br />
• Controlled ventilation<br />
• External air is pre-warmed by a solar system<br />
• Pre-warmed intake air ensures that there is no<br />
feeling of draft from cold air<br />
• High-quality heat recovery reduces the need<br />
for space heating<br />
• Filtering of the intake air reduces noxious<br />
substances and dust, which is important for<br />
allergy sufferers<br />
• Controlled air exchange prevents problems<br />
with humidity<br />
• Continuous air exchange reduces unpleasant<br />
odours<br />
The residents are very pleased with the successful project (from left to right): a new tenant,<br />
Alexandra Schalegg, from Alpenländische Heimstätte, State Official Karlheinz Rüdisser and<br />
Mayor Markus Linhart.<br />
GENERAL CONTRACTOR | NEW DIMENSIONS 27
We are “building” a team<br />
Teambuilding on Lake Constance near Langenargen<br />
Trusting the other team members not only<br />
helps the crew to progress faster, it is also<br />
fun:<br />
members of staff of the General Contractor<br />
for Housing department have demonstrated<br />
that they are a successful sailing crew.<br />
On Friday 10 September 2010, the<br />
Housing / General Contractor department<br />
made its way to Langenargen<br />
in Germany. The idea was to bring the<br />
team, which is already pretty much in<br />
tune, even closer together.<br />
Members took to the Lake in three<br />
sailing boats. Of course each team<br />
wanted to be faster and better than<br />
the “competition”. This meant that all<br />
those on board had to be coordinated<br />
and work as a crew. After a short<br />
introduction by the skipper, the teams<br />
were able to steer their sailing boats<br />
themselves – without prior knowledge.<br />
It was not the wind that determined the<br />
direction of our boat, but us as a team,<br />
and how we placed the sails. In the<br />
end, the most courageous of us took a<br />
swim in the 17 °C-cold lake, or opted<br />
to go water-skiing or wakeboarding.<br />
The exhausting and very successful<br />
day on the water was concluded with a<br />
barbecue around a campfire.<br />
Teambuilding is a process intended to<br />
improve the performance of all<br />
involved. Success comes from many<br />
factors including; better loyalty within<br />
the group, articulate communication<br />
and a motivating working ambiance.<br />
A central element is that people trust<br />
each other, which is something the<br />
team was able to experience during<br />
this sailing trip – not least thanks to<br />
the perfect organisation of the event<br />
by Michael Gierer – all of the crew<br />
express their heartfelt thanks to him.<br />
“This was my first<br />
time on a sailing boat<br />
and I hope that it was<br />
not the last time. It is<br />
a good thing to get<br />
to know your colleagues outside the<br />
workplace. I have really enjoyed the<br />
day.”<br />
Thomas Feuerstein<br />
“With my colleagues,<br />
I had the opportunity<br />
to experience a very<br />
special and exclusive<br />
form of teambuilding.<br />
Not only did we get to know each<br />
other away from work, but we were<br />
also able to prove that we harmonise<br />
well in the sailing team. A successful<br />
excursion, finishing off with wakeboarding<br />
and a barbecue and<br />
campfire.”<br />
Bernhard Fink<br />
Plato<br />
“In a game you can get<br />
to know people better in<br />
an hour’s time than you<br />
can by talking to them<br />
for a whole year.”<br />
“Every day I am on<br />
the construction site<br />
at the Lindau yacht<br />
harbour and therefore<br />
do not often come to<br />
the office. For me, this teambuilding<br />
excursion was a good opportunity to<br />
get to know my colleagues (some of<br />
whom I didn’t know). We had a really<br />
cool time – I would like to thank the<br />
organisers for the fact that we all, at<br />
least myself, went home without being<br />
hungry or thirsty.”<br />
Franz Sutterlüty<br />
28 NEW DIMENSIONS | GENERAL CONTRACTOR
"Life-cycle management – construction:<br />
Master study course starts in April <strong>2011</strong><br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> group initiates new course at Danube University Krems<br />
Master study course<br />
LIFe-Cycle Management<br />
Demand for new educational opportunities, which are part of the technological<br />
and social changes of our times, motivated the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group to initiate the<br />
development of a Master course specialising in the subjects of Life-Cycle<br />
Management and sustainable construction management, and, in this way, to<br />
encourage a closer study of the issues involved in green building construction.<br />
Duration 20 modules, 4 semesters<br />
extra-occupational including Master thesis<br />
Start April <strong>2011</strong><br />
Partners<br />
• <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group, Bregenz<br />
• Danube University Krems – Department for<br />
Building and the Environment<br />
• Stempkowski Building & Construction<br />
Management, Vienna/Graz<br />
• Building Academy of the Chamber of<br />
Commerce, Austria<br />
• The State of Vorarlberg – Schloss Hofen, Lochau<br />
Information<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> group<br />
Contact: Mag. Jürgen Jussel<br />
Telephone: +43 5574 403-0<br />
Email: juergen.jussel@rhombergbau.at<br />
www.rhombergbau.at<br />
Danube University Krems<br />
Department for Building and the Environment<br />
Head of Studies:<br />
Dipl.-Ing (FH) Maria Wallner-Kleindienst MSc.<br />
Email: lcm-bau@donau-uni.ac.at<br />
www.donau-uni.ac.at/de/department/bauenumwelt<br />
After several years of preparation, this<br />
project has now become a reality: from<br />
April <strong>2011</strong>, mature students from the<br />
construction industry will have the<br />
opportunity to get to know all aspects<br />
of sustainable construction management<br />
and to build on their existing<br />
knowledge in this 20 module study<br />
course. “Theory and practice meet:<br />
we are passing on our comprehensive<br />
experience in construction management,<br />
energy efficiency, life-cycle optimisation<br />
and careful use of resources<br />
to the students. In turn, we will be able<br />
to incorporate the latest findings into<br />
our work” explains Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong>,<br />
Managing Director of <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Holding. The course curriculum is<br />
based on life-cycle study.<br />
“Due to its vocational<br />
orientation, the Master<br />
study course ’Life-<br />
Cycle Management in<br />
Construction’ initiated<br />
by us is a leader in the educational<br />
post-graduate landscape of Europe.”<br />
Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
The 20 modules cover all important<br />
questions to be answered by a future<br />
construction project manager who<br />
wants to successfully develop and<br />
implement construction projects. These<br />
are the core elements of sustainable<br />
construction and life-cycle management,<br />
green building issues such as<br />
resource management and climate<br />
engineering as well as the classical<br />
subjects of project management<br />
and project development (cost, time<br />
and risk management) and general<br />
construction management covering<br />
contract and tender procedures through<br />
to strategic claim management. It is<br />
intended that the students will also<br />
develop their general management<br />
skills. Other aspects are team building,<br />
negotiation skills, communication,<br />
innovation management and leadership<br />
skills. The four-semester-long course<br />
finishes off with a Master thesis which<br />
is intended to be of highly practical<br />
relevance. A Masters (MSc) is awarded<br />
on completion of the course.<br />
Competent partners in science,<br />
business and politics<br />
Back in 2007 the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group<br />
was able to commission Rainer Stempkowski,<br />
an expert on life-cycle optimisation<br />
and Professor at the Joanneum<br />
University of Applied Sciences<br />
in Graz, with devising the concept for<br />
this extra-occupational Master study<br />
course. The company was able to take<br />
the Danube University Krems (DUK)<br />
on board to provide the academic<br />
framework for this project.<br />
The Building Academy of the Chamber<br />
of Commerce also takes part in<br />
the project – the reason being that<br />
this new postgraduate study course<br />
emphasises practical orientation in<br />
the education of future construction<br />
industry professionals. The Vorarlberg<br />
State – Schloss Hofen – also provides<br />
support for the newly-created Master<br />
study course right from the beginning.<br />
The modules will alternate between<br />
Krems and Vienna and the educational<br />
centre at Schloss Hofen (Lochau).<br />
RHOMBERG ACADEMy | NEW DIMENSIONS 29
Manuela and Mona<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s apprentices learn more than just their specific trade.<br />
Quality of life at work<br />
Focus on people<br />
How can I best develop<br />
my strengths?<br />
Working-Style-Analysis (WSA)<br />
and Learning-Style-Analysis (LSA)<br />
Working-Style-Analysis helps our staff to become more<br />
familiar with their personal working style and therefore to<br />
fulfill their duties more effectively, efficiently and with less<br />
stress.<br />
WSA is an important aid for us in personnel development<br />
in order to ensure that staff are given tasks that best suit<br />
their abilities. In addition, this analysis helps us to improve<br />
the efficiency of team selection, as it indicates to us what<br />
members of staff need for their optimum development.<br />
Learning Style Analysis helps pupils to become more<br />
familiar with their personal learning style in order to be able<br />
to learn more effectively with the least possible stress, and<br />
under optimum conditions.<br />
In spring and autumn we have organised workshops with<br />
