BEING MOBILE - Rhomberg Bau

Vision and innovation
Rethinking and looking forward are valued highly at Rhomberg
The “economic crisis” is on everybody’s lips and everyone is feeling its
effects to a greater or lesser extent. However, particularly in a crisis it
is important for the survival of a business to rethink and identify new
opportunities. “The current situation requires a total rethink and above
all a look forward”, emphasis Hubert Rhomberg. “The situation at the
moment is currently demanding a lot from us, but it has developed
a very special vitality. Our goal is to further open up the competence
network with other local businesses.”
In recent months a few very innovative co-operations and projects
have come about as a result. All the projects on the right were supported
with grants from the FFG, the Austrian Research Promotion
Agency.
We view innovation as an important success factor that makes us
stronger, even in these economically tense times. An essential success
factor here is also the employees who recognise innovations as an
opportunity and contribute to making it possible to implement research
projects of this magnitude.
Angelika Rhomberg, Michael Zangerl
Urban wooden construction
From the technical feasibility study as part of the project 8+,
an implementation-orientated follow-on project has been
generated. Our interdisciplinary research team is developing
the world’s highest wooden high-rise building.
Low life cycle costs, forward-looking energy design, the raw
material wood and the innovative prefabrication are the key
elements.
The faster construction due to the prefabricated design and
reduced space requirement on the construction site make
the “LifeCycle Tower” extremely attractive for urban spaces.
You can read more about this project in the article on the
page on the left.
“BRIX” measures and optimises the
resource consumption of buildings
Together with partners from science (SERI, ÖIN Austrian Institute
for Sustainable Development, the Factor 10 Institute
in Austria, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and
Energy, Plenum-Gesellschaft für ganzheitliche Entwicklungs
GmbH) and commerce (Lenzing AG, Grüne Erde GmbH)
Rhomberg is working on the development of the “Business
Resource Intensity Index”, know as “BRIX” for short.
Expansion of research centre for tunnel renovation
“Tunnel renovation from a single source” is how the innovative
development program run by Rhomberg Bahntechnik
can be summarised.
For tunnel renovation projects all the necessary skills are
matched to balance each other. For the railway operator this
means a significant reduction in the costs with increased
benefits.
Relief for the lower Rhine Valley
The latest on the tram ring
It is indisputable that the traffic
situation in the lower Rhine Valley
must be relieved. We all suffer the
direct effects of the congestion,
particularly in the summer months,
and on a daily basis during rush hour.
The current Vorarlberg traffic concept
has already addressed this issue
with, among other aspects, the
expansion of the rail network, the
networking of all forms of public
transport, prioritisation of these
forms of transport as well as special
consideration for the requirements
of children and the elderly. A tram for
the lower Rhine Valley, for which we
have already developed a technical
concept, would be a suitable solution
to tackle the current traffic problem
over the long-term. It would make
a significant contribution to the
objectives defined in the traffic
concept and would also be welcomed
by the public. A tram is not only
good for the environment, it is also a
mobility solution for disadvantaged
groups and provides opportunities for
regional and urban development.
Possible solutions are currently
under political consideration. With
the traffic planning method used for
the development of possible traffic
variants there is the prospect of an
interim report at the start of 2010.
Then two to three options will be up
for discussion out of the original 23 (!)
proposals.
Angelika Rhomberg
lifecycle TOwer | NEW DIMENSIONS 13