Vertical structures offer few suitable habitats for many aquatic organisms. This is where the SpundwandQuartiere come in: the concrete modules, produced using 3D printing, are suspended within existing habitat structures. Underwater, textured surfaces and niches provide colonisation opportunities for aquatic invertebrates. Above the waterline, areas suitable for planting offer space for riparian vegetation.
The SpundwandQuartier was developed by researchers from the Institute of Geoecology, the Leichtweiß Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and the Institute for Structural Design at the Technical University of Braunschweig as part of the interdisciplinary research group Future Urban Coastlines.
Installation took place in collaboration with the Lebensraum Elbe Foundation as part of the large-scale nature conservation project Hamburg, deine Flussnatur. The scientific monitoring is intended to show how the habitat structures are colonised and what contribution they can make to the ecological enhancement of technically reinforced banks. The findings will be incorporated into the further development of the modules and are intended to highlight potential applications along other urban waterways.