the youngest forms of HTL college at Rankweil. The aim<br />
was to support pupils in becoming familiar with their personal<br />
learning style to help them cope better with everyday<br />
learning situations at school and at home. Regarding the<br />
learning process, we think there is still an enormous<br />
potential for improvement in our schools.<br />
With these workshops, we have the opportunity to make a<br />
contribution so that we have access to motivated and welleducated<br />
employees in the future.<br />
Being aware of one’s personal working and learning style brings<br />
many benefits.<br />
So that they can use these tools even more efficiently,<br />
Jürgen Jussel and Karin Hubalek successfully passed a<br />
qualifying examination in August this year.<br />
<strong>New</strong> team meMBer<br />
Manuela Polki-Akrouti has been a member of the Human<br />
Resources team since May 2010. Manuela supports our<br />
Head of Human Resources, Jürgen Jussel, as his Personnel<br />
Assistant and also provides valuable support to the whole<br />
team.<br />
As Manuela is the proud mum of Mona (3 years), she works<br />
for us on a part-time basis. Before her maternity leave,<br />
Manuela had been very successful in hotel management in<br />
Vienna.<br />
30 NEW DIMENSIONS | HUMAN RESOURCES
By working collaboratively, personal and social competencies are strengthened in the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> apprenticeship programmes.<br />
<br />
Apprentice Power<br />
Whether we are training apprentices to become ground<br />
workers, mechanics or bricklayers – for us, good apprentice<br />
education includes more than the respective trade training<br />
and mentoring from the person responsible for apprentices<br />
– equally important is the systematic development of<br />
personal and social competence. In cooperation with the<br />
Vorarlberg Kinderdorf, we have developed a special<br />
apprentice programme which consists of special apprentice<br />
days, an apprentice camp and educational adventure<br />
components.<br />
For example, this year our apprentices became chefs for<br />
a day and learnt that cooking “tasty and healthy” dishes is<br />
very easy. The second apprentice day focuses on safety at<br />
work on the building site and addiction.<br />
This year’s apprentice camp is held under the motto<br />
“getting underway”. The camp lasts for two and a half days<br />
and is aimed at promoting the personal and social<br />
competence of our apprentices. At the same time, having<br />
fun together and getting to know each other are also part<br />
of the experience.<br />
NEW LOGO <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Academy<br />
Since the beginning of this year, the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Academy<br />
has its own logo.<br />
The curriculum offered by the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Academy is varied<br />
and focuses on practical application. “Knowledge becomes<br />
more when we share it.” Therefore we are pleased to say<br />
that this year, some of the 60 modules were not presented<br />
by external speakers, but by <strong>Rhomberg</strong> members of staff.<br />
Staff coaching<br />
For those of our staff who are interested in, and indicate<br />
a need for, we provide qualified coaching. This gives them<br />
support for their personal development, to help them grow<br />
into new responsibilities and to achieve their personal<br />
objectives (both professionally and privately).<br />
This also touches on the balance between professional and<br />
private life – because it is becoming increasingly difficult<br />
to achieve a good work/life balance, which is an important<br />
prerequisite for our staff to be able to perform.<br />
Karin Hubalek<br />
Modules offered by the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Academy:<br />
This year’s modules focus on the subjects Leadership and<br />
Communication. Successfully completed modules:<br />
• Carrying out staff reviews successfully<br />
• Appearance and presence<br />
• Managing sub-contractors successfully<br />
• We lead I, II and III<br />
• Conflict management<br />
• Target and time management<br />
• Stress management<br />
HUMAN RESOURCES | NEW DIMENSIONS 31
The handrail, with its light-emitting diodes (LEDs), was developed by <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik in cooperation with EPS Soltec and is intended for<br />
installation at the Brenner approach line.<br />
HandraiLIT: a handrail with illumination<br />
The Bahntechnik Department shows the way<br />
This illuminated handrail has been<br />
specified for installation in Austrian<br />
railway tunnels for some time. The<br />
handrail features integrated LED lighting<br />
to help people find escape routes<br />
in emergencies or during maintenance<br />
work. HandraiLIT, which is the name of<br />
the handrail, was developed together<br />
with development partners EPS Soltec<br />
from Hörbranz, Austria.<br />
Currently, the handrail is undergoing<br />
the approval process by the ÖBB<br />
approval authority, with official approval<br />
expected in the coming weeks for<br />
installation in ÖBB tunnels. We are<br />
making every effort to ensure that this<br />
handrail will be used in future railway<br />
projects at home and abroad.<br />
HandraiLIT comes with two different<br />
types of lighting. There is an extremely<br />
robust version in which a completely<br />
enclosed LED lightbar is inserted into<br />
the stainless steel handrail profile. The<br />
second version uses point lighting<br />
elements. These are inserted individually<br />
and clipped into place. Cabling for<br />
both systems relies on a simple plug<br />
system. The handrail system has been<br />
designed for external applications<br />
(IP 66) but can also be used in other<br />
areas. HandraiLIT provides a safe solution<br />
for stair railings, guide systems in<br />
public buildings and balcony railings.<br />
For more information please visit our<br />
homepage at www.handrailit.com<br />
Stephan Ottersbach<br />
ZOKA for large building sites<br />
Safety comes first<br />
ZOKA refers to access, localisation, communication and alarm and is the name<br />
of a system which significantly improves safety provisions and coordination on<br />
large building sites. The system combines various components and bundles them<br />
to form a central monitoring tool, for example, for use at the control station.<br />
Zone 2<br />
Zone 3<br />
Communication and distribution cabinets are equipped with the required components<br />
and connected with each other using a redundant optical fibre data<br />
network. These include items such as an emergency telephone, alarm system<br />
components, such as rotating lights or horns, data and communication equipment<br />
such as Switch, including media converters and WLAN transmitters, on/off<br />
servers (I/O module), localisation systems, battery systems for no-break power<br />
supplies, video cameras and much more.<br />
This system can be used to monitor and control barrier systems, localise persons<br />
and vehicles, for internal and external communication via radio and landlines,<br />
alarm systems via distribution cabinets or the control station, and to control and<br />
monitor external equipment such as ventilation or pump systems.<br />
Zone 4<br />
Zone 1<br />
The ZOKA system has been deployed at the<br />
Brenner (Lower Inn Valley) approach line sites<br />
and the side tunnels to the Brenner base tunnel<br />
and has proved to be very valuable there.<br />
You can find further information in our report “Masterpiece of railway technology”<br />
below and on our website www.rhombergrail.com under “Download Systemfolder<br />
ZOKA”.<br />
Stephan Ottersbach<br />
32<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS | RAIL ENGINEERING
RHOMBERG<br />
RAIL UK<br />
With the help of the new office in<br />
London and its experienced railway<br />
engineering crew, we are closer to<br />
our customers in Great Britain and<br />
Ireland and in a better position to<br />
provide them with a better service.<br />
In the picture: track alignment work<br />
for the Docklands Light Railway<br />
project, London, England<br />
Green light for RHOMBERG RAIL UK<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail opens up a new subsidiary in London<br />
After two years of intensive<br />
planning a new subsidiary<br />
called <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail UK Limited was<br />
formed in Great Britain with effect<br />
from 1 September 2010. The company<br />
has its offices in London and is an<br />
independent subsidiary with close links<br />
to the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail group in Austria.<br />
In the years to come the company<br />
anticipates strong demand for the construction<br />
and renewal of slab track.<br />
Already, the company was able to use<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s services and technologies<br />
for the renewal of points at Piccadilly<br />
Circus and in the London Underground.<br />
In addition, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> was<br />
able to demonstrate its capabilities,<br />
together with its local partner 1stinrail,<br />
at the stations of the extension of the<br />
Docklands Light Railway, which runs<br />
throught the Olympic Village to service<br />
the 2012 Olympics.<br />
There is also hope for new projects<br />
such as Crossrail, where a 6m diameter<br />
twin bore tunnel will run east<br />
– west under London for a length of<br />
approximately 21 kilometers, giving 42<br />
kilometers of tunnel in total, and the<br />
new 175-kilometer-long High Speed 2<br />
line between London and Birmingham<br />
in the years to come. In addition, the<br />
company focuses on repair work to the<br />
London Underground, track renewal in<br />
old tunnels as well as the extension of<br />
tramway networks throughout the UK.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> also pushes services such<br />
as the provision of systems for<br />
surveying and track alignment. In<br />
