Millau Viaduct – World's Tallest Bridge

Extreme Engineering Marvel

Mankind has certainly moved on to the next challenge of constructing on what was thought to be as the impossible by our predecessors. Credits to the Engineers.

To me there are few things more impressive than being on a man-made structure, such as a very tall building or a bridge, and viewing blue sky above and clouds below. Of, course for this to occur the structure has be be rather high and the clouds low.

This is why I was immediately impressed when a friend sent me pictures of the Millau Viaduct, which crosses the valley of the Tarn River valley near the city of Millau in the mountains of southern France.

Normally it is the high mountains that present a challenge to engineers building roads that connect two or more points. However, in case of the Millau Viaduct, the mountain area through which the A75 autoroute, also known as la Méridienne, passes is apparently rather high most of the way until it reaches the Tarn River valley.

Bridge with blue sky above and clouds below.

Bridge spans valley of the Tarn River.

 

A Joint Franco-British Project

As can be seen from the picture at the right, one has to traverse a long, winding road down the mountain on one side of the valley and then immediately repeat the process while climbing up the mountain on the other side of the valley.

In addition to the kilometers / miles and time added by the trip down into the valley and back up into the mountains, time was also lost in the past to traffic congestion in the town and on the two lane bridge across the Tarn River. It is estimated that the bridge over the valley has shortened the driving distance between the Paris and the Mediterranean coast of France by 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) and, during the summer tourist season, reduced travel time by as much as four hours.

Construction of the bridge was a joint Franco-British project with help from companies in other European countries. Financing for the 394 million Euro (U.S. $524) project was provided by the French construction firm Eiffage. As a result of corporate mergers*, the Eiffage frim includes the firm that built the Eiffel Tower in Paris which, at the time of its completion in 1887, was the tallest structure in the world. This is obviously a company with long experience in being involved with construction of structures of record setting size. British architect Norman Foster designed the bridge, which has come to be viewed both as a work of art as well as a construction marvel, while the French bridge engineer, Dr. Michel Virlogeux, provided the engineering design.

While planning began in the late twentieth century, actual construction did not begin until December 2001 and its 2005 target completion date was achieved a little early when it was formally dedicated on December 14, 2004 and opened to traffic on December 16, 2004.

The Millau Viaduct is an artistic and engineering marvel. It currently holds the record for having the highest piles (the pilers rising from the ground and supporting the bridge from below) of any bridge in the world with its highest being 244.96 meters (803.7 feet) and the highest mast (the pilers rising up from the top of the bridge and holding the suspension cables) which towers 343 meters (1,125 feet) above the roadbed of the bridge. It also has a claim to having the highest roadbed of any bridge in the world with its roadbed reaching 270 meters (885.8 feet) above the river below.

However, the roadbed of the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado in the United States tops this with its roadbed which towers 1,053 feet (321 meters) above the river below. Based upon height of roadbed, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest in the world while based upon mast height, the Millau Viaduct is the highest in the world. Regardless of which is the highest, the Millau Viaduct is the clear winner in terms of length and beauty.

Famous Bridges

Look back into history of some of the famous bridges around the world

Look up to the tallest bridge in the United States at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado. It is the tallest suspension bridge in the world, looming above the Arkansas River at 1,053 feet. You can even walk across the bridge’s wooden planks, if you can deal with the vertigo you may experience. Only taking six months to build, it cost $350,000 in 1929. This bridge was built with tourists in mind, not as a transportation mode. It is at the top of the list for visited attractions in Colorado.

See St. Petersburg Cathedral, The London Eye, Canary Wharf and so much more from the London Tower Bridge walkways in London, England. The two towers span over the Thames River with two glassed in walkways for pedestrians to walk. Previously, the London Bridge was the only way in and out of England’s capital city. As the only movable bridge on the Thames, it moved up and down over 1,000 times a year after it first opened in 1894. Today, very few ships travel down the Thames River and it only opens about 100 times annually.

