ARCH BRIDGES

An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end and shaped as a curved arch

Arch bridges work by transferring weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side.

A viaduct (a long bridge) may be made from a series of arches, although other more economical structures are typically used today.

Mechanism of Load Transfer of ARCH BRIDGE

WORLD’S SECOND LONGEST ARCH BRIDGE ‘LUPU BRIDGE ’ WITH ARCH SPAN OF 550m IS MADE ON RIVER HUANGPU IN SHANGHAI (CHINA)

(completed)

CHAOTIANMEN BRIDGE

SHEIKH RASHID BIN SAEED CROSSING(under construction)

667 mtrs

Features at Glance Carries

Crosses

Locale

Designer

Design

Material

Total Length

Cost

Time Span

6 lanes of South-North Elevated Road, 2 pedestrian walkways

Huangpu River

Shanghai,  People's Republic of CHINA

Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute

Through Arch

Steel 3,900 m

US$ 300 million

Oct. 2000- June 2003

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Dimensions of Bridge

46 m

Foundation

Approach Bridges

Side Spans

Arch Ribs

Deck Girders

The construction of lupu bridge have 5 different phases

Shanghai has generally soft soil but being next to river the soil on site is particularly soft.

For this reason piled foundation are most suitable option

Each pile is about 67 m in length

Foundation

Driven piles were used in foundation No. of Piles- 118

Dia.- 900mm

The majority of length of Lupu Bridge is in the approach bridges either side of the main arch

Construction of approach spans was simultaneous with that of the arch reducing the time frame of work which is less than 3 years

APPROACH BRIDGES

The side spans of Lupu Bridge were constructed using a falsework system,

The falsework supporting the side spans arch most likely to remain in position during construction of main span to help improve the stability.

SIDE SPANS

How Arch Rib supported & constructed ?

SCHEMATIC PLAN OF THE CONSTRUCTION

The bridge was constructed with a bold idea to use a suspended basket arch system to create a unique aesthetic effect,

The arch was build using a cantilever method, which involved supporting a cantilever inclined with a max. wt of 480 tonnes.

Launching & Placing of Arch Steel Box

The main arch is made up of 27 sections.

6 m

3 m

1

Segments joined with WELDING

PROBLEMS FACED BY WELDERS

The space was narrow & ventilation was poor.

The welding torch heated the air to 60 degrees, the workers could work only for 15

minutes

LAUNCHING OF DECK SLAB

CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF ENGINEERS

Generally STORM (typhoon) hit that part of china nearly twice a year.

Earthquake of scale 7.0 hits that region often

STABILITY

MEASURES ADOPTED

Before starting of construction the model structure is tested by forces of earthquake and typhoon.

During construction the surveyors continously check that the arch should be straight

During construction of arch the major problem arises at the end when two last segment have gap of 20cm b/w them.

The problem is solved when temperature rises to 20 degrees, the steel arch expanded and gap was closed.

The construction of an arch bridge was viewed as wasteful in respect to the extra costs associated with building this type of bridge. Other designs which were less expensive in nature were rejected in favor of the aesthetic & marvelous arch design.

Criticism

The first ever box-arch bridge in the world.

The first major arch bridge to be connected exclusively by welding. The length of on-site welding totals more than 40,000 m.

Combination of three distinctive methods of bridge-building technology: cable-stay, arch and suspension.

The volume of steel used in an arch bridge: more than 35,000 tons. It equals the steel used in building three 70,000-ton vessels.

The 16 horizontal staying cables used in the bridge-building are the longest (760 meters), thickest (18cm in diameter), heaviest (110-ton each)

The greatest thickness of on-site steel plates welding (100mm) in the construction of a steel bridge in the world.

The structure is designed to withstand a Force-12 hurricane, and can meet the challenge of an Earthquake that happens once in 3,280 years.

Interesting Facts about LUPU

Other Arch Bridges in the World

Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge Brazil

THANKSTHANKS