addition, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail UK plans to<br />
further strengthen the awareness of<br />
its presence in Great Britain.<br />
The company’s team is looking forward<br />
to its new challenges.<br />
“The new office in<br />
London brings us<br />
closer to our customers.<br />
We can now<br />
serve our existing<br />
customers in Great Britain and Ireland<br />
even better and more efficiently<br />
and at the same time, increase the<br />
awareness of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail UK in<br />
Great Britain.”<br />
Christoph Grill<br />
Renewal of points at Piccadilly Circus, London Underground<br />
RHOMBERG RAIL UK | NEW DIMENSIONS 33
Masterpiece of railway technology<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik covers all aspects of railway engineering<br />
structure at the northern Brenner approach line<br />
In the Lower Inn Valley in Tyrol, Austria, the northern Brenner approach line is under construction, which is<br />
currently the largest new ÖBB railway project. <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik was awarded the contract for the basic<br />
railway engineering infrastructure in 2008. But that was not all. Several departments in the project business<br />
division under Dirk Diederich have are successfully undertaking work packages: Robert Kumpusch as Major<br />
Project Leader for basic railway infrastructure (Lot A1), Andreas Förster for electrical engineering (Lot A2) and<br />
Christian Schreiber for overhead contact wire installations (Lot A5).<br />
“All together, we are responsible for the entire railway engineering infrastrucure in the Lower Inn Valley” reflects<br />
Dirk Diederich with satisfaction. “Works are in operation at full throttle. More than 250 members of staff provide<br />
top quality work and play a vital part in the success of the project. The total value of the contract is over EUR<br />
300 million.”<br />
The project team of the Alptransit Brenner<br />
consortium with Major Project Leader Robert<br />
Kumpusch (1st row, blue shirt)<br />
The new line with the Terfens gallery and the<br />
existing line.<br />
The tunnel sections are equipped with a<br />
mass-spring system.<br />
InstaLLaTIon and operaTIon of<br />
consTRUcTIon sITe eQUIpment<br />
With 60 site and tunnel access points<br />
and a construction site length of 41 km,<br />
the installation and operation of the<br />
construction site equipment is particularly<br />
demanding.<br />
Site electricity with a no-break emergency<br />
power supply has been provided<br />
for the entire length of the construction<br />
site, which includes 35 km of tunnels.<br />
Site communication has been installed<br />
in the form of redundant optical fibre<br />
conductors. The entire tunnel has<br />
been equipped with alarm systems<br />
and emergency telephones. There is<br />
a localisation system for persons and<br />
vehicles throughout the tunnel area.<br />
For this pupose, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik<br />
has developed the ZOKA<br />
system – a completely new system<br />
for controlling access, localisation,<br />
communication and alarms. The ZOKA<br />
system has been successfully used on<br />
the construction site since 2009.<br />
ALL WORK IS PROGRessING ACCORDING<br />
TO SCHedULE AND COMPLETION AND<br />
HAND-OVER IS PLANNED FOR 2012.<br />
ITEMS coMPLETed as OF ocTOBER 2010:<br />
• 42 km side walkways<br />
• 15 km mass-spring systems<br />
• 21 km slab track<br />
• 571 km cable installation<br />
• 19 km water pipe for firefighting<br />
• 11 shafthead buildings and lateral tunnels<br />
ZOKA – access, localisation,<br />
communication, alarm<br />
systems<br />
ZOKA has been specially developed<br />
for the northern Brenner approach<br />
line. Access control and localisation of<br />
persons and vehicles can be carried<br />
out from the central control station.<br />
All persons and vehicles are initially<br />
registered with the control station and<br />
are kitted out with active badges or<br />
tags with RFID technology.<br />
Access points to the construction site<br />
and the tunnels are equipped with barriers<br />
and video cameras. These barriers<br />
will open automatically for cars with<br />
access authorisation. In the tunnels,<br />
tag readers have been installed at<br />
500 m intervals to allow the localisation<br />
of persons and vehicles with an<br />
accuracy of 250 m. In emergencies,<br />
alarms will be activated via the central<br />
control station. Alarms are activated in<br />
the form of rotating lights and horns.<br />
RAILWay ENGIneeRING<br />
EQUIPMenT FOR THE STans<br />
exISTING TUnneL<br />
The railway engineering infrastructure<br />
for the existing Stans tunnel includes<br />
the construction of 1,260 m of side<br />
walkways, 824 m of heavy- and<br />
medium-duty mass-spring systems as<br />
vibration protection and the construction<br />
of 1,160 m of slab track. This<br />
required 800 m 3 of mass concrete.<br />
Construction work started in October<br />
34 NEW DIMENSIONS | RAIL ENGINEERING
Lower Inn Valley, Austria<br />
All access points to the building site are<br />
automatically controlled by barrier systems.<br />
A total length of 71 km of slab tracks is under<br />
construction.<br />
80 km of overhead line system including supports,<br />
return conductors, guard wires, supply<br />
line and suspension wires are being installed.<br />
2009 and the project was completed<br />
to the required quality standard in the<br />
record time of just seven months.<br />
InsTALLATION of energy supply<br />
and telecommunication<br />
systems<br />
One of the four contracts of the<br />
Brenner project is for the installation of<br />
energy supply and telecommunication<br />
systems. Work started in August 2010.<br />
The contract covers the entire electricity<br />
supply for the northern Brenner<br />
approach line, electricity supply to<br />
72 service buildings, 41 km of tunnel<br />
safety lighting and the installation of<br />
68 km of illuminated handrail in the<br />
tunnel. The work involves the installation<br />
of a total of 26 transformer<br />
stations and 650 km of various types<br />
of cable – of which 100 km are radio<br />
cable. Completion and handover is<br />
expected in 2012.<br />
InsTALLATION OF oveRHead<br />
LIne equipment<br />
The contract for the railway engineering<br />
infrastructure includes the<br />
complete installation of 80 km of type<br />
2.1 overhead line including supports,<br />
return conductor, guard wire, supply<br />
wire and suspensions. It also includes<br />
the installation of the power feed-in,<br />
including switching systems, earth<br />
wires and two protective sections.<br />
Works started in September 2010.<br />
Completion and handover is expected<br />
in 2012.<br />
Reiner Meuschke<br />
KEY DATA OF the basic railway<br />
engineeRIng inFRastrucTURe of the<br />
northern Brenner approach line<br />
Did you know that RHOMBERG…?<br />
… is using up 290,000 m 3 of concrete in 70 km<br />
of side walkways, 71 km of slab track and<br />
27,000 m 2 of noise protection walls?<br />
… is installing about 24 km of heavy and<br />
medium mass-spring-systems as vibration<br />
protection?<br />
… is laying about 35 km of fire-fighting water<br />
pipe and over 1,000 km of different types of<br />
cable?<br />
… is equipping 43 service buildings and<br />
providing a wide range of site equipment<br />
(site electricity, communication technology,<br />
alarm systems, access control, localisation<br />
and ventilation)?<br />
… is in charge of the overall coordination of<br />
installations and logistics?<br />
RAIL ENGINEERING | NEW DIMENSIONS 35
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail successFUL as design & build contractor<br />
The reLIability of the LÖTschberg Tunnel exceeds all expectations<br />
“The 35-km-long Lötschberg base tunnel is more than 2,000 m<br />
deep within the mountain. It is a railway tunnel of the latest<br />
generation, with high safety requirements and train speeds of up<br />
to 250 km/h.<br />
The tunnel has been in successful operation since June 2007 and<br />
has exceeded all expectations right from the beginning. More than<br />
90,000 trains have already traversed the tunnel. Its average utilisation<br />
is about 80 % and the maximum capacity of 110 trains per day<br />
has been reached on several occasions. The proportion of goods<br />
traffic, including the ’rolling motorway’ (transport of HGVs) is about<br />
40 %. In spite of the complexity of all safety installations of the new<br />
ETCS Level 2 signal concept, the reliability of the entire installed<br />
railway infrastructure is 99.82 %. A top achievement! It is proof that<br />
the enormous effort of all involved was worth it!”<br />
Peter Teuscher, former Director of BLS AlpTransit AG<br />
Railway engineering: surveying and developing<br />
The RTE team expands its capacity and services in Salzburg<br />
For just over a year the expanded team of RTE Technologie<br />
GmbH, together with <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Consult (RRC), has<br />
been working from the Teisenberggasse premises in<br />
Salzburg. The team offers services and development in<br />
railway engineering both at home and abroad.<br />
RTE sees itself as a competent partner for technical development,<br />
patent administration and surveying services. The<br />
team comprises four surveyors, two structural engineers<br />
and one electronics and programming engineer.<br />
In 2010, the team successfully completed two large external<br />
projects: it developed track survey systems for Messrs.<br />
Doppelmayr Cable Car and a comprehensive software<br />
package for Steinbichler Optics.<br />
In the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik group, the team supported<br />
the Malmö project and also optimised the Alptransit<br />
Brenner project from the organisational point of view. In<br />
August 2010 a Turkish surveyor was specially trained in<br />
the track measuring technology used in the Kadiköy-Kartal<br />