Cross the Brooklyn Bridge by car and you will be among 144,000 other vehicles daily. This bridge boasts several “firsts” in the world of bridges. It was the first suspension bridge to use steel cable wires in its construction, and it was also the first to use caisson devices in explosions. When it was built in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge at 3,460 feet. However, today the Japanese Akashi Kaikyo Bridge at 12,626 feet is the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Ride in a railway car over the Garabit Viaduct Bridge from the Garabit valley to the south of France. This famous red bridge was built from steel beams with triangle shaped holes in a truss pattern. This allowed the windy area’s bridge to remain stable rather than swaying when the wind hit it. This bridge was designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel, known as the famous architect of France’s Eiffel Tower.

There is enough cable wire from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to circle around the world several times. The men that worked on the bridge had a special name attached to them, the “Halfway to Hell Club.” That's how dangerous their jobs were. A safety net was strewn under the workers. It saved the lives of 19 of the bridge builders during it’s construction. A million vehicles, and counting, have gone over the Golden Gate since it was built in 1937.

Observe the remains of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at the National Register of Historic Places. Its remains were dredged from Puget Sound for safe keeping. After its demise, bridges were never built in the same way again. When this bridge was completed in the 1940s, it got the name “Galloping Gertie” because of its rocking action. It actually made drivers and passengers car sick while driving over it. Thankfully, no lives were lost when it finally fell apart in 42 mph winds and crashed into the water below. The solid girders used in the construction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge caused it to act in the unstable manner. A new type of construction eased the wind and kept bridges from excessive swaying.

Chappel Viaduct in England

It’s amazing how people can construct such a massive structure back during the old days.

Renowned as being the second largest brick built structure in England, the first being recognised as Battersea Power Station, the Chappel Viaduct is situated near Wakes Colne in Essex and spans the picturesque Colne Valley. It presently still supports the Sudbury to Marks Tey line which regularly connects with trains to and from London's Liverpool Street Station along the main line.

The foundation stone for this man made wonder was laid on the 14th September 1847. A bottle containing a newly minted sovereign, a half-sovereign, a shilling, a sixpence and a four-penny piece was placed underneath this stone. This bottle and all its contents were stolen shortly after the laying ceremony; the culprit was caught after he tried to pass over a brand new sovereign coin in the nearby Rose and Crown public house.

Chappel Viaduct is 1,066ft long and some 5 to 6 million bricks are believed to have been used in its construction. A work force of 606 men known at the time as 'navvies' were employed to complete the work which took two years, this was relatively fast for such a large structure. The Viaduct has 32 arches; each having a span of 30ft and at its maximum the height is 75ft. Although so many bricks were used in the construction, to save money and to cut down on weight, the piers were left hollow.

The engineer of the viaduct was Peter Schuyler Bruff and his plan was for the line to continue on as far as Ipswich in Suffolk, but the railway company did not have sufficient funds for this. Bruff later built the line himself and is also credited for founding the Essex seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea.

On the 2nd July 1849, the first passenger train crossed the viaduct from Colchester to Sudbury carrying an official party. A large crowd greeted the honoured guests at Sudbury despite its station still being unfinished.

To this day Chappel Viaduct is in daily use by trains and is well worth a visit if you are in the area. It attracts many tourists and visitors every year and is a highly photographed structure. Bordering the viaduct is The Chappel Millennium Green and as the name suggests this was opened to celebrate the Millennium. It contains a walk around area and children's play area which should keep the kids amused while you take in this wonder.

Construction of Agas-Agas Bridge in South Leyte – ahead of schedule with 87% completed

Latest development of progress of Agas-Agas bridge construction

Tacloban City (April 26) -- Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. was a picture of contentment when earlier this month of April, he inspected the near completion of the Agas Agas Bride or Viaduct project in Sogod, Southern Leyte.

