Suspended paths

Clean aesthetics and technological advantages explain growth in the number of cable-stayed
bridges throughout Brazil and the world
In five years time, the city of So Paulo was given three cable-stayed bridges: the Octavio Frias
de Oliveira Bridge, in the citys South Zone, the Orestes Qurcia Bridge in the North, and a
bridge that is part of the Complexo Virio Padre Adelino, a system connecting some main
arteries on the citys East Side. Throughout Brazil, examples of cable-stayed bridges sprout in
different regions. One of the forerunners in the country was the cable-stayed bridge for the
Engenheiro Jamil Sabino Subway Station on the Pinheiros River, which was opened in 1999,
followed by others that sought to combine technical visibility with the functionality of a bridge,
such as the JK Bridge in Braslia; the Joo Isidoro Bridge in Teresina, Piau; the Construtor Joo
Alves Bridge, in Aracaju, Sergipe; and the Ponte da Integrao in the state of Acre. But what
factors have to be taken into account when deciding to opt for a cable-stayed bridge?
To Roberto Alves, an engineer with Figueiredo Ferraz Project Engineering which is responsible
for several projects in the country, the technical aspect is the priority in making this decision.
"The main technical aspect that justifies the adoption cable-staying is without a doubt the
extension of the obstacle to be overcome - whether its a river, a valley or even an avenue. While
a conventional structure can handle spans of up to 50/60 meters, a cable-stayed bridge can
overcome spans of over 500 meters. Today there are already cable-stayed bridges in operation
with main spans the extend beyond 1,000 m. Spans of this magnitude are typically found in
bridges over shipping channels which, in view of the growth in the dimensions of large freighters,
demand a very safe horizontal clearance (distance between supporting structures)," the engineer
points out.
Along with his colleagues Roberto Romani and Oswaldo Luis Gonalves, Roberto Alves points
out that the main difference and distinction between the two concepts is their structural behavior.
"While a conventional structure overcomes the span between supports by allowing the deck
beams to flex, in a cable-stayed structure these beams will overcome the span while practically
hanging from stays attached to the tops of the masts and they are, therefore, very slim due to
the proximity of the staying cables," adds Roberto Romani.
Since its decks are thinner, the cable-stayed alternative winds up also being very competitive for
urban works, enabling the execution of large lengths without compromising road clearance (the
height left below the deck for vehicles passing under it). A conventional structure, which has a
greater thickness of deck to overcome the same span, would have to be raised to offset the
restriction on height, adds Romani.
In such cases where both alternatives are feasible, they point out, the cable-stayed bridge will
always be more expensive, although economics is not always the sole criterion for making the
choice, the experts warn. With the technical command of project design and construction of
cable-stayed bridges, designers felt confidence in designing them although, in some cases,
certain solutions that appear may seem rather forced, some say. One must also consider that
the complexity of the present-day road projects, especially in large cities, justifies the boldness of
such solutions.
In terms of maintenance, the technical group tells us that each project has its own particular
characteristics, but regardless of the structural system designed, a preventive maintenance
program is fundamental and plays a key role in the preservation of the work, prolonging its life
and avoiding the high costs that a larger intervention (which could have been avoided) would
bring.
"The good news is that the federal government will invest R$ 5.8 billion (US$ 3.31 Bn) by 2018 in
a program for the recovery of 2,500 bridges and viaducts along federal highways in Brazil. The
Program for Rehabilitation of Special Structures (Proarte) started when it was found that
approximately 500 bridges or viaducts are in derelict condition and require immediate
intervention. Without a doubt, it is a matter of political will," stresses Roberto Alves
A cable-stayed project, due to its aesthetics, has a much stronger architectural appeal although
this should not be the only factor in determining its choice. "The technical and economic aspects
should also be considered," they stress. They believe that it is very difficult to expect a
conventional bridge to become an icon, whether from an architectural or even engineering
standpoint. But they emphasize that construction of projects that use the system of stays, like
any other distinctive work, contributes to the emergence of new construction methodologies, to
the technological development of the steel, of concretes, stays, anchors and to the emergence of
powerful structural engineering software.
To Roberto Romani, the design of a viaduct is always the result of its inclusion in the road
project. The more complex the road system tends to be, the greater the complexity of the
structure, hence the importance of the participation of an architect in this integration. In the most
recent major works such a concern is already clear.
Roberto Alves underscores a few of the projects developed by Figueiredo Ferraz as examples of
good architecture in the area of bridges, namely: the Third Bridge of Vitria, F.Ferraz/Usiminas
(1985); Rodovia dos Imigrantes Descending Lanes, F.Ferraz (2002); II Bridge over the Orinoco
River, F.Ferraz/Consrcio Brave (2006); besides the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge, Marginal
de Pinheiros (SP), Projeto Enescil (2008) and Millau Viaduct in France, this one, without a
shadow of a doubt, the largest of all; a true work of art, perfect in every way. In my opinion,
nothing the likes of it will be made in the next 50 years, concludes Alves.