project in Istanbul. This project will provide further challenges<br />
for RTE in the future. A further project is in preparation<br />
for the city railway in Monterey in Mexico to provide<br />
track corrections and its own monitoring system.<br />
The team’s development work focuses on the HERGIE and<br />
PLASMA track measuring systems as well as a number of<br />
solutions for slab track construction. Other activities include<br />
geo-monitoring systems for tunnel construction, slope<br />
monitoring and building deformation. These intelligent<br />
systems are based on an automatic measuring process,<br />
including data transfer and alarm systems.<br />
Helge Grafinger<br />
RTE’s developers and surveyors test the new equipment on the tracks<br />
which are immediately adjacent to their offices in Salzburg, Austria.<br />
36<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS | RTE Salzburg
Major long-term projects<br />
Complex projects nearing successful completion<br />
Conversion of St. Pölten<br />
railway station<br />
On 10 September 2010 the modernised<br />
main railway station at St. Pölten<br />
had its opening ceremony in the presence<br />
of Infrastructure Minister Doris<br />
Bures and numerous other guests of<br />
honour. The ceremony marked the end<br />
of extensive remodelling work at the<br />
St. Pölten main railway station. Since<br />
April 2007, all tracks were dismantled<br />
step by step and then reinstated with<br />
new track material. In order to be able<br />
to complete the work on time and to<br />
the fullest satisfaction of the client,<br />
sophisticated logistics, flexible<br />
working hours and motivated crews<br />
from the companies involved in the<br />
project were required. In addition to the<br />
work already completed, there is also<br />
the three-track link to the west of<br />
St. Pölten through the newly<br />
constructed Eisberg Tunnel and the<br />
renewal of the entire St. Pölten freight<br />
station, which are scheduled for<br />
completion by the end of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Gerhard Hochreiter<br />
KEY DATA FOR CONVERSION<br />
of railway station in St. PÖLTEN,<br />
aUstria<br />
• 75,000 tonnes of track ballast<br />
• 10,000 m track dismantled<br />
• 15,000 m track laid<br />
• 8,000 m 2 of sub-ballast mats<br />
• 60 points dismantled<br />
• 45 points reinstalled so far (mostly by crane)<br />
Construction period<br />
April 2007 to December <strong>2011</strong><br />
Railway crane<br />
Kirow KRC 1200<br />
Universal ballast regulating and profiling<br />
machine USP 2010 SWS<br />
Four-track upGRade of western line<br />
Asten – Linz – Kleinmünchen<br />
The extensive work for upgrading the western railway line<br />
to four tracks will be completed at the end of December<br />
2010. The implementation of this complex construction<br />
project took six years and provided a range of challenges<br />
for all parties involved. Nevertheless, it has been possible to<br />
meet the exacting specifications set by the clients and their<br />
representatives and to complete the contract on time and<br />
to a high quality standard. Now the whole team is looking<br />
forward to new challenges.<br />
Michael Wolfsteiner<br />
KEY DATA – upGRade of western<br />
railway line, Austria<br />
• 160,000 m 3 track ballast<br />
• 32,500 m track dismantled<br />
• 50,000 m track installed<br />
• 40 points installed<br />
Construction period<br />
July 2004 to December 2010<br />
From design to execution: Bahnbau Wels impresses<br />
with its competence and dedication.<br />
Bahnbau Wels | NEW DIMENSIONS 37
Expansion of services in Australia<br />
Track Australia rebranded to <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s team at the official re-branding launch in Sydney (from left to right): Michael Match,<br />
Richard Morgan, Alan Pollard, David Madlener, Garry Thuer, Shane Whitehouse and Sabrina Vonach<br />
At the official re-branding ceremony, Managing<br />
Director Garry Thuer (right) welcomes the<br />
Austrian Ambassador in Australia Dr. Hannes<br />
Porias (left) in Sydney<br />
Changing the name from Track Australia to <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia<br />
is a logical step that links the many years of experience of the<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail group with knowledge of the complex Australian market. It is<br />
forging a successful symbiosis of European expertise and local know-how.<br />
In addition, the company’s employees have the opportunity to expand their<br />
knowledge and skills in an international market.<br />
“The rebranding will ensure that <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia receives the innovation,<br />
project expertise and financial strength that the European <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Group has to offer”, said Managing Director Garry Thuer. “This gives<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia expanded service capability for rail projects,<br />
starting from concept, right through to its completion and maintenance.”<br />
Michael Match<br />
RHOMBERG CAPABILITIes IN AUSTRALIA<br />
TRACK DESIGN<br />
• Feasibility<br />
• Concept Design<br />
• Detailed Design<br />
• Technical Advisory<br />
TOTAL PROJECT SOLUTION<br />
• Design & Construct<br />
• Alliance Partnering<br />
• Rail Systems Interface<br />
• Operational Readiness<br />
and Commissioning<br />
FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION AND MAINTENANCE<br />
TRACK CONSTRUCTION TRACK RESURFACING<br />
• Ballasted Track<br />
• Plain Line Tamping<br />
• Track Slab<br />
• Turnout Tamping<br />
• Turnouts & Crossovers • Ballast Management<br />
• Flashbutt Welding • Track Stabilisation<br />
TRACK MAINTENANCE<br />
• Asset Management<br />
• Routine Maintenance<br />
• Major Periodic<br />
Maintenance<br />
RAIL STRUCTURES<br />
• Rail Bridges and<br />
Culverts<br />
• Level Crossings<br />
• Drainage Structures<br />
HISTORY OF COMpany GROWTH<br />
Since being acquired by the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group<br />
in 2005, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia has developed<br />
at an extraordinary pace through a dynamic management<br />
approach. Achievements include:<br />
• From a base of only 12 employees, the company<br />
now has 125 highly skilled and dedicated<br />
rail professionals.<br />
• The company has continually developed its<br />
railway infrastructure services. It was already a<br />
market leader in mechanised track maintenance<br />
and has built up its expertise in track and bridge<br />
building.<br />
• <strong>Rhomberg</strong> has recently acquired a highly<br />
qualified and dynamic track design team and is<br />
therefore in a position to offer complete railway<br />
engineering solutions – from inception to the<br />
implementation and maintenance of railway<br />
projects.<br />
• Investment in new high-tech large construction<br />
machinery underpins the company’s presence<br />
in the market – one of the new machines is the<br />
Plasser & Theurer SSP 303 ballast regulating<br />
machine for tracks and points – the largest<br />
machine of its kind in the southern hemisphere,<br />
which was delivered in 2010.<br />
• The expansion of the company’s headquarters<br />
in Sydney was followed by the establishment<br />
of a branch in the Hunter Valley of <strong>New</strong> South<br />
Wales, to better service the highest volume coal<br />
network in the country.<br />
• With involvement in prestigious projects such<br />
as the refurbishment of the Epping to Chatswood<br />
line, the completion of the Fortescue<br />
Metals Group railway line in Western Australia,<br />
the upgrading of the ARTC interstate freight<br />
lines. <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia has rapidly<br />
become a reliable partner in the burgeoning<br />
Australian rail market.<br />
38<br />
NEW DIMENSIONS| RHOMBERG RAIL AUSTRALIA
Adelaide metropolitan upgrade project<br />
<strong>New</strong> rail track design team a success right from the start<br />
In May 2010, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> was able to<br />
announce the successful acquisition of<br />
the premier rail design team in NSW,<br />
Delkor Track Design. In June 2010,<br />
the team was awarded the first of the<br />
track alignment design packages for<br />
the upgrade of lines in the Adelaide<br />
Metropolitan Rail Network.<br />
The contract was allocated as part of<br />
the “TrackSure” consortium and comprises<br />
a first package of design and<br />
construction activities. In detail the task<br />
includes the renewal of three separate<br />
lines with more than 60 km section<br />
length and double tracks over a period<br />
of six months. This amounts to a total<br />
of 120 km of track.<br />
In addition to the electrification of<br />
the line, important challenges are<br />
presented by the increase of the city<br />
railway speed from 90km/h to<br />
110 km/h and the increased thickness<br />
of the ballast to allow for the installation<br />
of concrete sleepers, which makes<br />
it necessary to raise the superstructure<br />
by about 300 mm.<br />
Alan Pollard<br />
RHOMBERG SERVICES<br />
METRO ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA<br />
• Line design and adaptation of engineering<br />
structures<br />
• Securing adequate clearance between rolling<br />
stock and structures such as platforms,<br />
bridges, level crossings, etc.<br />
• Coordination with civil engineering design<br />
services and contractors<br />
<strong>New</strong> ballast regulator commissioned<br />
The largest machine of this type in the southern hemisphere is owned by <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Australia has augmented<br />
its fleet with another high<br />
performance track construction and<br />
maintenance machine. n August 2010,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s Resurfacing team were<br />
happy to take delivery of a new<br />
SSP 303 Ballast Regulating and Profiling<br />
Machine fromPlasser & Theurer,<br />
Australia.<br />
Important features of this machine,<br />
