InFonaL

Today, precision is key at the InFonaL construction site. Seven large trusses are being lifted by crane into their designated positions. Each one is 19.45 meters long and weighs just under 20 metric tons.

Now that the first floor slab is complete, work is underway on the walls of the second floor. To ensure that the scaffolding can grow along with the structure, it must be securely fastened to the building.

The structural framework of the InFonaL is taking shape more and more clearly: The first floor is complete, and work is now underway on the ceiling above it.

The building's shell continues to take shape: The exterior walls made of precast elements are already in place, and additional prefabricated walls are currently being installed and prepared for concrete pouring

The first seven walls are being erected.

The first section is currently being poured. Additional sections will follow in the coming weeks.

Numerous preparatory tasks are currently underway at the construction site, most of which will be barely visible in the finished building. These include, among other things, the utility connections as well as the areas for elevators and stairwells.

Mr. Gensch, a concrete and reinforced concrete contractor at Toepel Bauunternehmung GmbH, explains what work is scheduled for the coming weeks and why the area for the future elevator is already being prepared.

Work on the underground infrastructure is getting underway: Sewer lines are currently being laid at the construction site, and the necessary earthwork is being carried out.

To ensure that the crane will be able to lift heavy loads later on, the foundation is now being prepared in the center of the construction site.

Nothing works on a construction site without electricity: Mr. Helimann of Griep Bautechnik GmbH ensures that cranes, containers, and machinery are reliably supplied with power.

In preparation for the foundations of the Infonal, Marcel Pötzsch and his colleague from Bau- und Haustechnik Bad Düben GmbH are conducting surveying work.

Eight office containers and two restroom containers have arrived.

Snow currently covers the InFonaL construction site. Work has been suspended due to weather conditions and will resume as soon as conditions permit.

Now that the underground pipes have been laid, another important step in the construction process is approaching: testing the thermal properties of the subsoil in the area of the geothermal probes.

Over the next few days, Patrick Schröder’s job will be to lay the pipes for the 42 geothermal probes through four trenches to the four distribution shafts. “Once everything is laid, we’ll have about 2,700 meters of piping here,” he says.

Drilling rigs are in operation on the Campus Köthen: For the InFonaL project, 42 geothermal probes are being installed at depths of up to 140 meters; about half have already been completed. We spoke with Steven Wassermann of deepcon Bau- und Bohr GmbH about the status of the work.

With the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony, construction of the InFonaL Research Center on the Campus Köthen has officially begun. The new building will serve as the hub for research into sustainable food production methods.

The first test soil samples have been taken, and preparatory work—such as soil analyses—has already been completed. Now, soil excavation, backfilling, and the construction of the site access road are set to begin.

On June 5, 2025, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, together with the City of Köthen, the Saxony-Anhalt State Agency for Construction and Real Estate Management (BLSA), and the architectural firm heinlewischer, presented the construction project “InFonaL – Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Food Production.”

An important step for Anhalt University of Applied Sciences: The federal and state governments have approved the construction of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Food Production (InFonaL). A new scientific hub is taking shape on the Campus Köthen, which will strengthen Life Sciences research at the university.