Salzmann Engineers Highlight Start Of New Era At Grebenzen

The 1,892 meter high Grebenzen separates Styria from Carinthia and is at the same time a small but fine ski area. Since Christmas 2022, the 10-cabin monocable gondola, which was built in record time, has been transporting winter guests to the top. The ambitious “Greben10” project ushered in a new chapter in the history of the ski area and at the same time opened up the opportunity for future summer operations.

Minimalist planning, tight time and cost plans as well as the harmonious cooperation between regional companies made it possible to realize the cable car in just ten months. Salzmann Ingenieure was responsible for the entire process and was commissioned as general contractor for the construction and ancillary construction services.

Initial situation

St. Lambrecht in Styria is known far beyond the borders for its more than 900-year-old Benedictine monastery. But the venerable monastery is by no means the only attraction in the community in the Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen Nature Park. St. Lambrecht's local mountain, Grebenzen, is transformed into a natural skiing paradise in winter. Ski Grebenzen St. Lambrecht has around 25 kilometers of slopes, a 4-seater chairlift, 5 drag lifts and a fantastic panorama to offer. The ski area is considered an insider tip away from the crowds and is particularly popular with families.

Ten years ago, Lift GesmbH St. Lambrecht Grebenzen and Salzmann engineers started thinking about a modern cable car infrastructure with more capacity, comfort and expansion potential. The right route was quickly found, as were the locations for the valley and mountain stations. Technically, the choice fell on a 10-seater gondola gondola. Such a groundbreaking and costly project needs to be well thought out for a comparatively small ski area. Therefore, the plans were put on hold for the time being.

The cable car planner as general contractor

In spring 2021, the final decision was made to build the ultra-modern gondola lift with cable car technology from the South Tyrolean company LEITNER. The financing was achieved thanks to the creativity and persistence of cable car managing director Bernhard Plank and mayor Fritz Sperl. Once the necessary funds were secured, the planning was finalized and implemented in just ten months. As general contractor, Salzmann Ingenieure took over the planning and financial coordination of all construction trades and thus ensured absolute cost transparency. So-called gondola sponsorships played a crucial role in the financing. In close coordination and thanks to the courageous efforts of regional construction and craft businesses, a textbook project was achieved.

Smooth implementation

Three months passed from the final starting signal to the building submission. Salzmann engineers planned the architecture, statics and cable car technology, put the trades out to tender and clarified fire and nature conservation issues with the experts in advance. Parallel to the commissioning of the executing companies, initial site investigations were carried out on the two construction sites. After the construction negotiations and approval on July 7th, the first excavators started rolling in. Coherent planning, optimal timing, punctual material deliveries, experienced companies and the committed commitment of the client in the person of managing director Bernhard Plank were the success factors - and of course good weather.

“It was almost a no-brainer. We were given a free hand and were able to play to our strengths.

The open and harmonious collaboration made life easy for everyone,” reports Salzmann project manager Katrin Mangeng. The architect was able to concentrate fully on the planning, while civil engineer Marie-Therese Bach always kept an eye on all costs and compared them with the construction progress. Managing director Stephan Salzmann regularly took care of technical details on site. Builder Bernhard Plank was on the construction site almost day and night and got involved with his team himself.

Christmas premiere

At the beginning of August, the excavation at the valley station was completed, the path for the route was cleared and the base plate of the mountain station was concreted. Support foundations, canals and lines followed by September.

The cable car technology with direct drive was then installed in the mountain station. In October, all 17 supports were installed on the approximately 2.8 kilometer long route, and the cable pull was then carried out. The operational facility shone in all its splendor just in time for the recovery exercise on December 3rd. The authorities gave the green light on December 20th.

Since Christmas, guests have been making their pilgrimage to the top for skiing faster and more comfortably with the 10-person monocable gondola “Greben10,” which was built in record time. The new facility transports around 2,000 guests every hour from the valley floor to the catered Grebenzenhaus at 1,654 meters above sea level. With 55 comfortable cabins, the barrier-free ride is also suitable for tobogganing or hiking activities and allows wheelchairs and strollers to be taken along. This now opens the door for operations in the summer.

Simple, efficient and cost-transparent

No additional costs, no surprises and in the end even 5 percent below budget: the implementation of Greben10 ran like clockwork from the cost estimate to the first trip. "That rarely happens in the ropeway industry, as there are often surprises during the construction phase," emphasizes Marie-Therese Bach. “Good planning with sufficient reserves, the trust of the client, clear decisions and good communication between each other were central to this success,” she reports.

In its first role as general contractor, Salzmann Ingenieure was able to commission all construction trades and control the costs on a weekly basis in close consultation with the executing companies.

Minimalism prevailed in the planning. “A cable car works without frills. We concentrated on the essentials and optimized every detail,” says architect Katrin Mangeng. The garage is in the valley station and there are just as many adjoining rooms as necessary. A variant with covered cable car technology was discarded in favor of the simple design, an intermediate station can be retrofitted later. Thanks to visionary planning, later expansion stages can also be efficiently implemented. When it came to the design, cable car operator Bernhard Plank was open to suggestions and was immediately impressed by the classic larch wood façade. The natural look blends harmoniously into the landscape and is at the same time a statement for the down-to-earth ski area.

Strong regional partnerships

The most transparent monitoring is worthless without reliable and punctual partners. These were the regional companies from the first to the last day. No wonder, after all, they were building something for themselves. With the charming idea of gondola sponsorship, Bernhard Plank involved the companies directly in the event - and in the long term. With their ten-year sponsorship of one cabin each, they are making a significant contribution to financing the modern cable car and advertising their company with a logo and information.

“Greben10 was and is a great community project. Everyone gave their all, did their best and made the impossible possible in a very short space of time. The team spirit and the great interest in the sponsorships motivated us every day,” says Bernhard Plank happily.

The client and his team were also part of the construction team. They were in action almost day and night, demonstrating their craftsmanship. “The fact that we helped build it ourselves fills us with particular pride. We learned a lot and are now all cable car professionals,” notes Bernhard Plank with a smile. The first half of winter was a complete success: no incidents, satisfied guests and positive feedback from the population. It can not go any better.

Greben10 technical data