Photogallyer of the construction of the Gasometer 1896-1899

December 18th 1896: beginning of construction

On this day building up the gas work in the East of Vienna – in Simmering – started. The ground water level was very high and so they dig only a 5 Meter deep foundation.

The Bassin.

In the lower part of the Gasometers is a Bassin filled with water to seal up the gas tank so that the gas resides inside it. The bassin has a diameter of 62.8 meter and a water level of 12 meter. The walls of the bassin were made of bricks and concret. One bassin had a capacity of 30,000 cubicmeter water at a area of 3,096 squaremeter.

The Stone Wall.

After the bassin has been finished they began to build up the wall with bricks. The outer wall of the Gasometer is at ground level 5.4 meter thick. The thickness of the wall becomes thinner until it attains a thicknes of 0.9 meter at the top of the wall in 46.3 meter above the ground.

The Roof Construction

Each roof construction has a weight of 143 tons and has been raised up in 29 days. They set it up at the top of the bassin and shift it up with each new built row of bricks on the wall. The top of the roof is 67.4 meter above the ground.

Mai 10th 1898: Wall has been finished.

The first group of Gasometer had been completet in 84 days! The second group in 72 days! Over 1,630 workers were working on the building site daily at the four Gasometers.

The gas cover

The wall of bricks were build as a shield for the gas tank and as architectural architectural appreciation. Gasometer were build normally as construction made of steel only. The 5th Gasometer at the gas work in Vienna - Simmering were build in 1911 without a wall of brick at the outside. This 5th Gasometer had been removed in the 80ies of the 20th century. Each of the four gas covers had a capacity of 90,000 cubicmeter gas. The diameter of one gas cover were 60 meter at the ground and it had a weight of 578 ton. You can see a gas cover at the picture on the left side.

17. Juli 1898: Ready to operate

October 31st 1899: Opening of the gas work and the Gasometer

The viennese bishop Schneider, the town major of Vienna Dr. Lueger and the engineers Dipl.-Ing. Kapaun and Ing. Teodor Hermann inaugurated the new municipal gas work of Vienna.