Dr. Alfons Maier

Wiehl Valley motorway bridge: Efficient loss adjustment and innovative bridge repair

Would it be better to repair deformed bridge elements after a serious traffic accident or to replace them? An innovative method of repair was needed. Civil engineering expertise and active claims management were the success factors in the efficient adjustment of this loss.

On 26 August 2004, a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of fuel plunged from the Wiehl Valley motorway bridge after colliding with a passenger car and exploded. The tanker driver was killed. Some parts of the structure were deformed by the ensuing fire, and the loadbearing capacity was so severely impaired that the bridge had to be closed.

None of the houses down below were affected by the catastrophe. The accident was caused by a car driving between the tanker cab and trailer. The driver of the car, who did not have a driving licence, was under the influence of cannabis at the time. Preparations for handling the loss at Munich Re commenced as soon as the loss was reported.

Initial meetings were held with the aim of clarifying the position with regard to liability insurance and reinsurance cover. Policies with unlimited liability (illimité covers) were in force for the car and for the tanker. The damage appeared to be developing dramatically: according to initial reports in the media, temperatures were as high as 1,200°C and were having a devastating impact. There were fears that one of the piers was irreparably damaged. Since it was conceivable that the entire bridge would have to be demolished, structural engineers had to inspect the bridge closely over the next few days.

The bridge might even be a total loss if, for structural reasons, the pier could not be replaced. What is more, a straightforward demolition job was ruled out, so that the bridge would have to be dismantled piece by piece, and the dismantling and reconstruction work could take as long as four years. The consequential costs would be immense if the A 4 – one of the main traffic routes in North Rhine-Westphalia – were to be interrupted for an extended period. In the worst possible case, the loss could run to a three-digit-million (€) figure.

Active claims management

The top priority was to develop strategies for quick and targeted action aimed at an efficient loss adjustment. Efforts initially focused on the following aspects: What are the effects of the illimité cover and for whom? On what basis can a more realistic estimate of the loss be made in this initial phase? What repair measures are conceivable?

At the same time, close contact was maintained with the principally affected primary insurer. Joint discussions were held on the initial measures and further procedures, and engineering experts were brought on board. An external bridge construction expert provided support during the inspection of the structure. The aim was to make a precise estimate of the damage as a basis for quoting exact figures as to what it would cost to repair the bridge.

The inspection took place just a few days after the accident. The conclusion was that the tanker had plunged into the valley before reaching the first reinforced concrete column. Contrary to initial media reports, the columns and supports were not damaged. However, the considerable fire load had damaged the longitudinal girders on the carriageway towards Olpe.

The girder profiles were also damaged, with severe thermal deformation along approx. 5 m of the centre frame. The damage extended over a number of profiles. The tremendous heat of the explosion had also damaged the road surface. However, one thing was now certain: the bridge was not a total loss and could be repaired after all.

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