55 centimeters thick. Up to 9.5 meters deep. At the construction site for Offenbach's fourth grammar school, a solid wall in the ground is now protecting the excavation pit from groundwater.
This is because the water on the former goods station site is very high. A watertight wall has therefore been built in the ground over the past few weeks so that construction can take place in dry conditions. Excavation of the building pit is currently underway. The Emmy Noether School - Offenbach's largest school construction project - is growing here step by step.
Using a large machine, the construction workers drilled into the ground with three augers and mixed cement directly into the soil. The result was a solid mixture of soil and concrete. Section by section, a continuous wall grew out of it - around 100 to 200 square meters per day, a total of around 3,500 square meters.
The wall extends between 7.5 and 9.5 meters into the ground. Built-in steel girders absorb the pressure of the earth and water. Their heads can still be seen. The wooden piles will later serve as fall protection.
Background
The Emmy Noether School was founded in 2023. Pupils are currently housed in the former Fröbelschule building. The new secondary school is being built on the former freight station site and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. The city of Offenbach is investing a total of around 128 million euros in the new building.
The new five-storey building is being constructed on a site area of just 10,000 square meters. With well thought-out planning, the new school offers space for around 1,500 pupils and 100 teachers. Special highlights of the project are the various break and leisure areas on the roofs, a canteen that can prepare up to 1,080 meals a day and a three-court sports hall that can also be used by clubs outside of school hours in the future. The building will be constructed to KfW 40 standard and will be energy-efficient with photovoltaic systems, hybrid heating technology and efficient ventilation. In addition, the spacious roof, which will also be used as a break and learning area, will save high maintenance costs thanks to the automated irrigation systems.
City invests in education
The city of Offenbach am Main has been continuously investing in modern school and daycare buildings since 2007. The reason for this is the rising number of children and the goal of creating optimal learning conditions for future generations. With pro rata support from the federal and state governments, over 409 million euros have already been invested in the construction and renovation of schools and daycare centers since 2007. Today, more than 60 percent of the approximately 18,800 pupils learn in completely new or fully renovated school buildings. A further 15 percent attend partially renovated facilities, while 5 percent attend schools that are currently being renovated or extended. Of a total of around 2,300 daycare children under the age of 6 in municipal facilities, around 80 percent attend new or completely renovated daycare centers. Construction projects worth around 266 million euros are currently being planned or under construction for schools.
The Building Construction Management department of the Office for Planning and Building is responsible for the measures as the owner's representative and client. It is responsible for the planning and development of the projects. The city council has commissioned OPG Offenbacher Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, a subsidiary of Stadtwerke Offenbach, to manage all refurbishment and new construction projects. OPG implements many urban development projects on behalf of the city. In addition to project management for the construction and renovation of schools and daycare centers, these include the development and marketing of the port area and the Innovation Campus.