Sustainable precast concrete elements from Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, for civil engineering and infrastructure

For over 75 years, Köhler Beton has been developing and producing high-quality precast concrete elements for demanding infrastructure projects. As a reliable partner for states, cities, and municipalities, utilities, and construction companies, the company provides solutions for civil engineering, energy and water supply, and safety-related infrastructure.

Founded in Hamburg in 1947, Klaus Köhler Beton- und Fertigteilwerk GmbH has, according to Lars Lehmann, managing director since 2022, developed into a „hidden champion“ that employs around 90 people (60 of whom work in production). A total of 47,000 tons of precast concrete elements (as of 2025) are manufactured on a 62,000 m² factory site.

Köhler Beton is one of the main suppliers of cable ducts for Deutsche Bahn, of which no less than 200,000 linear meters leave the factory in Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, every year. In addition, there are cable shafts, multifunctional shafts, drainage channels, prefabricated foundations, charging station foundations, concrete bases, enclosure frames, ballast retaining plates, LU1001 compact stations, and concrete products for pump and plant construction.

The Klaus Köhler concrete and precast plant has multiple certifications. In addition to its own laboratory controls, external auditors also guarantee the excellent quality of its products and services:

Certificates from Deutsche Bahn AG (including manufacturer-related product qualification);

QM certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 by ZDH-Zert GmbH;

Certificate from BAU-ZERT e.V.;

Certificate from Schweißtechnische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Halle GmbH;

Certificate: Sustainable Company (DIQP) – Rating: Very good;

Certificate: Top Employer (DIQP) Rating: Very good;

Certificate: Top Training Company (DIQP) Rating: Also Very Good.

Promising innovation brought to series production

Klaus Köhler Beton- und Fertigteilwerk GmbH recently presented a groundbreaking solution for infrastructure: cable duct covers with non-metallic reinforcement made of GFRP Rebars (TECBAR). This innovation replaces conventional steel reinforcement with a corrosion-free, durable, and resource-saving system—and has the potential to bring about lasting change across the entire precast concrete industry. The project was realized in close collaboration with CG Tec Carbon und Glasfasertechnik GmbH, with project management provided by Rothycon Carbon Bewehrung. Within just 1.5 years, the project progressed from initial discussions to series production readiness – including certification by Deutsche Bahn. The cable duct covers have been in series production since April 2024. Extensive tests at two independent testing institutes confirm their technical performance and practical suitability. As a member of the Composites United e.V. specialist network, Köhler Beton is clearly positioning itself as a pioneer for sustainable solutions in precast construction.

Managing Director Lars Lehmann comments: „The material combination in our cable duct covers is remarkable: non-metallic reinforcements often develop their full performance potential in high-strength concrete. However, we have used standard C30/37 concrete – proof of its broad applicability and cost-effectiveness. This solution is a game changer for precast concrete construction and rail infrastructure. It combines sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and practicality. Series production and approval by Deutsche Bahn mean that market readiness has already been achieved. This innovation opens up new perspectives for precast plants, infrastructure operators, and the entire industry – both ecologically and economically.“ For details on the new cable duct covers, see the text box at the end of the article.

In-house laboratory for testing concrete quality

The quality of materials and products is constantly checked in an in-house laboratory and, if necessary, production routines are adapted to meet increased requirements. The findings are carefully evaluated and categorized by the experts in the laboratory so that, if appropriate, they can be transferred to a production innovation in a further step.

In addition to this in-house laboratory, the control processes of the Güteschutz Beton- und Fertigteilwerke Mitte-Ost e.V. (Quality Protection Concrete Precast Plant Central-East Association) also provide support. Furthermore, Köhler Beton is quality certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 and fulfills the high Q1 certification required for the delivery of precast parts for track construction by Deutsche Bahn AG.

„Whether for the production of standard precast concrete elements, special precast solutions, or elements that are particularly in demand for civil engineering projects, such as concrete shafts, concrete cable shafts, cable installation shafts, cable ducts, and drainage channels, the following applies to Köhler Beton: maximum durability and precise dimensional accuracy form the basis of production in Luckenwalde,“ says Heike Krukies, Head of Quality Management.

