diff --git a/DDRec/include/DDRec/Surface.h b/DDRec/include/DDRec/Surface.h
index e4d366b001d58f544b30fa25b13f80a2d406a8cc..6e74fd55ff245529613774554be06d76ba08e1ec 100644
--- a/DDRec/include/DDRec/Surface.h
+++ b/DDRec/include/DDRec/Surface.h
@@ -203,9 +203,11 @@ namespace DD4hep {
       virtual ~VolSurfaceList(){
       
 	// delete all surfaces attached to this volume
-	for( VolSurfaceList::iterator i=begin(), n=end() ; i !=n ; ++i ) {
-	  delete (*i).ptr() ;
-	}
+	// fixme: causes seg fault if same surfaces attached to more than one list
+	//         -> how do we deal with this ?
+	// for( VolSurfaceList::iterator i=begin(), n=end() ; i !=n ; ++i ) {
+	//   delete (*i).ptr() ;
+	// }
       
       }
     } ;
@@ -373,6 +375,19 @@ namespace DD4hep {
 
     };
 
+    //======================================================================================================
+
+    class CylinderSurface:  public Surface, public ICylinder {
+
+    public:
+
+      CylinderSurface( Geometry::DetElement det, VolSurface volSurf ) : Surface( det, volSurf ) { }      
+      
+      virtual double radius() const {
+	
+	return _volSurf.origin().rho() ;
+      }
+    } ;
 
     //======================================================================================================
     /** std::list of Surfaces that optionally takes ownership.
diff --git a/DDRec/src/DetectorSurfaces.cpp b/DDRec/src/DetectorSurfaces.cpp
index cc41ba346c24a620632006e2a3cfa3e5f749fff9..dc6c9551dc4f487a8fb3832015670bd582417a6a 100644
--- a/DDRec/src/DetectorSurfaces.cpp
+++ b/DDRec/src/DetectorSurfaces.cpp
@@ -43,12 +43,11 @@ namespace DD4hep {
 	  
 	  VolSurface volSurf =  *it ;
 	  
-	  Surface* surf = new Surface(  det,  volSurf ) ;
-	  
-	   // std::cout << " ------------------------- " 
-	   // 	    << " surface: "   << *surf        << std::endl
-	   // 	    << " ------------------------- "  << std::endl ;
+	  Surface* surf = ( volSurf.type().isCylinder() ?  new CylinderSurface(  det,  volSurf )  :  new Surface(  det,  volSurf )  ) ;
 	  
+	  // std::cout << " ------------------------- " 
+	  //   	    << " surface: "   << *surf        << std::endl
+	  //   	    << " ------------------------- "  << std::endl ;
 	  
 	  _sL->push_back( surf ) ;
 	  
diff --git a/DDRec/src/Surface.cpp b/DDRec/src/Surface.cpp
index 4466e75d43cb532ca6b0810d2dd87f656e8e9840..d4574aebcf1fd6f57ea25e86d33df3fb8ec0b7d2 100644
--- a/DDRec/src/Surface.cpp
+++ b/DDRec/src/Surface.cpp
@@ -804,6 +804,12 @@ namespace DD4hep {
 
     //===================================================================================================================
 
+    // double CylinderSurfaceSurface::radius() const {
+
+    //   return _volSurf.origin().rho() ;
+    // }
+
+    // //===================================================================================================================
 
   } // namespace
 } // namespace
diff --git a/DDSurfaces/include/DDSurfaces/ISurface.h b/DDSurfaces/include/DDSurfaces/ISurface.h
index dc26061d1a1c19e619b15d5d4e1cefd81d77e7f8..549f5ba44c2d8f4a465790b545ac04645903e4d3 100644
--- a/DDSurfaces/include/DDSurfaces/ISurface.h
+++ b/DDSurfaces/include/DDSurfaces/ISurface.h
@@ -65,7 +65,21 @@ namespace DDSurfaces {
     
   } ;
   
-
+  //==============================================================================================
+  /** Minimal interface to provide acces to radius of cylinder surfaces.
+   * @author F. Gaede, DESY
+   * @version $Id: $
+   * @date May 6 2014
+   */
+  class ICylinder {
+    
+  public:
+    /// Destructor
+    virtual ~ICylinder() {}
+    virtual double radius() const=0 ;
+  };
+  
+  
   /** Helper class for describing surface properties.
    *  Usage: SurfaceType type(  SurfaceType::Plane, SurfaceType::Sensitive ) ; 
    *
@@ -206,7 +220,12 @@ namespace DDSurfaces {
     os <<  "   inner material : " << s.innerMaterial() << "  thickness: " <<  s.innerThickness()  << std::endl  
        <<  "   outerMaterial :  " << s.outerMaterial() << "  thickness: " <<  s.outerThickness()  << std::endl   ;
 
-      return os ;
+    const ICylinder* cyl = dynamic_cast< const ICylinder* > ( &s ) ;
+
+    if( cyl )
+      os << "   cylinder radius : " << cyl->radius() <<  std::endl   ;
+
+    return os ;
   }