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Hamburg's Historic Chamber of Commerce
Restoration of an urban gem: Preserving the building fabric, stabilizing the load-bearing structure, eliminating damp - all this using WEBAC products
It was no easy task for the contractors when they took charge of the restoration of Hamburg's historic Chamber of Commerce at Adolphsplatz.
The order read: "Installation of a damp proof course in the brick work, consolidation of the vaulted ceiling", in one of the oldest secular buildings in Hamburg, which was built in the Italian Renaissance style from 1839 until 1841 and has housed the Chamber of Commerce for about 170 years now. Secerrely damaged during the war, the building was rebuilt and declared a historic monument in 1952. Due to the nearby River Alster and the specific nature of the soil the lower building structure is permanently exposed to humidity. The construction of the subway in 1912 also had a considerable impact: the ground water level was lowered, resulting in post-construction subsidence so that parts of the basement vaults were damaged by moisture and cracks. This is why the basement vaults needed to be sealed and the vaulted ceiling underneath the Library of Commerce stabilized. The fabric of the historic building itself was in good condition. The basement walls are mostly approx. 1 m thick, like the cross-sections of the load-bearing pillars. The aim of the restoration was to bond and close the cracks in the vault brickwork to obtain the required structural strength. In the process, WEBAC®1610 was selected and sued as stabilizing material. The thickness of the individual vaulted ceilings varied between 11.5 cm and 24 cm which complicated the restoration. Drill holes were made into the cracks in the vaulting cells either crosswise or directly and centrally and then patched with quick-setting cement to prevent the resin from escaping. The product WEBAC®1610 was injected at low pressure in order to prevent the resin from flowing into the intermediate layer of sand and gravel above the ceiling.
The historic fabric and the statics of the building were restored in the problematic areas using the product WEBAC®1610, thus preserving the building for future generations.