which has been specially developed for<br />
the Australian market, are the lengths<br />
of the ballast plows and the ballast<br />
hopper for working on points, which<br />
reduces the amount of new ballast<br />
needed for maintenance. The new<br />
electrical monitoring system should<br />
have a positive effect on the reliability<br />
of the machine.<br />
The new ballast levelling machine helps to reduce the quantity of ballast needed in maintenance.<br />
Garry Thuer<br />
The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> team taking delivery of the machine (from left to right): Darren Tuxford, Dave Bowe,<br />
Glenn Henderson, Shane Whitehouse, Oswald Ortner, Garry Thuer and Michael Match.<br />
RHOMBERG RAIL AUSTRALIA | NEW DIMENSIONS 39
Supported by the comprehensive competence<br />
of all track construction companies making up<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik, <strong>Rhomberg</strong>-Kalebozan<br />
sets new benchmarks for maintenance and<br />
repair work in Turkey.<br />
The success story goes on…<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>-Kalebozan strengthens its market position in Turkey<br />
Flash butt welding<br />
for the TURKISH<br />
state railway (TCDD)<br />
In future, the State Railway will<br />
continue to place its contracts for<br />
flash butt welding with <strong>Rhomberg</strong>-<br />
Kalebozan. The contract involves flash<br />
butt welding of 3,500 steel components,<br />
including the respective grinding,<br />
clamping and careful ultrasonic<br />
testing. The work will be carried out on<br />
the already upgraded Karalıköy-Sivas-<br />
Tecer main line and will take about<br />
four months. The equipment used for<br />
this EUR 700,000 project (1.4 million<br />
Turkish Lira) is a mobile AMS 60 rail<br />
welding machine.<br />
Repair of high-speed line<br />
Ankara – EskiŞeHIR<br />
In autumn 2010 after a two-months<br />
summer break that included Ramadan,<br />
the month of fasting and related festivities,<br />
the team for machine maintenance<br />
re-started work with fresh<br />
enthusiasm: the 250 km/h high-speed<br />
line between Ankara and Eskişehir<br />
was surveyed and maintenance work<br />
carried out. Since the line opened<br />
eighteen months ago, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> has<br />
been responsible for the maintenance<br />
of this high-speed line and, with its<br />
work, has set new standards in Turkey.<br />
Initially, all maintenance work was carried<br />
out by staff from Bahnbau Wels,<br />
with support from several Australian<br />
resurfacing professionals. Over this<br />
period, enough Turkish workers have<br />
been trained so that the <strong>Rhomberg</strong>-<br />
Kalebozan team has been working<br />
exclusively with Turkish members of<br />
staff under the management of<br />
Abdullah Gündogdu since the middle<br />
of May.<br />
Technical difficulties are overcome<br />
through the team that is expertly<br />
supported by Andreas Stoppel. He is<br />
a specialist for the repair of railway<br />
superstructure and is therefore a<br />
welcome visitor with the State Railway<br />
management. With his enormous<br />
specialist knowledge and his straightforward<br />
approach he is able to solve<br />
problems quickly and efficiently.<br />
Tamping new ballast from<br />
the greek/BULGarian<br />
border to Edirne<br />
The line between Edirne and the<br />
Greek/Bulgarian border consists of<br />
125 kilometres of conventional track.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>-Kalebozan was given the<br />
contract for tamping the line to the<br />
exact specification, after the superstructure<br />
had already been renewed.<br />
In order to optimally plan the construction<br />
sequence and process, the<br />
first step was to newly survey and<br />
evaluate the entire line. This required<br />
some persuasion of the responsible<br />
people to adequately demonstrate the<br />
merits of the preparatory work for the<br />
overall benefit of the project, with the<br />
final results confirming the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
concept.<br />
The team was able to set new standards<br />
for tamping new track ballast.<br />
As a consequence, new minimum<br />
technical requirements for maintenance<br />
and upgrade work are being defined in<br />
cooperation with the TCDD.<br />
Gökhan Ipek<br />
40 NEW DIMENSIONS | RHOMBERG-Kalebozan
An architecturally appealing Park & Ride facility has been constructed for the city of Graz.<br />
Strong growth<br />
Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> expands contract volume and market presence<br />
With the formation of Goldbeck-<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> AG and business premises<br />
in St. Gallen, the Group has expanded<br />
into Switzerland. In 2008, the company<br />
opened-up a new branch in Vienna,<br />
Austria : in this way Goldbeck-<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> secured strong growth in<br />
recent years. In spite of the economic<br />
downturn and strong pressure on<br />
costs, the company was able to gain<br />
market share with the help of well<br />
thought-out systems.<br />
One of the Austrian highlights is the<br />
construction of Factory III for the<br />
Kohlbach company in Bleiburg. This<br />
project has a value of nearly EUR 8<br />
million and creates a production facility<br />
for the communal biomass heating<br />
station. The important argument<br />
that swayed decision-makers against<br />
tendering for individual trades was the<br />
extensive engineering know-how of<br />
the company. In Vienna, the first multistorey<br />
car park was erected for the<br />
company’s regular customer Porsche;<br />
a contract for the next multi-storey car<br />
park in Wehlistrasse has already been<br />
secured.<br />
In Graz we have constructed a Park<br />
& Ride facility which meets the most<br />
demanding architectural requirements.<br />
It was due to the systems employed by<br />
Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> that the company<br />
was able to keep within the preset<br />
budget for this project which was<br />
the winning entry of an architectural<br />
competition.<br />
The company has also successfully<br />
completed several large contracts in<br />
Switzerland. The largest project was<br />
a logistics centre with 10,000 m² of<br />
storage space and 1,600 m² of offices<br />
for the drugstore chain Müller, in<br />
Oberentfelden. In Buchs near Zurich,<br />
a parcel distribution centre for DPD<br />
valued at about EUR 6 million, a timber<br />
storage facility for Hiag costing about<br />
EUR 4.5 million and a storage facility<br />
with offices for System Air costing<br />
about EUR 1.9 million were constructed<br />
within a 500 m radius. A wine<br />
storage facility with retail shop and<br />
head office was constructed for <strong>Bau</strong>r<br />
au Lac in Zurich. This building provides<br />
space for the storage of one million<br />
wine bottles at controlled air temperature<br />
and relative humidity.<br />
Now with 50 staff members in four<br />
locations, Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> is looking<br />
forward to future developments.<br />
Georg Vallaster<br />
The parcel distribution centre for DPD is<br />
in the direct vicinity of two other buildings<br />
built by Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> in Buchs,<br />
Switzerland.<br />
The largest construction project by<br />
Goldbeck-<strong>Rhomberg</strong> in Switzerland: a<br />
logistics centre with 10,000 m² of storage<br />
space for the Müller drugstore chain.<br />
GOLDBECK-RHOMBERG | NEW DIMENSIONS 41
Powerful tunnelling<br />
Menegola AG confirms its special competence<br />
in steel-frame ramming<br />
Menegola AG are specialists<br />
in crossing roads and<br />
railtracks underground in a highly<br />
cost-effective way and maintains well<br />
trained staff and efficient machinery.<br />
With its five machines with Terra and<br />
Tracto technology, pipes with a diameter<br />
of between 20 cm and 1.6 m can<br />
be rammed through the ground for<br />
distances of up to 60 m.<br />
Even in difficult situations, the people<br />
from Menegola know how to solve<br />
problems, as was demonstrated<br />
recently: in order to open up an old<br />
stream and install a duct for amphibians<br />
to Lake Constance, two steel<br />
pipes with a diameter of 80 cm had<br />
to be pressed through beneath the<br />
SBB lake line. These steel pipes have<br />
a wall thickness of 30 mm and are<br />
placed just under 1 m below the top<br />
edge of the rails. This required special<br />
dispensation from SBB. Menegola AG<br />
obtained this dispensation on condition<br />
that pressing under the tracks was<br />
carried out only at night, when there is<br />
no rail traffic.<br />
To provide services for a campsite,<br />
two more pipes with a diameter of<br />
50 cm were inserted underneath the<br />
tracks. This made it possible to provide<br />
holidaymakers with electricity, gas and<br />
water – within a very short period of<br />
construction time.<br />
Ducts for amphibians and services: steel pipes are used for crossing the SBB tracks with a<br />
ramming process, thus keeping costs to a minimum.<br />
Emil Rusch<br />
Menegola AG specialises<br />
in trenchless<br />
pipe technologies<br />
and offers economic<br />
solutions for any type<br />
of project.<br />
42 NEW DIMENSIONS | MENEGOLA Switzerland
MSE Residential and Business Park, Eschen, Liechtenstein<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>, Switzerland branches out<br />
Conversions and renovations<br />
Owing to the strong demand<br />
for refurbishment work in<br />
Switzerland in connection with the<br />
public funding that has been available<br />
for some years, there is strong market<br />
potential for conversions and<br />
renovations.<br />
The targeted market includes eastern<br />
Switzerland up to Zurich and the<br />
Schweizer Mittelland. The target<br />
customers are primarily large private or<br />
commercial property owners such as<br />
