Bridge Construction

‫ممم مممم مممممم ممم‬

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

BY
 Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Atty Gab-Allah 
(Zagazig University)

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OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION.
2. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS.
3. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN EGYPT.

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1. INTRODUCTION
 Importance of bridges.

 Objective:
 Review latest bridge construction systems.

 Scope:
 Highway bridges (90%).
 Prestressed concrete (most recent developments).
 Superstructures.

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2. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS

 

System
Description
Code
A Precast, Prestressed Concrete Girders
Incremental Launching Construction
B (Deck Pushing System)
Cast-in-place,
C Balanced Cantilever Construction
Precast Segmental,
D Balanced Cantilever Construction
E Flying Shuttering System
F Cable-Stayed Bridges
G Suspension Bridges
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Suitability of Bridge Construction Systems
Sys. Site Structure Span Lengths Structure Other Aspects
Cond. Level Depth

A Inaccess. High Short Variable Sharp curvatures &

(40 - 80 m) superelevations.
B Inaccess. High Short Constant Straight or slightly-curved
(40 - 80 m) superstructures.
C Inaccess. High Long Variable Crossing navigable
(up to 250 m) waterways.
D Inaccess. High Long Variable Crossing navigable
(up to 200 m) waterways.
E Inaccess. High Short Variable Long viaducts with short
(40 – 70 m) spans.
F Inaccess. Very High Long Variable Crossing deep rivers, deep
(200 to 1,000 m) valleys, and mountains.

G Inaccess. Very High Very Long Variable Crossing deep rivers, deep
(500 to 2,000 m) valleys, and mountains.
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(A) Precast, Prestressed Concrete Girders

Post-Tensioning of Girders Construction Sequence 6

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Precast, Prestressed Concrete Girders

Advantages:
• Economy, speed, and improved quality of mass
production.
• Sharp curvatures & superelevations.
• Inaccessible sites.
• No interference with traffic.

Disadvantages:
• Casting yard, transport and erection equipment.
• Unsuitability for complex roadway geometry.

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(B) Incremental Launching (Deck Pushing)

Inc. Launching Construction

Construction Sequence

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Incremental Launching (Deck Pushing)

Advantages:
• Inaccessible sites.
• Riding learning curve (Repetitive operations).
• No interference with traffic.

Disadvantages:
• Casting yard and pushing equipment.
• Increase in longitudinal prestressing (cantilever
moments).
• Large labor force during launching.
• Unsuitability for complex roadway geometry.
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(C) Cast-in-Place, Balanced Cantilever
(Cantilever Carriage System)

Cantilever Carriage
Construction

Construction Sequence

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Cast-in-Place, Balanced Cantilever
(Cantilever Carriage System)
Advantages:
• Inaccessible sites.
• Long navigation channels.
• No interference with traffic or navigation.
• High labor efficiency.
Disadvantages:
• Special equipment and skilled labor.
• High precision required.
• Increase in reinforcement (cantilever moments).
• Limited length of segments.
• Low construction rate.
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(D) Precast Segmental, Balanced Cantilever

Precast Segmental
Construction

Construction Sequence

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Precast Segmental, Balanced Cantilever
Advantages:
• Economy, speed, and improved quality of mass
production.
• No interference with traffic or navigation.
• Low labor requirement for both fabrication and
erection operations.
• Adaptability to curvatures and superelevation.
Disadvantages:
• Casting yard, transport and erection equipment.
• High precision required.
• Increase in reinforcement (cantilever moments).
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(E) Flying Shuttering System
Two Phases:
• Concreting Phase.
• Advancing Phase.
Flying Shuttering Details

Construction Sequence

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Flying Shuttering System
Advantages:
• Long viaducts with short spans.
• No interference with traffic.
• High construction progress rate

Disadvantages:
• Special equipment.
• Unsuitability for long spans.

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(F) Cable-Stayed Bridges
Cable Arrangements:

Transverse:
(a) Single Plane – Vertical
(b) Single Plane - Vertical/Lateral
(c) Double Plane – Vertical
(d) Double Plane - Sloping

Longitudinal:
(a) Radiating
(b) Harp
(c) Fan
(d) Star
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Cable-Stayed Bridges
Construction Systems:
• Balanced Cantilever.
• Free Cantilever. Free Cantilever
• Deck pushing.

Balanced Cantilever
(Cast-in-Place) 17
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Stay Technology

Anchorage System for

Parallel-Wire Cables

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Cable-Stayed Bridges
Advantages:
• High clearance for traffic or navigation.
• Suitability for long spans.
• Less material quantities (smaller depths).

