From the BZ editorial team
In a warehouse in Brandenburg, a team of engineers is trying to find out what really happened and has to do a jigsaw puzzle to do so.
“You start with the corners,” explains engineer Robert Kirchner.
Material tester Robert Kirchner reports on his examination of fragments from the Aquadome Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
In the early morning of December 16, the 16 meter high Aquadome burst in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel. A million liters of water spilled out onto the street. Two people were slightly injured, 1500 fish died.
The Aquadom was one of the attractions in Berlin! It was considered the largest free-standing cylindrical aquarium in the world and was opened in 2003 Photo: dpa picture radio
Even if the experts do not yet know the cause of the accident, a decision has been made: this year the hotel will no longer open and there will be no new Aquadom. “It was a magnet for visitors,” says Fabian Hellbusch, spokesman for the building owner.
The destroyed cylinder of the Aquadome and remains of the acrylic cladding Photo: dpa
But building a new pool is too expensive. A redesign of the hotel lobby is planned.
In a warehouse in Brandenburg, a team of engineers is still trying to find out what really happened. To do this, they put the fragments together as they were originally arranged.
Materials tester Robert Kirchner (left) and service provider Frank Kettler move a fragment. The engineers have given nicknames to some of the puzzle pieces Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
But since cylinders don’t have corners, they use different features and work their way from edge to center in this giant puzzle. Depending on the shape, the employees have given the parts affectionate nicknames – such as “the tooth” or “the swinger”.
Can the experts now say something about the cause of the cylinder Gauss? “No, we’re doing detective work here and we can’t commit ourselves too early,” says engineer and plastics expert Christian Bonten.
According to Bonten, potential weak points are basically the joint seams. At the end, the acrylic expert will write the report on the cause of the accident – this also plays a role in the assumption of costs by the insurance company.