insurance companies, banks and<br />
pension funds. Owner-occupation of<br />
apartments and houses is not very<br />
common in Switzerland. The annual<br />
construction volume in Switzerland<br />
has been about EUR 38 billion since<br />
2005, of which in 2008 and 2009<br />
about EUR 11 billion was invested<br />
in refurbishment work – a tendency<br />
which is on the increase. Construction<br />
activity is largely limited to the<br />
conurbations.<br />
PeRFect launch into the new<br />
BUsiness field<br />
In spite of a highly competitive market,<br />
the company has managed to acquire<br />
its first project. It is an apartment<br />
building that requires renovation with<br />
complete inside refurbishment, repairs<br />
to the facade and redesign of external<br />
works. A particular challenge is the<br />
fact that kitchens and bathrooms will<br />
be completely modernised while the<br />
tenants remain in the apartments.<br />
Reinhard Moosmann<br />
Key data of multi-family-dweLLIng in<br />
WaldhofstraSSe in Uzwil/CH<br />
Start of construction 13 September 2010<br />
Scheduled completion 10 December 2010<br />
Contract value SF 1.6 million or<br />
EUR 1.2 million<br />
CONVERSIONS AND RENOVATIONS IN Switzerland| NEW DIMENSIONS<br />
43
Multi-purpose hall at Salenstein<br />
First project by <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG in the Swiss Lake Constance region<br />
In November 2009,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG was<br />
appointed as design & build<br />
contractor for the design and construction<br />
of a multi-purpose hall to<br />
MINERGIE ® standards for the Municipality<br />
of Salenstein, Thurgau. The<br />
contract involves the demolition of the<br />
old building and the construction of<br />
a new functional multi-purpose hall<br />
with a large foyer, a stage and associated<br />
facilities such as a kitchen and<br />
canteen.<br />
Two thirds of the hall will be constructed<br />
in timber and the facade will<br />
be clad with Eternit. Detailed plans<br />
were drawn up by architects Stefan<br />
Schärer and Constans Roth from<br />
Rubin Architects.<br />
The ground-breaking ceremony took<br />
place at the beginning of June 2010 in<br />
the presence of Community President<br />
Peter Forster, School President Ewa<br />
Zwick, all members of the Building<br />
Commission and the members of staff<br />
of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG. The ceremony<br />
was rounded off with a reception<br />
with drinks and specialities of the<br />
region which had been organised by<br />
Madeleine Nothhelfer, the wife of the<br />
President of the Building Commission.<br />
The Project Manager for the project<br />
is Ricardo Spycher and we wish him<br />
every success for the construction of<br />
the multi-purpose hall in Salenstein,<br />
and look forward to a new reference<br />
project in the Swiss region around<br />
Lake Constance.<br />
Josef Jenny<br />
Key data<br />
MULTI-pURpose hall at Salenstein/<br />
sWITzeRLand<br />
Design & Build Contractor<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG, St. Gallen/Switzerland<br />
Project Manager Ricardo Spycher<br />
Contract volume 12,400 m 3 ground and upper<br />
floors, 2,000 m 3 cellar area<br />
Contract value: SF 8.1 million or EUR 6 million<br />
Construction period 14 months<br />
Sheltered accommodation at Wangenmatt, Bern<br />
Foundation stone for sheltered accommodation laid<br />
On 21 April 2010 the<br />
foundation stone was laid<br />
for the “Wangenmatt Residence –<br />
sheltered accommodation” project.<br />
The ceremony was attended by the<br />
representatives of the client, Senevita<br />
AG, the architects Gaschen & Partners<br />
and a representative of the Director for<br />
Health and Care for the Elderly of the<br />
city of Bern.<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG was commissioned<br />
as General Contractor for the<br />
construction of this project. Construction<br />
started in January 2010 and<br />
completion of the project is scheduled<br />
for the end of December <strong>2011</strong>. The<br />
foundation stone laying ceremony was<br />
preceded by the traditional speeches,<br />
which again touched on the long<br />
design and preparation time which had<br />
become necessary due to a change<br />
of operating company. However, the<br />
time problem was solved by the flexibility<br />
of the team: during the additional<br />
preparation period, internal processes<br />
and specifications by the operating<br />
company were optimised and adapted,<br />
which will benefit the future residents<br />
of this sheltered housing project.<br />
The concept of the Wangenmatt<br />
Residence is based on the idea of<br />
“self-determined living”. The Residence<br />
is located in a quiet location in Bern<br />
– Bümpliz which is well served by<br />
transport facilities. The accommodation<br />
comprises 40 one- to three-room<br />
apartments for senior residents and<br />
70 single rooms for those in need of<br />
care. The comfortable apartments are<br />
an attractive alternative to the traditional<br />
old people’s and care homes,<br />
and offer residents support and various<br />
services round the clock. The project<br />
also takes account of older people’s<br />
need for security.<br />
Josef Jenny<br />
Key data<br />
WangenmaTT residence sheLTered<br />
accommodation, SwitzeRLand<br />
Client ibc Innova AG, Wilen near Wil/Switzerland<br />
Architects Gaschen Partner AG, Bern<br />
Construction period<br />
January 2010 to December <strong>2011</strong><br />
44 NEW DIMENSIONS | RHOMBERG CONSTRUCTION Switzerland
LineAAR, Aarau<br />
Working and living successfully combined<br />
In the direct vicinity of the recently opened Aarau Railway Station,<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG is currently the Design & Build contractor in<br />
charge of the “LineAAR” residential and commercial development. Work started<br />
on construction following the foundation stone laying ceremony in October 2009<br />
and today, 13 months later, the shell construction has been largely completed so<br />
that the geometric shape of the project is clearly recognisable.<br />
One of the tough challenges was the severly restricted space between the railway<br />
lines of the SBB and WSB. Today we are happy to say that progress on the<br />
fitting-out of the station hall and all works to the facade and the interior fitting-out<br />
is on schedule. This means that it will be possible to occupy the offices in the<br />
spring of <strong>2011</strong> and the commercial premises and apartments in the summer<br />
of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Key data for LIneaaR development in<br />
Aarau, SwitzeRLand<br />
Project developer and design & build<br />
contractor <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG,<br />
St. Gallen, Switzerland<br />
Client ASGA Pension Fund,<br />
St. Gallen/Switzerland<br />
Architect Dietrich Untertrifaller,<br />
St. Gallen/Switzerland<br />
Construction period June 2009 to June <strong>2011</strong><br />
Building volume 59,600 m 3<br />
Use 48 rental apartments, 2,150 m 2 of office<br />
and retail area<br />
Contract value SF 28.2 million or<br />
EUR 21.3 million<br />
Josef Jenny<br />
Residential project, Beringen<br />
Construction start: autumn <strong>2011</strong><br />
Key data<br />
ResIdenTIAL PROJECT BERINGen,<br />
SWITZERLAND<br />
Project Development <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG,<br />
St. Gallen, Switzerland<br />
Architects Frei Architekten AG,<br />
Aarau, Switzerland<br />
Use 63 rental apartments<br />
Contract value<br />
SF 23.5 million or EUR 17.72 million<br />
The winning project in the competition for a residential development in Beringen combines<br />
functional apartment layouts with a very attractive inner courtyard design.<br />
The objective of the competition<br />
was an attractive<br />
residential development for the Municipality<br />
of Beringen. Five architectural<br />
practices were invited to take part<br />
in the competition and had until mid<br />
July 2010 to submit their proposals to<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> AG. The projects were<br />
assessed by a jury consisting of four<br />
members of staff of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong><br />
AG and two external property experts.<br />
After intensive consultations and the<br />
revision of two projects, the jury recommended<br />
that the project by<br />
Frei Architects in Aarau go forward.<br />
The project appeals with its clear overall<br />
concept, its modern architectural<br />
design, functional apartment layouts<br />
and a very attractive inner courtyard<br />
design. Further work on the project is<br />
to be completed by the end of 2010<br />
when application should be made for<br />
planning approval. Work on the project<br />
is scheduled for the autumn of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Marcel Maier<br />
RHOMBERG CONSTRUCTION Switzerland | NEW DIMENSIONS 45
What do we need bookkeepers for?<br />
After all, is this not what computers and book shelves are for?<br />
The Accounts Department oversees the<br />
commercial side of the entire <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group<br />
(from left to right): Angela Wautsche, Hermine<br />
Schaffgotsch, Herbert Mittringer, Irmgard<br />
Mayerhofer, Stefan Greussing, Marjeta Ulmer,<br />
Inge Jäger, Sandra Stankovic and Brigitte Flatz.<br />
The history of bookkeeping goes back<br />
a very long way. A simple system was<br />
discovered in the old Mesopotamia<br />
around 9,000 BC. In Egypt, records of<br />
debit and credit accounting on papyrus<br />
scrolls were found dating from<br />
3,000 BC. The practice of bookkeeping<br />
was always imposed by church or<br />
government authorities for the purpose<br />
of taxation. In 1494, the Franciscan<br />
friar Luca Pacioli gives the first complete<br />
explanation of the double-entry<br />
accounting system in his book “Summa<br />
de arithmetica”. The basic principle of<br />
the double-entry accounting system<br />