Many successful reference projects

In addition to the concrete cable ducts for Deutsche Bahn mentioned at the beginning, Köhler Beton has numerous other reference projects to its name. Here are a few examples:

Multifunctional shaft for the new CTA Science Data Management Center for the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY);

3 special medium-voltage shafts for network stations as part of the Berlin M21 construction project for Panattoni Germany Properties GmbH;

Four multifunctional shafts as planters for the construction company Erich Krüger und Sohn, Jüterbog;

BEWAG shafts, cable shafts, and multifunctional shafts for the new construction of a data center in Berlin (the client is a company specializing in security construction);

Monolithic cable shafts for the expansion of a Berlin motorway on behalf of the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport, and Climate Protection;

Multifunctional shafts as pipe shafts for cross-media network work on the rainwater network of Berliner Wasserbetriebe;

Multifunctional shafts and medium-voltage shafts for an intermediate pumping station of Berliner Wasserbetriebe in Berlin-Ahrensfelde;

Multifunctional shafts for a cable pulling shaft for media connection of a new residential complex of BUWOG Group GmbH;

Multifunctional shafts and foundations for the renewal of the ILS at Leipzig/Halle Airport on behalf of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG;

Monolithic cable shafts, Köhler system, for lot II – classification of six public transport bus stops for Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH;

Multi-part 250/120-210 cm Köhler system hood shaft for Telekom Deutschland GmbH;

Köhler cable shafts for the new construction of the Herne combined cycle gas and steam power plant on behalf of STEAG GuD Herne GmbH/Siemens AG;

Multifunctional shafts as concrete transformer basins for flood protection for Netz Lübeck GmbH;

Cable shafts and monolithic multifunctional shafts for media connections at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Regular plant modernizations

Regular plant modernizations ensure consistently high production performance and product quality. The best example of this is the Pedax automatic stirrup bending machine, which was newly installed two years ago: The Twinmaster 13 X+ is an automatic bar bending machine for fully automatic reinforcing steel processing from coils, driven by powerful servo technology and designed for processing single wire with a diameter of 5 to 13 mm and double wire with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm.

The automatic adjustment of the straightening units is carried out via joystick, either for the complete straightening unit or for each pair of straightening rollers individually; this achieves optimum straightening results, which are stored in the computer and can be reproduced at any time. An anti-twist function can be integrated into the straightening units as an option to neutralize the natural twisting of the wire. Bending devices for clockwise and counterclockwise bending, driven by an electric servo motor, are included in the standard version and enable maximum precision and accurate results for every application.

Dick van den Berg from Humarbo Machinery B.V. reported on four systems delivered to Köhler Beton:

System 1: the 90-620 MPF 220 Humarbo production system with hopper filling and manual removal (44 pallets in the system) is suitable for the production and direct demolding of reinforced and non-reinforced concrete products with a maximum product length of 2,150 mm, a maximum product width of 1,450 mm, and a maximum product height of 500 mm. The maximum permissible product weight is 1,000 kg.

Plant 2: the 92-870 MPF 425 Humarbo production plant with AVM automatic filling and RMM automatic removal (101 pallets in the system) is suitable for the production and direct demolding of reinforced and non-reinforced concrete products with a maximum product length of 4,200 mm, a maximum product width of 1,200 mm, and a maximum product height of 300 mm. The maximum permissible product weight is 1,500 kg.

System 3: the 97-8500 Humarbo production system for the manufacture of slotted channels (length 4 meters) is suitable for wet concrete and consists of a hopper and a core pulling device with which the cores can be removed from the mold. The molds are placed side by side on supports. The core pulling device runs on rails and can thus reach every mold.

Plant 4: the 60160116 MPF 425 Humarbo production plant with AVM automatic filling and RMM automatic removal (101 pallets in the system) is suitable for the production and direct demolding of reinforced and non-reinforced concrete products with a maximum product length of 4,200 mm, a maximum product width of 1,200 mm, and a maximum product height of 300 mm. The maximum permissible product weight is 1,500 kg.

Non-metallic reinforcement from Rothycon

Roy Thyroff (Rothycon) commented as follows: „The development of the new cable duct covers with non-metallic reinforcement is the result of close and trusting cooperation between all partners involved. In my role at Rothycon Carbon Reinforcement, I was responsible for project management and coordination of the technical testing program in order to efficiently combine material development, factory implementation, and certification requirements—always in close consultation with all project participants.

A key component was the excellent cooperation with CG Tec Carbon und Glasfasertechnik GmbH, whose team supported the further development of the TECBAR GFRP Rebars with a high level of material expertise and great flexibility. Equally crucial was the commitment of the Köhler Beton team in Luckenwalde, who laid the foundation for smooth series production through practice-oriented process adjustments, in-house monitoring, and a dedicated production team.

This coordinated interaction made it possible to achieve series production readiness within a short period of time and obtain approval from Deutsche Bahn. The use of standard C30/37 concrete also shows that non-metallic reinforcement is an economical and permanently robust alternative in precast concrete construction.

The CU Bau network specifically promotes such cooperative development approaches. The open-minded collaboration between the precast concrete industry, composites specialists, and testing institutions in terms of materials and technology creates the basis for putting innovative solutions into practice more quickly—as the project in Luckenwalde impressively demonstrates.

Other plant manufacturers and suppliers include Construx (molds), Bikotronic (mixer control), Notstromtechnik-Clasen (Redox-flow battery storage), and Schwenk (cement). The Redox-flow (co-financed by the EU) is the ideal complement for storing the electricity generated by 997 photovoltaic modules on the hall roofs.