Helicopter landing pad on the flat roof of a hospital
The construction of the helipad will further improve the hospital infrastructure at the Crailsheim clinic site.
Introduction
The Klinikum Crailsheim helicopter landing pad represents a significant infrastructure development for the hospital in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This rooftop helipad project is currently under construction and is designed to enhance emergency medical services and patient transport capabilities for the region. The construction is now underway on the rooftop helicopter landing pad at Klinikum Crailsheim, as a key infrastructure project set to significantly enhance regional emergency medical services.
A helicopter landing pad is being constructed on the roof of the hospital's new extension building (Bauabschnitt II - Construction Phase 2). The construction of the steel substructure began on September 15, 2025, with the project scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.
The steel substructure for the 30-meter diameter platform began assembly on September 15, 2025, following the contract award to Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG.
About the project
Plans for a helicopter landing pad in the city of Crailsheim have been in the works for years—now it can finally be built, with a diameter of around 30 meters on the roof of the hospital extension.
The project is part of the extension of Klinikum Crailsheim (Crailsheim Hospital). On level 5 of the East Extension, a helicopter landing pad is installed on the flat roof of the hospital. The landing platform is 30 metres in diameter and consists of a reinforced concrete deck supported by a steel substructure. The steel structure is made of several truss girders in two perpendicular directions. The landing platform cantilevers up to approximately 9 m beyond the edge of the building.
The helicopter landing pad installed on the flat roof of a hospital is designed as a grid truss system where steel trusses are placed in two perpendicular directions. This results in a large number of nodes, each of which has several connected members.
On level 5 of the East Extension, a helicopter landing pad is installed on the flat roof of the hospital.
The construction includes the application of approximately 730 m² of specialized helipad surface coating, ensuring proper friction, weather resistance, and visual markings for safe helicopter operations. The project aims to provide rapid air transport access, securing the future of Crailsheim Hospital as a comprehensive critical care provider.
From steel skeleton to lifesaving platform: The construction of the Crailsheim helipad is under way.
Engineering challenges
The primary challenge was the sheer complexity of the steel connection design. The grid truss system resulted in an exceptionally high number of nodes, each with several connected members. The initial global static calculation was provided only in a PDF format, which presented a significant hurdle for efficiently designing and verifying all the connections.
Navigating a forest of steel connections
The traditional approach of manually extracting member forces—which are often the maximum values from different, non-simultaneous load combinations—was deemed inefficient and prone to error for a project of this scale. The team needed a way to access the simultaneous member loads from the actual ULS combinations directly and to manage the design of hundreds of similar, yet not identical, connections without repetitive manual work.
Solutions and results
The engineering team at DESA implemented a fully digitalized workflow centered on IDEA StatiCa to overcome these challenges, moving from a cumbersome, error-prone process to an efficient, automated one.
DESA Ingénieurs-Conseils s.à r.l.The solution began by recreating the global structural model in AxisVM using its COM interface, ensuring a accurate and flexible digital twin. This model was then seamlessly exported to IDEA StatiCa CheckBot and finally to IDEA StatiCa Connection via the software's BIM links.
This digital workflow proved immensely efficient. By importing the model directly into IDEA StatiCa Connection, we had immediate access to the correct geometry, member types, and—most critically—the precise member loads for each Ultimate Limit State (ULS) combination. A key advantage was the ability to design connections based on forces that act simultaneously, a significant improvement over the traditional method of using the maximum member forces from a static document, which often originate from different, non-concurrent load cases and can lead to overly conservative or inefficient designs.
This integrated approach yielded significant and quantifiable results:
- Data-Accurate Design: By working with a model that provided all forces acting on a connection at the same time, the team could design each joint with precision, avoiding over-engineering and ensuring optimal material use and safety.
- Efficient Connection Management: The Connection Library allowed the team to save validated basic joint types and reapply them to other similar connections, drastically accelerating the design process and ensuring consistency across the entire structure.
- Bulk Design for Speed: The Bulk Design function was a game-changer. It automatically identified joints with similar typology. The team designed a single reference connection for each group and then verified all connections within that group automatically. This batch-processing approach resulted in massive time savings, allowing engineers to focus only on the atypical connections that required specific optimization or strengthening.
- Streamlined Communication and Approval: The need for preparing traditional 2D sketches for the workshop and for approvals was completely eliminated. The shared .ideacon files and automatically generated calculation reports provided the steel constructor and the control office with a single source of truth. They could visualize the connection in 3D, review the forces, and check the verification all within IDEA StatiCa Viewer, making the review process faster and unambiguous. The final outcome was a highly optimized and safe steel connection design, delivered with a significant reduction in engineering hours and the potential for human error. The streamlined digital workflow was a critical factor in keeping the complex project on track for its ambitious deadline.
An additional benefit was the streamlined communication with the steel constructor. Because we didn’t need to prepare separate sketches, sharing the ideacon file and the accompanying report was sufficient. Using the IdeaStatiCa Viewer, the constructor could directly access all necessary information.
The control office also used IdeaStatiCa, which further simplified the verification and validation of our calculations.
We are well accustomed to working with IdeaStatiCa, but in this project in particular, we were able to leverage nearly all of its capabilities. This resulted in a highly optimized workflow, substantial time savings, reduced potential for human error, fully optimized steel connections, and clear, unambiguous communication across all involved parties.
Conclusion
The helicopter landing pad at Klinikum Crailsheim was a project defined by its complex steel connection details. By leveraging a digital workflow with IDEA StatiCa—specifically its BIM data exchange, Connection Library, and Bulk Design tools—the engineering team optimized the entire design and verification process.
This project underscores how modern connection design software is indispensable for managing complex steel structures efficiently. The methodology adopted led to substantial time savings, a reduction in errors, and the delivery of a safe, optimized design. Ultimately, the use of IDEA StatiCa was instrumental in ensuring this critical infrastructure project was delivered effectively, enhancing the hospital's life-saving emergency medical capabilities.
About the structural engineer
"At DESA, we tackle a diverse portfolio, from industrial buildings and bridges to complex special structures. This variety demands both precision and efficiency, especially in steel detailing where we collaborate closely with steel constructors. For the Crailsheim helipad project, with its immense number of complex connections, IDEA StatiCa was indispensable. Its ability to seamlessly integrate into our digital workflow allowed us to move from the global model to detailed connection design with all the correct, simultaneous loads. This wasn't just a time-saver; it was a fundamental shift towards a more accurate, optimized, and error-free design process."
Dr. András KozmaI is a structural engineer at DESA Ingénieurs-conseils s.à.r.l in Luxembourg. He graduated in 2016 from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics specializing in bridge structures and computational structural engineering. He obtained my PhD in 2020 at the University of Luxembourg on demountable steel-concrete composite structures. At DESA, he handles a wide variety of projects including but not limited to industrial structures, residential buildings, photovoltaic installations, special structures and bridges. He frequently collaborates with steel constructors in steel detailing. This is where he can best take advantage of the opportunities offered by IdeaStatiCa.
About DESA Ingénieurs-Conseils, Luxembourg
DESA Ingénieurs-Conseils is a specialized engineering consulting firm based in Luxembourg, focusing on civil and industrial construction projects. The company is located in Contern, one of Luxembourg's central business districts.
Primary Areas of Expertise:
- BO (Concrete/Béton) – concrete structures and design
- CI (Civil infrastructure) – infrastructure projects
- SC (Steel/Structure Composite) – steel frame and composite construction
DESA Ingénieurs-Conseils s.à r.l, Luxembourg
https://www.desa.lu/