has remained unchanged to this day<br />
and is applied worldwide.<br />
Today, all business processes of the<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> group are documented on<br />
the basis of receipts to produce a full<br />
record structured by time sequence<br />
and headings. This includes a subdivision<br />
of types of cost and cost<br />
centres and also provides the basis<br />
for cost calculation. The professional<br />
profile of bookkeepers has changed<br />
significantly in recent years. Where we<br />
previously had clerks with their typical<br />
protective sleeves entering long lists<br />
of numbers into books, we now have<br />
balance sheet experts, tax experts and<br />
business administrators.<br />
The strong growth and international<br />
orientation of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> goup and<br />
the numerous changes in tax legislation<br />
as part of the harmonisation of<br />
the turnover tax laws in the European<br />
Union, require complex professional<br />
expertise of our staff. The company<br />
has to submit its tax return in Austria<br />
but, in the case of building projects in<br />
other countries, tax declarations have<br />
to be made in those countries.<br />
We are particularly proud of the successful<br />
cooperation with our accounting<br />
colleagues in Australia, Switzerland,<br />
Turkey and Wels. In 1986 the company<br />
changed over to the BDS construction<br />
package. At the beginning, the<br />
programme dealt with seven users,<br />
but over the years it was continuously<br />
expanded. Today, 250 users use the<br />
AS400 in Bregenz, Wels and<br />
Switzerland.<br />
Starting two years ago, the accounts<br />
department has been producing not<br />
only the end-of-year reports and<br />
consolidation at the end of the business<br />
year, but also quarterly statements<br />
as of 31 March, 30 September<br />
and 31 December. The Accounts<br />
Department reflects the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
group in figures and is an important<br />
source of information for decisionmaking;<br />
in addition, it is an important<br />
prerequisite for complying with the<br />
official requirements for providing<br />
information.<br />
Another important function of the<br />
annual accounts is to provide banks<br />
with the information they need for<br />
funding the company/projects. With<br />
the help of the Annual Report it is<br />
possible to establish various indicators<br />
regarding liquidity, investments and<br />
capital. This means that each project<br />
and construction contract requires an<br />
orderly system of receipts.<br />
Staff and theIR responsIBILITIes<br />
Brigitte Flatz Responsible for <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Geschäftsführungs GmbH, W. <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
<strong>Bau</strong>unternehmung GmbH & Co, TR Beteiligungs<br />
GmbH & Co KG, Benger-Park West<br />
Immobilien GmbH, DLZ Kampus Krems<br />
Beteiligungs GmbH, Storchengrund GmbH,<br />
Storchengrund GmbH & Co KG<br />
Stefan Greussing Responsible for<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH, GFI Immobilienmanagement<br />
<strong>Bau</strong>teil A, R&S Projektentwicklungs<br />
GmbH and various consortiums<br />
Inge Jäger Responsible for RTE Technologie<br />
GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> and Gruber GmbH,<br />
GFI Immobilienmanagement, Migu Asphalt<br />
<strong>Bau</strong>gesellschaftmbH, Rhombus Errichtungsund<br />
Verwertungs GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik<br />
GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Rail Consult GmbH and<br />
various consortiums<br />
Irmgard Mayerhofer Overall responsibility and<br />
consolidated accounts<br />
Herbert Mittringer Responsible for Wirkungsgrad<br />
Energieservice GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> BT<br />
Holding GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Holding GmbH,<br />
Steinbruch GmbH & Co OG, Steinbruch<br />
GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling GmbH, GFI<br />
Beteiligungs GmbH, Projekt Eins GmbH,<br />
Aspermont Holding GmbH, BDS Systembetreuung<br />
and various consortiums<br />
Hermine Schaffgotsch Invoice recording in<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH<br />
Sandra Stankovic Responsible for parts of<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH, HT-Josef Huber’s<br />
Erben und Co OEG, Liegenschafts GmbH &<br />
Co KG, CSR Beteiligungs GmbH and various<br />
consortiums<br />
Marjeta Ulmer Responsible for SBS GmbH,<br />
<strong>Bau</strong>schutt- und Aushubverwertung GmbH,<br />
"HAH" Immobilien GmbH, BBW GmbH,<br />
BBWVermietung GmbH, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Gleisbau<br />
GmbH, Bittner Bahn und Gleisbau GmbH and<br />
various consortiums<br />
Angela Wautsche Responsible for Express<br />
Beton GmbH and Express Beton GmbH & Co<br />
KG as well as parts of <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> GmbH<br />
Irmgard Mayerhofer<br />
46 NEW DIMENSIONS | ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT
Minimising risks and increasing efficiency<br />
Compliance is an important subject both externally and internally<br />
The term “compliance” refers to acting in accordance with<br />
current regulations. At the beginning of this business year<br />
the subject was taken up by the “Opportunity and Risk<br />
Management” group service team.<br />
The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Compliance Guideline contains fundamental<br />
provisions for our fair, open and honest behaviour within the<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> group and with its business partners, suppliers<br />
and competitors. Subjects include social responsibility,<br />
protection of the environment, confidentiality, competition<br />
rules, conflicts of interest and corruption.<br />
Today, a clear committment regarding these issues is<br />
expected with increasing urgency by banks and in public<br />
tender procedures. In accordance with our company<br />
philosophy, we want to reduce risks and strengthen our<br />
competitive edge and position in the market through strict<br />
compliance with ethical standards and a loyal company and<br />
management culture.<br />
Markus Eder, Compliance Officer<br />
Markus Eder and Angelika <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Angelika <strong>Rhomberg</strong>,<br />
Deputy Compliance Officer<br />
What do lawyers do in the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group?<br />
At <strong>Rhomberg</strong>, lawyers work in a number of different capacities<br />
The company lawyers at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> cover a number of<br />
different tasks and today are active in more than just the<br />
classic legal field. They are involved in projects right from<br />
the beginning in order to give advice and support at the<br />
early stages.<br />
Apart from legal subjects, commercial aspects play a major<br />
role and have to be taken into account. This means that<br />
activities include contract negotiations, dealing with legal<br />
questions, support for innovation and grant projects through<br />
to insurance issues and the recording and analysis of<br />
opportunities and risks.<br />
The “Opportunities and Risk Management” group service is<br />
headed by Markus Eder and covers the following areas:<br />
• Opportunity and risk management<br />
• Legal questions<br />
• Innovation and grant management<br />
• Insurance<br />
• Compliance<br />
• Company acquisition and integration<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s company lawyers look forward to interesting challenges in<br />
a varied, multi-disciplinary field of activities (from left to right): Angelika<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>, Markus Eder, Oliver Tabarelli, Manfred Hirner and Christina<br />
Holzer.<br />
opportunity and risk management | NEW DIMENSIONS 47
The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Environment Team<br />
Exemplary, sustainable, committed<br />
MIssION: SUSTAINABILITY & PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMenT<br />
Sustainability has been an essential component of the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> philosophy for<br />
some time now. The aim is to run the business to sustainable principles and take<br />
care of the environment in the context of systematic operations.<br />
Since 2004 <strong>Rhomberg</strong> employees have been pursuing additional activities in<br />
a number of environmental teams in order to support this philosophy. From the<br />
initial number of 7 staff, this has grown to 22. Now the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group has<br />
three environmental teams – one each for the office buildings in Bregenz, the<br />
Rheintal Resource Centre and for Switzerland; the teams convene every three<br />
months in order to discuss, plan and implement current events, future requirements<br />
and opportunities for improvement. This year’s annual environmental team<br />
meeting will take place at the end of the year; the three teams will meet in order<br />
to exchange experiences, benefit from other people’s outlook and collect new<br />
input and ideas. The committment and performance of the team members will be<br />
celebrated with a joint excursion to one of the relevant sites.<br />
“Those who do not<br />
consider the future will<br />
soon be in serious trouble.”<br />
Confucius<br />
SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMenTED PROJECTS & CAMpaIGns<br />
Over the years, many projects and campaigns initiated by the environment teams<br />
were successfully carried out and implemented in routine activities. Here is a<br />
short list of our activities:<br />
• Building sustainably – sustainably mobile All members of staff have access to<br />
a pool of bicycles as well as an electric scooter.<br />
• VLOTTE E-FIAT 500 An electrically operated Fiat 500 was added to<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>’s vehicle fleet.<br />
