The design of bridges and viaductsa technical approach

Júlio Appleton

Summary

Design objectives

Design constraints and basic data

The participants in bridge construction

Stages of design

Conceptual design

Preliminary design

Types of bridges. Bridges in Portugal

Arch bridges

Girder bridges

Cable stayed bridges

Suspension bridges

Detailed design

Execution, maintenance and operation

Design objectives

Functionality – fulfillment of a purpose

Integration in the alignement and in its surroundings

Elegance

Economy

Ethics

Design constraints and basic data

Plan of the site, alignement of the route and obstacles to be crossed

Width of the bridge

Geotechnical and hydraulic data

Environment data

Local conditions for access, technologies and materials available

Local codes (wind, temperature, seismes, environment agressitity,…)

The participants in bridge construction

Owner

Project manager

Bridge designer and experts (road designer, geotechnics, hydraulics, wind

and seismic, architecture)

Contractor

Surveyor and quality control

Conceptual Design

For each possible solution:

First bridge sketch, based on the design objectives (2D – spans, pier

location).

Cross sections of deck and piers. Photo simulation of bridge integration

Main concern for aestetics

proportion

transparency,

simplicity

details

Choose 1 to 3 possible solutions

Preliminary Design

For each solution develop the construction process

Establish the dimension of main structure elements

Consider durability and maintenance

Obtain a preliminary cost estimate

The design of a new bridge shall be unique and

adequate for the

objectives and constraints but shall also have into

consideration past experience

Types of bridges and exemples in Portugal

Arch bridges

Girder bridges

Cable stayed bridges

Suspension bridges

Júlio Appleton

Maronry Arch bridges

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Vila Formosa Bridge over Ribeira de Seda in EN 369, between Ponte de Sôr and Alter do Chão

Roman road between Lisbon and Mérida (Augusta Emerita), at the time the capital of Iberia

Ist century. Total length 116,5m

6 arches

The place for the forfex is visible on the granite stones

Masonry arch bridges

Roman Bridge over Rio Tâmega em Chaves,

In the road of Braga to Astorga

Trajano Bridge in Chaves over River Tâmega, in the itinerary of Braga to Astorga

12 granite arches visible from the 18 original bridge. 5,4m width deck

Júlio Appleton

• Aqueduto das Águas Livres (Manuel da Maia e Custódio Vieira) a 14,1Km water

supply project, 1731 – 1744

• Alcântara 941m aqueduct with 35 limestone arches ( highest arch – 28,8m span and

69,3m high)

Masonry historic aqueduct

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Masonry arch bridges

Railway Bridges in Viseu branch

Pego bridge over Vouga River, 1914Railway Bridge over Zela River, 1913

6 arches 13,8m span

Masonry arch bridges

Railway Bridge Poço de S. Tiago

Designed by Séjourné in 1913 and

Constructed by F. Mercier

L=168m

L(central arch) =55m

Rise 24,7m

Steel Arch bridges

Dona Maria Bridge over Douro River, Eiffel/Seyrig,1877

Hinged arch with 160m span and 42,6m rise

Steel Arch bridges

Ponte Luiz I sobre o Rio Douro, 1886

Arch with 172m span and two decks, Seyrig and Soc. Willebroek

The upper deck is supported in the arch and the lower deck is suspended from the arch

Luiz I Bridge over Douro River, Seyrig and Soc. Willebroek,1886

Arch with 172m span and two decks

Júlio Appleton

Steel Arch Bridges

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Vila Franca de Xira Bridge, 1951

Contractors - Seth and Dorman, Long & Loyd

Bowstring, Langer type beam, 5 spans of 103,5m

Concrete precast composite piles

First concrete tests of piles in the river. 20m long, diam 50cm

Concrete Arch bridges

Foz do Dão Bridge in EN243, 1933

Viseu discrict. Main span 60m

Tua Bridge in EN 214,1939

Bragança district

Main span 80m (unreinforced concrete)

Concrete Arch Bridges

Duarte Pacheco Viaduct in A5 Lisboa- Cascais, 1944

Main span 91,80m

Barbosa Carmona

Foz do Sousa Bridge in EN 108,1954

Main span 115,0m

Edgar Cardoso

Concrete Arch Bridges

Barca de Alva Bridge over Douro River in EN 221

Multiple arches with 37,50m spans, 1955

Edgar Cardoso

Abreiro Bridge over Tua River in EN 314

Slender arch with 92m span, 1957

Correia de Araújo

Concrete Arch Bridges

Trancão Viaduct in A1, 1959

Multiple hinged arches, spans of 51,50m

F. Abreu/ Rui Correia

Arrábida Bridge in EN1 over Douro, Porto

Main span 270m,1963

Edgar Cardoso

Concrete Arch Bridges

Infante Bridge over Douro River, 2003

Arch bridge 280m span and 25m rise, Adão da Fonseca

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Steel Girder Bridges of the XIX Century