Considered as one of the vital road network in Eastern Visayas, the Agas-Agas Bridge Project is already 87 percent complete, much more, 8.17 percent ahead of the schedule. the Agas-Agas Bride Project is expected to be completed on August of 2009.

The Project contractor has completed much of the programmed works because of the good weather condition in the area. If the good weather prevails contractor will complete the project ahead of schedule.

DPWH Secretary Ebdane who was accompanied by Undersecretary for Visayas Operations Rafael Yabut, discussed with the contractors and consultants the possibility of providing several improvements which will complement with the bridge.

The DPWH Secretary was referring to the putting up a bridge view deck and other additional works such as parking area, rest house, bridge bituminous concrete surface course, bridge electrical provision and other related works.

"Because it is considered as one of the considered engineering feats in the country, the Agas-Agas Bridge has the potential of becoming a tourist destination in Eastern Visayas," Secretary Ebdane said.

The P995 Milliion bridge project is jointly funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Goivernment of the Philippines.

The bridge project includes the construction of 350 meters of cantilever pre-stressed bridge and 1.15 kilometers of portland concrete cement pavement, improvement of drainage system and construction of slope protection and other structures

Tunnel's cost may be deceiving

Tunnel's cost may fool us all

Check out this articel from Prof Danny Westneat

A professor at Oxford University in England has done a compelling series of studies trying to get at why big public-works projects such as bridges, tunnels and light-rail systems almost always turn out to be far more costly than estimated.

Danny Westneat

Seattle Times staff columnist

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"We don't envision any cost overruns on this project." — Pearse Edwards, spokesman for Gov. Chris Gregoire

"The way I see it, I don't think we're going to have overruns." — State House Transportation Chairwoman Judy Clibborn

"There won't be any cost overruns." — State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond

These people are all talking about the tunnel to be drilled beneath downtown Seattle, as a replacement for the creaky Alaskan Way Viaduct. How would you characterize their statements? Informed? Promotional? Utopian? Foolish?

A new body of social-science research about the psychology of public-works projects suggests a more pointed set of words may apply. Deluded. Deceptive.

Or: Lying.

That last one is such a loaded charge that I want to be clear: The research is not specific to these public officials, or to our struggle to figure out what to do with the aging viaduct.

But a professor at Oxford University in England has done a compelling series of studies trying to get at why big public-works projects such as bridges, tunnels and light-rail systems almost always turn out to be far more costly than estimated.

"It cannot be explained by error," sums up one of his papers, matter-of-factly. "It is best explained by strategic misrepresentation — that is, lying."

The professor, Bent Flyvbjerg (pronounced flew-byair), has become a flash point in civic-planning circles. Some think he's a rock star; others say his analysis is too cynical.

It started seven years ago, when he published the first large study of cost overruns in 258 mega-transportation projects. He found that nine out of 10 came in over budget, and that the average cost overrun was nearly 30 percent. Rail systems had an average cost escalation of 45 percent.

Our own Sound Transit light-rail system was not included in the study, but it fits the profile. Its budget soared by more than 100 percent, forcing planners to halve the length of the rail line. The shortened line opens this summer.

What's so controversial about Flyvbjerg's research is not his documenting cost overruns. It's his effort to show why public projects are so chronically out of whack.

It's not technical challenges or complexity or bad luck, he asserts. If that were so, you'd get more variation in how it all turns out. He concludes the backers of these projects suffer from two main maladies.

One is "delusional optimism" — they want it so badly, they can't see its flaws. I know about this firsthand from when I supported the monorail.

The second is worse: They knowingly are lying to the public.

"Delusion and Deception in Large Infrastructure Projects," was the title of Flyvbjerg's most recent paper, published in January. He details through interviews with public officials how the pressure to get a project approved politically and under construction almost invariably leads to deception — a lowballing of costs and an exaggeration of benefits.

Which brings me back to our viaduct-replacing tunnel.

I have no idea if planners there have underestimated the cost of that tunnel. Some projects do come in on budget. We likely won't know for a year or more.

