With its completed fountain, Ernst Reuter Platz in Regensburg, Germany, offers visitors and residents alike a noteworthy starting point at the heart of the city. The fountain is based on a holistic redesign concept developed by b-a-u ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Puchheim. Surface refurbishment work was undertaken on the 120 m² area, of which the new fountain alone takes up 55 m² of space.
Given new life
Part of the works focused on renovating the existing fountain reservoir embedded in the ground. A cover was first installed in this reservoir in order to create an underground utility space, a ‘well house’. In the cover itself, 12 stainless steel nozzle heads were installed to bring the fountain to life as an impressive water display. The paved slabs above the newly installed cover match the surrounding design of the square, so that the nozzles are located at ground level and blend into the area seamlessly. Since the fountain installation does not have its own reservoir, a rectangular channel construction was designed to collect and recirculate the water.
The drainage solution had to be able to withstand heavy-duty traffic driving over it (load class D 400), with no gradient, and a constant barrage of chloride from road de-icing salt. In addition, the system was to have extra inspection boxes. The channel covers naturally had to meet aesthetic demands. They needed to have slotted inlets that were as narrow as possible in order to blend in discreetly with the slab grouting pattern of the square.
Made to customer specifications
Heavy-duty drainage channels from Richard Brink GmbH & Co. KG were the natural choice. The metal products manufacturer custom-made all of the stainless steel products for the fountain – for precisely-fitting installation and maximum functionality. A total of 26 m of channels similar to the tried-and-tested Lamina slotted drainage channel from Richard Brink were used. Of these, 9 m were made with 62 mm wide slots and covered with 20 × 3 mm longitudinal bar gratings. The remaining 17 m have a slotted inlet width of 18 mm. Additional inspection and flush boxes ensure easy maintenance of the fountain.
Michael Leitner GmbH based in Pettendorf was commissioned to carry out the renovations. The workers first brought the pipe connections for the channel drains to the subsequent connection point of the channel. They then placed the channel element in a foundation of in-situ concrete and connected it to the pipe. The subsequent channel body was then placed in the prepared concrete. A cutout was made in the foundation where the flange connection was, in order to secure the two elements using 12 screw connections and sealing lips. The empty space in the cutout was then filled with concrete.
Water surface without a pool
The slotted channels around the fountain seem to delineate a pool of water, because the water on the paved surface of the fountain forms a virtually continuous sheen of water that ends directly at the straight line of the slotted channels. On warm summer days, passers-by – and children especially! – enjoy the cooling spray from the water feature, which they can easily cross through.
Quality that pays off
Thanks to the precisely-fitting custom design, the channels were quick and easy to install. ‘For us it was of utmost importance for the individual parts to fit precisely, in order to be able to install them quickly without complications. The custom products from Richard Brink were of consistently high quality – a crucial factor that means we will be relying on this manufacturer’s products in the future as well. The discreet stainless steel drainage channels capture the fountain with a striking aesthetic,’ Michael Leitner – from the company charged with installing the products – says with apparent satisfaction.
The designers in charge of the project at b-a-u ingenieurgesellschaft mbH also had overwhelmingly positive feedback about the cooperation, from planning to completion: ‘The drainage solution from Richard Brink impressed us on all counts, from the price–performance ratio and the process during the project timeframe to the fact that the products fit precisely and look fantastic. We would also be happy to use products from this metal products manufacturer again,’ concludes engineer and project manager Mathias Schwab.