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Abrantes Bridge over Tagus on EN3 - km 3,2 - 1870

(42,545 + 5 50,8 + 42,545 m)

Contractor - Fives-Lille

Strengthened by external prestressing by Edgar Cardoso, 1960s

Reinforced Concrete Girder bridges

Bridges over Cávado and Caldo Rivers,1954

in EN304 and EN 308 (Caniçada Reservoir)

Two girder beams with open web - spans 23,0m

Masonry piers

Edgar Cardoso

Viaducts N5.1 e N5.2 in the access

to the 25 de Abril bridge,1966

Box girder caisson with 3 cells

Max. Span 47m (section height 2,35m)

Tudor Eng.

Prestressed concrete bridge with precast beams

Bridge over Côa River in IP5, 1986

Current spans of 42,5m with precast beams 35,5m span

supported in column heads

Vítor Monteiro

Júlio Appleton

Vasco da Gama Bridge - General Data

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Vasco da Gama Bridge. 17,2 Km project. Total bridge length 12,3 Km (10 km over Tagus River)

Main constraints

Construction in the river

Difficult geotechnical conditions

Marine environment

Time and money

Finance, design, construction and operation

950 million euros (1998) 1840 euros/m2

Júlio Appleton

Vasco da Gama Central Viaduct: L = 6531m , 1998

Designer – Trafalgar House

Each beam (4m high) with 78,6m span (2200ton) was precast and transported by a crane

ship. Expansion joints for each 9 spans (L = 707,5m).

Hydraulic dampers in the intermediate supports. Continuity with internal and external cables

Prestressed concrete precast girder bridge

261,7m diameter piles (40 to 95m long with pile cap concreted inside precast block)

Júlio Appleton

Prestressed concrete precast girder bridge

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Vasco da Gama Expo Viaduct , 1998

Designer - EEG (Europe Études)

L= 672m 12 spans, 46m to 61m,

3,4m box girder constant height

Construction with balanced cantileevers with precast segments

19C15 cables for each segment and continuity external cables

Hydraulic dampers in all supports. Rectangular hollow section columns

Júlio Appleton

Vasco da Gama South Viaduct L = 3825 m (360m continuous substructures) , 1998

Cast in place prestressed concrete deck, 45m spans, constructed with a launching girder

Armando Rito

Prestressed concrete cast in place girder bridge

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Prestressed concrete bridge with deck constructed with launching

girder

Bridge decks built with launching girders over or under the deck

Bridges with continuous decks constructed span by span

Section type TT for spans up to 50m

Azilheira viaduct in A2, 2002

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Muge viaduct in A13, 2005

J.Appleton

Júlio Appleton

Prestressed concrete cast in place balanced cantilever deck

bridge

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Alcântara viaduct Designer – Tudor (+ SEEE) , 1966

L= 945,1m, b= 21,8m

T structures with 38m cantileevers (in situ concreting of 3,65m

segments with maximum height of 4,42m)

Piers constructed with slip formwork

Transverse beam prepared for railway viaduct

Prestressed concrete bridge

Mosteiró bridge over Douro River in EN211 at Carrapatelo Reservoir (1973)

Deck constructed over the old steel girder bridge eliminating one column

The spans of 42+55+55+42 changed to 42+110+42 (m)

Edgar Cardoso

Prestressed concrete railway bridge

Details of pier foundation in the river

São João Railway Bridge 250m span, over Douro River in Porto

The deck was constructed by balanced cantileevers, 1992

Edgar Cardoso

Prestressed concrete bridge with deck constructed by balanced cantileevers

Bridges constructed with box girder cantileevers decks up 200m span

Ocreza River Bridge in IC8, 2013

190m central span

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Bridge over Temilobos river in Régua/Reconcos

130m max. span

J.Appleton

Prestressed concrete launched girder bridge

Bridge over Agueda River in IC2, 1998

Box girder incremental lauching girder deck with 51,5m spans

Lisconcebe/Proponte

Cable stayed bridges

Figueira da Foz Bridge over Mondego River in EN 108, 1978

Spans of 90m+225m+90m

Concrete slab deck over two main steel girders (each bean with 2 I sections 2m height)

30m distance of stay anchorages at the deck

Edgar Cardoso

Arade Bridge in alternative to EN 125 in Portimão,1991

Prestressed concrete deck with 2 main beams and spans of 107+256+107 (m)

Total suspension with deck anchorages spaced 8m

Armando Rito

Cable stayed bridges

International bridge crossing over Guadiana River near Castro Marim, 1991

Box girder deck with 36+135+324+135+36 (m) spans.