Ponte do Saber is the newest bridge of this type
On February 17 this year, the newest member of the family of cable-stayed bridges in Brazil was
opened to traffic: the Ponte do Saber (or Bridge of Knowledge) connecting the Campus of the
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ (aka Cidade Universitria or University City), on the
Ilha do Fundo, to the citys Linha Vermelha (Red Expressway) in the direction of Rios
downtown area, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Built over the Canal do Fundo channel, with a
total length of 780 meters and two lanes with 4.5 meters in width each, this bridge has improved
the traffic of Rios Cidade Universitria. About 1,800 vehicles use the bridge during rush hours,
which means a 60% reduction in the number of vehicles that used to circulate at the exit of the
Cidade Universitria.
Designed by architect Alexandre Chan, the bridge is based on the initial studies carried out by
Prof. Francisco Lopes - professor of the Civil Engineering Program at COPPE (The Alberto Luiz
Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering), and by architect Ivan
Ferreira Carmo - current mayor of the Cidade Universitria.
The bridge is suspended by fifteen front stays and six back stays. The metal sustaining cables
(stays) are anchored to a single pillar or mast. The structure, with 100 meters in height, sustains
the deck over a free span of 180 meters.
The cable-stayed bridge is one of the stages of the Environmental Recovery Program for the
Canal do Fundo which is part of the specified duties of the State Government for the 2016
Olympic Games. With R$ 321 million (US$ 183.43 million) in funding from Petrobras, the
interventions include the dredging of 3.6 million cubic meters of sediment from the Canal do
Fundo, reurbanization of the Residential Village at the UFRJ, strengthening the pillars of the
Linha Vermelha and replanting of mangroves, besides the construction of the cable-stayed
bridge for which R$ 69 million (US$ 39.43 million) were allocated from the total R$ 321 million in
the Program.
A giant on the Rio Negro
With 3,595 meters in length, the grand and imposing bridge over the Rio Negro, linking the city of
Manaus to Iranduba, in the state of Amazonas, is the largest bridge in Brazil over fresh water.
Designed to promote the integration of the Metropolitan Region of Manaus, it is the worlds
second largest in this segment losing only to Ciudad Bolivar in Venezuela where the bridge that
crosses the Orinoco River and is 3,600 meters long.
The bridge was built by the Rio Negro Consortium comprised of the Camargo Corra and
Construbase construction companies. In its entire structure, with 73 spans, the consortium
placed 246 excavated piles and 213 precast beams. The construction of the submerged part of
the bridge consumed a volume of concrete equal to that of Rio de Janeiros Maracan Stadium.
The same volume of concrete was used in building the part over the river.
The extension of the cable-stayed section in the central span is 400 meters divided into two 200
m sections with a clearance of 55 meters in height, one on each side of the main mast which was
designed to hold the stays. This mast, in turn, is 185 meters tall from the surface of the water
(equivalent to the height of a 60-storey building). This central section is supported by 104
diamond-shaped stays.
Regardless of the flooding or ebbing of the river, the clearance at the central span was designed
to allow the traffic of ocean liners; large ships that, by passing under the bridge, can reach the
archipelago of Anavilhanas or any other destination without concern. This clearance height could
have been much smaller, significantly reducing the cost of the construction, but by order of the
government of Amazonas state, it was maintained to ensure full navigability toward the
headwaters of the river. At ebb tide, the clearance increases. If the river ebbs 10 m, for example,
the height of the bridge will increase to 65 meters.
A person who stands at the highest point of the main mast will have a very wide view of the local
landscape and can discern, on one side, the Anavilhanas Archipelago - an ecological haven 50
km from Manaus and, on the other, the Meeting of the Waters between the Rio Negro and Rio
Solimes, downstream of the bridge.
The total width of the bridge is 20.70 meters where we have four lanes of traffic - two in each
direction - in addition to a walk for pedestrians on both sides of the lanes of traffic. The width is
slightly greater in the cable-stayed section - around 22.60 m - due to the placement of the stays.
Points of access to the bridge, both on the Manaus side as well as in Iranduba, were chosen to
afford minimal access-ramp slope of no more than 3.01%. This allows the traffic of cars and
cargoes of any size.
More than a work of engineering, the bridge over the Rio Negro is recognized as a gateway to
the future and a promoter of economic and social development. With it, the 30 neighboring
municipalities around the state capital are now able to share in all the benefits that derive from
the Zona Franca de Manaus (Free Trade Zone) project, promoting the generation of employment
and income for thousands of people. Prior to the construction of the bridge, the area of the Plo
Industrial de Manaus (PIM - Industrial Hub of Manaus) was 10,000 km2. With this expansion, the
territory grew to 101,000 km2. The great benefit for companies is that they now have the
opportunity to establish themselves in these municipalities and receive the same tax incentives
granted to those established in the city of Manaus.