I do think it's suspicious that this same tunnel was rejected in December by a stakeholder advisory committee on account of it being way too expensive.

Only to have the costs then shrink (!) by $400 million, arriving at a size that happily fits the state's pre-existing budget.

Many aspects of the new tunnel seem to jibe, generically, with Flyvbjerg's recipe for a boondoggle. It has been minimally engineered. It has boosters spinning for it, in this case a Seattle think tank, the Discovery Institute. And there is extreme political pressure — or exhaustion — after eight years of dithering and delay.

Flyvbjerg chronicles many types of public deception, from the hard sell to the noble lie. Still, he has no example that tops a public official making a promise as categorical and unknowable as: "There will be no cost overruns."

Nobody seems to believe that pledge, even as they repeat it. Last week, the Legislature passed an amendment to put all cost overruns for this tunnel onto the property owners of Seattle. The project wouldn't pass without it, they said out of one side of their mouths. But don't worry, there won't actually be any overruns, they said out of the other.

I think they know this tunnel is going to cost more, probably far more. But everyone is sick of talking about it. I know I am. That they've finally made any choice at all seems like a victory.

Flyvbjerg says that's the way it often goes. He also has all sorts of ideas for how to make this process more honest and accurate, most involving outside scrutiny. Suffice to say, that route would drive up the estimated costs of most projects dramatically.

I wondered, when I read them: If we knew the truth, would we accomplish anything at all?

Or is it better to be lied to?

IDAHO Bridge Construction

Environmental impact will be a complicated issue as to construct the bridge

ST. ANTHONY - Environmental concerns for an endangered aquatic snail could hold up construction of a long-awaited bridge on a major farm-to-market route in Idaho.

The Utah Valvata snail is on the U.S. endangered species list, and county officials have been waiting to see if the mollusk would

further delay reconstruction of the Salem Highway bridge over the Snake River.

The Idaho Transportation Department had scheduled work on the bridge for this summer, but the chance the snail may be living near the bridge could delay the work.

The highway is a major farm-to-market route north of Idaho City, and is used by traffic heading in and out of Rexburg, Idaho.

