ASFINAG toll station wows with its new timber design

After 46 years of service, the toll station at the Gleinalm Tunnel was outdated, its infrastructure itself was also in need of an overhaul. Beginning in February 2023, this first of two Styrian toll stations was completely rebuilt from the ground up and, in the spirit of ASFINAG's sustainability strategy, was also turned into a milestone of sustainable construction. This is why the main building material chosen was timber, as its photosynthesis process allows it to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. A photovoltaic plant supplies the entire Gleinalm site with solar power, while heating and cooling are provided by a heat pump."

Significant innovations as per ASFINAG sustainability strategy

This investment aims at making toll stations and work places fit for the future according to the ASFINAG sustainability strategy. The main innovations at the two toll stations include:

• New Gleinalm station and extension of the Bosruck station as low energy buildings, timber being the main material
•  Both toll stations receive photovoltaic plants that cover their own consumptions
• Installation of electric vehicle charging stations for in-house fleet
• Reduction of oil consumption: The Gleinalm building receives a heat pump, the Bosruck site a biomass plant
• The new toll stations' roofs are timber structures, in Bosruck the facade is made from timber
• The temporary structure's steel construction is planned to be used as "modular" system as it can be taken apart and rebuilt several times. Thus, this structure can be used for multiple toll station reconstruction projects.
• Ecological and social quality criteria were taken into account as early as the tender process. Ecological and environmental standard certificates and the employment of apprentices were positively rated in addition.

The HASSLACHER Group supplies timber elements

The HASSLACHER Group supplied some 140m³ of glued laminated timber, 20m³ of which as composite elements from the sites NORITEC Holzindustrie GmbH and HASSLACHER Holzbausysteme GmbH. Some 2,200m² of multiple-ply solid wood panels were made at GEMSON GmbH in Rangersdorf im Mölltal. More than 115m³ of structural finger jointed solid timber, 65m³ of which GLT-tested glulam beams, were produced at HASSLACHER Preding Holzindustrie GmbH in Styria. In the HASSLACHER Group's logistics centers, trucks were coordinated in such a way that a minimum number of trips were required for this project along the A9 Phyrn motorway. This not only saves construction costs, but is also easier on the environment."