Disadvantages:
• High risks involved in bridge construction.
• High tech. required (very long span lengths).
• High degree of control required on quality, time
and budget.
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(G) Suspension Bridges

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Suspension Bridges
Advantages:
• Suitability for very long spans.
• High clearance for traffic or navigation.
• Less material quantities (smaller depths).

Disadvantages:
• High risks involved in bridge construction.
• High tech. required (very long span lengths).
• High degree of control required on quality, time
and budget.
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 DEVELOPMENTS & FUTURE TRENDS Bridge Construction
IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
Balanced Cantilever Construction:

Overhead Gantries
(Carry form travelers
to next pier)

Temporary Cable Stays

(Support cantilever
moments)
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Cable-Stayed Bridges:
Innovative Features of William Natcher Bridge:
• Continuity of superstructure at anchor piers with
approach girders, eliminating expansion joints.
• Concrete counterweight instead of conventional
tiedowns at anchor piers (to resist uplift).

Transition at
Anchor Pier
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Cable-Stayed Bridges:
Innovative Features of William Natcher Bridge:
• Simple details of cable-to-girder anchoring system.
• Efficient prefab composite steel cable-to-tower
anchoring system.

Cable-to-Girder Cable-to-Tower
Connection Connection
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Cable-Stayed Bridges:
Innovative Features of Suez Canal Bridge:
• First major cable-stayed bridge in Egypt
and Middle East.
• Highest Hwy bridge in the world (70-m
navigation clearance).

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Cable-Stayed Bridges:
Main Cable-Stayed Portion:
• 730-m-long (440-m main span, and 163-m side spans).
• 154-m-high RC pylons (slip-formed).
• Assembly of steel deck segments using high-friction grip
bolts and robot-welding.
• Erection of deck segments using two erection girders.
• New type of parallel wire strands (New-PWS).

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Suez Canal Bridge:
Approach Spans (40-m):
• Advanced shoring system (Flying Shuttering).

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Developments in Suspension Bridges:
Suspension Bridges with Significant Jump in Span Length
 
Span Length
Year Name of Bridge Country
(m)
1826 Menai U.K. 177
1883 Brooklyn U.S.A. 486
1937 Golden Gate U.S.A. 1,280
1998 Akashi Kaikyo Japan 1,991
?* Messina Strait Italy 3,300
?* Gibralta r Strait Spain/Moraocoo 5,000
* Design completed.

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Developments in Suspension Bridges:

Development Trends:
• Stronger, lighter decks (minimize dead load).
• Aerodynamic-shaped decks (minimize wind effects).
• Multi-box deck system (increase torsional stiffness).
• New cable materials, stronger and lighter than steel
(such as Carbon Fiber Composite Cables, CFCC).
• Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite
technology:
• Modular deck systems.
• Cable and tendon systems.

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3. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN EGYPT

Major Bridge Projects in Egypt
Sys. Major Applications Span Lengths Comp.
(m) Date
A  6th of October Bridge (Ramsis/Ghamra). 33 – 40 1988
 Ring Road 9-D Bridge. 40 1998
B  Zamalek Elevated Road. 31@25, 2@23.5 1986
 Dessouk Overhead Bridge. 34.2, 7@40.7, 5@40, 34 1987
C  Al-Giza New Bridge. 104, 2@69 1969
 6th of October Bridge. 110, 2@100, 2@70 1976
 Abou El-Ela Bridge. 115, 2@69 1986
 Rod El-Farag Bridge. 130, 2@75 1990
 New Benha Bridge. 120, 2@69 1990
 Al-Warrak Bridge 120, 2@60 2000
D Has Not Been Applied
E 6th of October Br. (Ghamra/ Autostrad). 42 1998
 Suez
Canal Bridge, Approach Spans. 40 2001
F 6th of October Br.(Ghamra/Autostrad). 133 (66.5 in each side) 1998
 Suez Canal Bridge, Main Spans. 404, 2@163 2001
G Has Not Been Applied
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Bridge Construction Systems Applicable for
Different Site Conditions in Egypt
System
# Site Conditions System Description
Code
A Precast concrete girders.
Under Running
I B Incremental launching.
Traffic
E Flying shuttering.
C Cantilever carriage.
Across Navigable
II D Precast segmental construction.
W aterways
F Cable-stayed bridge s.
Deep W aterways and F Cable-stayed br. (up to 1000 m).
III
M ountains G Suspension bridges (> 1,000 m).
A Precast concrete girders.
IV At Accessible Sites B Incremental launching.
E Flying shuttering.
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Thank you for listening

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