Deck anchorages distance of 9m

Câncio Martins

Cable stayed bridges

Júlio Appleton

Main cable stayed bridge. Spans: 204,6m (62 + 70,6 + 72) + 420,2m + 204,6m.

Full suspension. Fan type cable system. Steel/concrete deck 2,95m high

Difficult foundations (2, 2m diameter piles reaching 66m deep)

Cable stayed bridges

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Vasco da Gama Bridge, 1998. Total length 12,3 Km (10 km over Tagus River)

Júlio Appleton

Vasco da Gama Bridge - Main Bridge

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Main Bridge

Designer - Europe Études

L = 830m (204,6 + 420,2 + 204,6)

Stay cables spaced 8,85m (31T15 to 73T15)

Lateral prestressed girders 2,65m high

Mixed steel concrete deck (Steel I beams

spaced 4,4m)

Full suspension

Salgueiro Maia bridge over Tejo River in IC10 (Santarém), 2000Central suspension box birder deck. Main span of 246m.

Câncio Martins

Corgo Bridge in AE Transmontana, 2013

Central span of 300m. Central suspension box birder deck

Dias Barata

Cable stayed bridges

Suspension bridges

Multiple Suspension Bridge over Zambeze river withspans of 90m+3x180m+90m, 1962

Prestressed concrete deck. Inclined suspension ties

Edgar Carrdoso

Júlio Appleton

Bridge over Tagus River in Lisbon,1966 Golden Gate in São Francisco , 1937

L=2178m (100m-483m-1012m-483m-100m) L=1970m (345m-1280m-345m)

Designers – Seinman, Boyton, Gronquist & London, Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow

Contractors – United States Steel Export Company McClintic-Marshall Const.Co

Bridge over Tagus River / Salazar Bridge / 25 April Bridge

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Júlio Appleton

Salazar Bridge, 1966

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Financing, Design, Construction and Operation Project (1962-1966)

Total cost 12 million euros (1966). In 2018, the cost would be 80 times more.

Júlio Appleton

Salazar Bridge, 1966

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Main cable – 11248 wires 4,877 mm

Júlio Appleton

25 April Bridge

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New secondary cable and new railway deck

The Bridge over Tagus changed the name in 1974 to 25 de April Bridge

The bridge was planned to support the railway, mainly towers and foundations

The bridge has at present 155 000 TMDA (50 million per year)

Júlio Appleton

25 April Bridge

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Bridge over Tagus River in Lisbon - railway introduction in 1999

Design Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist & Bridsal and Grid (railway Alcântara viaduct)

Contractors DSD ; American Bridge ;TD ; Wayass ;SLM

Total cost 47,5 million euros (1999) 1,44 times in 2018

Júlio Appleton

The P50 project – An interpretation and historic center at North anchor blocks

IP/A2P

25 April Bridge, 2016, the 50th anniversary

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Detailed Design

General description and safety verifications

Detailed drawings

Construction procedures

Júlio Appleton

Vasco da Gama Bridge - Details

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Relevant participation of architects

Execution, maintenance and operation

Initial quality requires adequate Owner specifications, competence of all

entities and fair prices

Maintenace and operation shall start imediatly after finishing the

execution.

It requires a good Manual for monitoring, inspection and maintenance and

adequate funds for regular inspection and for the execution of preventive and

curative works

Júlio Appleton

References

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Fib bull 9 Guide for good bridge design, 2000

Leonhardt, F. Bridges Aesthetics and design, 1982

Gattel, Ponte Vasco da Gama, 1999

Machado,L.; Branco,F. , The Vasco da Gama Project, 1998

Wastiaux, M., Tagus Bridge – Central and Cable Stayed Bridge – Construction Methods

MOP – A Ponte Salazar, 1966

REFER – A Ponte 25 de Abril Construção da 2ª fase, 1999

Ferry Borges – The observation of Tagus River Suspension Bridge, 1966

Júlio Appleton 52

Thank you for your attention