Steel Solution for Viaduct Replacement

28 NSC March 2009
Bridges

Steel can be a solution for Viaduct Replacement in time to comes

The Wolvercote Viaduct in Oxfordshire is a vitally
important transportation structure as it not only
carries the A34 dual carriageway over the River
Thames flood plain, but also spans the Oxford to
Birmingham main line railway, the Oxford Canal as
well as the A40 Oxford to Cheltenham road.
Built in the early 1960s this strategic double
bridge viaduct has suffered extensive deterioration
due to the ravages of time and requires significant
and regular maintenance to ensure it remains safe.
Replacing a concrete viaduct with a new weathering
steel composite structure while ensuring minimal
disruption to the travelling public has presented
the construction and project design team with a
number of challenges.
One of the main objectives of the scheme is
to replace the existing 250m-long viaduct while
maintaining the current peak time traffic flows. To
achieve this a dual lane offline temporary viaduct,
capable of taking the A34 southbound traffic, is being
constructed adjacent to the existing southbound
bridge.
This offline viaduct will allow traffic to be diverted
off the existing northbound viaduct so it can be
demolished and a new structure built in the same
position. Once the northbound viaduct is constructed
the northbound traffic will be diverted back to its
original alignment.
This in turn will allow the project team to demolish
the existing southbound viaduct and construct
a new replacement structure in its place. This work
will essentially involve piling and then the installation
of new concrete piers.
“In order to reduce the project duration we will
then slide the 250m long x 11m wide offline viaduct
deck in to the original southbound viaduct alignment,”
explains Darren Dobson, Costain’s Project
Manager. “This jacking and sliding procedure will
take place in one night time shift in order to limit
the disruption to road users.”
The temporary southbound viaduct was begun in
the Summer of 2008, with piling work and piers cast
prior to steelwork erection beginning. The steel deck
was then completed in an eleven week programme
beginning in October.
“Although the southbound bridge is temporary
it still resembles a permanent structure and was
erected as such,” explains Simon Reavell, Project
Manager for steelwork contractor Fairfield Mabey.
“We have supplied interface plates which are placed
below the deck bearings, and they will aid the sliding
process.”
The 250m long temporary bridge has seven
spans, three fewer than the existing viaduct, and
was erected one span at a time. The length of each
of these spans vary, but they are all approximately
35m long. Fairfield Mabey brought the necessary
steel girders to site and assembled them into pairs
on the ground before lifting them into place. Each
span is made up of four main girders, which means
two pairs and two lifts per span.
The temporary southbound bridge is now nearing
completion. Once complete, traffic will be
switched on to the new structure allowing demolition
to start on the existing northbound bridge.
“The new northbound bridge is a similar
structure to the southbound bridge,” explains Mr
Reavell. “At 250m long and seven spans it will be
erected in the same way as the temporary off-line
bridge.”
Once demolition has been completed, Costain
will begin piling and then construct the bridge piers.
Steelwork for the second bridge is scheduled to begin
in July.
Meanwhile, the southbound temporary bridge
deck is scheduled to be moved onto its new piers
and abutments sometime in the Summer of 2010.
“Moving a 250m long deck, weighing in excess
of 5,000t, will be challenging manouevre,” says Mr
Dobson “But we anticipate moving the deck in one
six hour overnight phase.”
Once the deck has been slide to its new position,
the temporary bridge piers will be demolished leaving
no trace of it ever being there.
To keep vehicles flowing on the A34 near Oxford a temporary bridge will carry traffic while an
existing viaduct is demolished and then rebuilt. The deck of this temporary structure will later
be incorporated, after a sliding operation, into the new viaduct.
Steel solution for
viaduct replacement
FACT FILE
A34 Wolvercote
Viaduct
Main client:
Highways Agency
Main contractor:
Costain
Structural engineer:
Jacobs
Steelwork contractor:
Fairfield Mabey
Steel tonnage: 1,800t
Project value: £44.4M
Above: The Wolvercote
Viaduct spans road, rail
and canal.
Below: The initial
temporary bridge is being
built adjacent to the
existing viaduct.

The proposal of the railroad viaduct construction system utilizing the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete.

A new innovation in viaduct Construction Technology

It will a revelation for the way we construct viaduct in the future

Title;The proposal of the railroad viaduct construction system utilizing the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete.

Author;TAKEDA YASUSHI(Tekken Constr. Co., Ltd.) SAKANOUE HIROSHI(Aoki Corp.) SUMI HIROYUKI(Fujita Corp.) OZAWA KAZUMASA(Univ. Tokyo, Graduate School, JPN)

Journal Title;Kensetsu Manejimento Mondai ni kansuru Kenkyu Happyo, Toronkai Koenshu

Journal Code:X0097A

ISSN:

VOL.19th;NO.;PAGE.59-62(2001)

Figure&Table&Reference;FIG.7, TBL.3, REF.3

Pub. Country;Japan

Language;Japanese

Abstract;To convert from a minimum material to minimum manpower, the research of the structure which replaces a past beam slab type viaduct is actively done in the railway viaduct. Recently, it is necessary to increase a concrete quality and durability because the accident concerning the concrete of the tunnel and the viaduct occurred. Moreover, it is expected to become cheap in the life cycle cost though an initial construction cost of the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete structure is comparatively expensive. Then, to establish the construction system utilizing the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete, authors paid attention to the term of works shortening and the labor saving, and did the cost analysis of the railway viaduct. As a result, the structural type utilizing the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete almost becomes equal with a past structure in an initial construction cost. Moreover, the structural type confirmed becoming in the life cycle cost the advantage by the high durability of the self-compacting high strength and high durable concrete. (author abst.)