• <strong>Rhomberg</strong> mobility campaigns By changing over to the bicycle or to public<br />
transport, or by clubbing together to share vehicles, <strong>Rhomberg</strong> staff has been<br />
able to save about 160,000 km of travel by private motor car. This equates to<br />
a reduction of 26 tonnes of CO 2<br />
emissions.<br />
• Modernising the machine fleet Diesel as a fuel reduces consumption by<br />
up to 50 %.<br />
• Carwash system with water recycling<br />
• Improved separation and pre-sorting of construction waste at the various<br />
construction sites; construction materials are recycled and the quantity of<br />
residual waste reduced.<br />
• Reducing paper consumption In spite of the growth of the company, it was<br />
possible to significantly reduce paper consumption (by about 10 percent) by<br />
encouraging people to print paper on both sides.<br />
• Sustainable production We ensure that <strong>Rhomberg</strong> brochures and publicity<br />
material is produced sustainably and with responsible use of resources.<br />
• ... and much more!<br />
As the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Group, we want to set a<br />
good example and not forget our duty to the<br />
environment.<br />
Osman Kabaetli<br />
The PEFC mark is proof that products such<br />
as the paper for this magazine is sourced from<br />
sustainably managed forests.<br />
48 NEW DIMENSIONS| IMS
ManaGIng Director in charge<br />
Ernst Thurnher<br />
Environmental team:<br />
office building<br />
Formed in 2004<br />
Members 7<br />
Andreas Karg<br />
Angelika <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Anna-Lina Kräutler<br />
Jürgen Jussel<br />
Karin Hubalek<br />
Lucia Mündle<br />
Robert Franz<br />
Environmental team: SwitzeRLand<br />
Formed in 2009<br />
Members 4<br />
Alexia Frischknecht<br />
Andreas Ditte<br />
Philip Riklin<br />
Stefanie Sutterlüti<br />
Environmental team for Rheintal<br />
Resource Center<br />
Formed in 2005<br />
Members 6<br />
Christian Düringer<br />
Gerd Oprießnig<br />
Gerhard Kalb<br />
Helmut Bernard<br />
Michael Huber<br />
Stefanie Lechleitner<br />
Environmental team: head office<br />
(included in all environmental teams)<br />
Members 4<br />
Jürgen Koblinger<br />
Osman Kabaetli<br />
Agnes Thurnher (occupational physician)<br />
Hubertus Thurnher<br />
(waste officer & safety expert)<br />
Environment-friendly travel: for short distances the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> members of staff have access to<br />
several pool bicycles. For longer distances an electric scooter or an electrically operated Fiat 500<br />
are available.<br />
IMS | NEW DIMENSIONS 49
We look back...<br />
...over a very eventful, interesting 2010<br />
“The time is right for reducing consumption” – interview<br />
with Prof. Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek<br />
In June 2010, Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong> invited all interested members<br />
of staff to an exclusive interview with Prof. Friedrich<br />
Schmidt-Bleek. The environmental researcher and author<br />
was given the nickname “Bio” to reflect the fact that he has<br />
created the term “ecological rucksack” – which could be<br />
seen as the ecological counterpart to a product’s price in<br />
the shop. His very informative presention was concluded<br />
with an interesting discussion about sustainability – the<br />
central subject of our strategy.<br />
Innotrans Berlin<br />
Innotrans Germany, the “International Trade Fair for<br />
Traffic Engineering – Innovative Components, Vehicles,<br />
Systems” which ran from 21 to 24 September 2010,<br />
attracted over 106,000 visitors from 110 countries to<br />
its 150,000 square metres of exhibition space. The<br />
Bahntechnik group was one of the 2,242 exhibitors<br />
from 45 countries and was represented by staff from<br />
all branches. This year there was a real rush of visitors:<br />
customers, partners, suppliers and interested parties<br />
from all over the world came to the stand to discuss<br />
cooperation and future projects. Presentations about<br />
ZOKA and HandraiLIT were much appreciated.<br />
p End-of-year party 2009/2010<br />
It is traditional that the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group comes together<br />
for an end-of-year celebration on the last day<br />
of the year. The owner family, the group coordinators<br />
and many employees came together in the foyer of<br />
the office building in Bregenz, Austria. Ernst Thurnher<br />
gave a summary of the business year as well as an<br />
outlook for the coming year. He emphasised that<br />
“The <strong>Rhomberg</strong> group is on solid ground: compared<br />
with the industry standard, the company has a better<br />
equity base than most. This puts the <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
group in a secure position, even if times are difficult<br />
from a business point of view.” Both hosts and<br />
guests concluded the evening with culinary delights.<br />
p Cocktail at REAL VIENNA<br />
Real Vienna in Austria is an exhibition for Austrian, Central and Eastern<br />
European property professionals dealing with commercial property and<br />
investment. This year, in May, the Vienna exhibition ground opened its<br />
doors for the fifth time to almost 7,000 visitors and 220 exhibitors. The<br />
programme included a range of high-profile lectures and discussion<br />
forums and there was plenty of opportunity for forging new contacts and<br />
renewing old ones. <strong>Rhomberg</strong> <strong>Bau</strong> did not have a stand at the exhibition<br />
but used it for another event aimed at a specific target group. In cooperation<br />
with the PKF hotel experts, we invited a number of hotel investors<br />
to a cocktail party where we presented the “Storchengrund” project in<br />
Vienna.<br />
50 NEW DIMENSIONS | Events
t Housing Exhibition 2010<br />
At the construction and housing exhibition organised in<br />
the Kulturhaus Dornbirn in Austria in March 2010, the<br />
most prominent Vorarlberg developers presented their<br />
current and planned projects. The exhibits ranged from<br />
owner-occupier apartments to terraced houses through to<br />
detached houses – there is nowhere else that interested<br />
parties can find so many housing projects for comparison.<br />
Experts such as the Sparkasse Dornbirn were available<br />
for questions of finance, representatives from the Landes-<br />
Wohnbauförderungsstelle and notaries gave talks and<br />
offered information in individual consultations.<br />
This was an ideal setting for the <strong>Rhomberg</strong> housing team<br />
not only to showcase its housing projects, but also to find<br />
interested customers for its investor package.<br />
t “Building with timber in the city” – symposium<br />
On 17 June 2010 the Festspielhaus Bregenz in Austria hosted a number of interesting<br />
lectures by prominent speakers. The organisers, Vorarlberger Holzbau-Kunst, were able<br />
to enlist Prof. Dr. Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek, Prof. DI Arch. Hermann Kaufmann and DI<br />
Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong> for the event which covered the subjects of sustainability and future<br />
resources. One of the projects presented was the Life-Cycle Tower project by<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong>, which was very popular with the visitors.<br />
p Dornbirn Autumn Exhibition: the RCR was there!<br />
This traditional exhibition at Dornbirn took place from 8 to<br />
12 September 2010. <strong>Rhomberg</strong> Recycling and <strong>Rhomberg</strong><br />
Steinbruch had a stand in the open exhibition area in order<br />
to present the Vorarlberg public and visitors from neighbouring<br />
countries with the wide range of services offered by<br />
RCR. The Dornbirn Autumn Exhibition is an ideal platform<br />
for reaching private customers from the region. Our stone<br />
baskets were a major focus of our exhibit; they can be used<br />
in a number of applications such as in garden design or for<br />
the fortification of slopes and banks. At our stone basket<br />
counter we were happy to welcome many familiar faces from<br />
our company. The sand pit was a major attraction for the<br />
little visitors. There was a lot of interest from customers and<br />
we were glad to receive a number of enquiries.<br />
p Get-together celebration of the Alptransit<br />
Energie consortium<br />
The official start of the project took place in Terfens, Tirol,<br />
Austria on 26 August 2010 to which numerous guests were<br />
invited. The Alptransit Energie (ATE) consortium consists of<br />
<strong>Rhomberg</strong> Bahntechnik GmbH and DB Bahnbau GmbH.<br />
The contract for railway engineering installations on the<br />
section from Kundl/Radfeld to <strong>Bau</strong>mkirchen was placed by<br />
ÖBB Infrastruktur AG.<br />
Both clients and the contractors met at the marquee in Terfens<br />
under a blue and sunny sky. After welcome addresses<br />
by Dirk Diederich (<strong>Rhomberg</strong>), Johann Herdina (ÖBB),<br />
Hubert <strong>Rhomberg</strong> (<strong>Rhomberg</strong>) and Michael Saischek (ÖBB)<br />
the get-together got off to a good start. The buffet was<br />
opened and proceedings went on into the early hours while<br />
the representatives of the Österreichische Bundesbahnen,<br />
the local Building Control officers and the ATE team were<br />
entertained by a fantastic showband.<br />
Events | NEW DIMENSIONS 51
LIFE WORTH LIVING<br />
There is no certificate of achievement, there is no educational<br />
institution award nor any standardised seal for quality of life.<br />
Yet when we have it, we know it and so do the people around us:<br />
it shows in the sparkle of our eyes, our friendliness and<br />
attentiveness. As members of staff at <strong>Rhomberg</strong> we are therefore,<br />
in a sense, doubly capable of encouraging quality of life: through<br />
our work of building homes and railway links AND the way in<br />
which we communicate with others.<br />
www.rhombergbau.at<br />
www.rhombergrail.com