The Challenge
The steeply sloping geography of the Versam Gorge made it critical that the project engineers consider construction and fabrication when designing the replacement bridge. Challenges stemming from construction methods, land requirements, lifting plant, site access, and temporary support requirements were crucial during the preliminary phases.
The Solution
A well-developed 3-D model to evaluate design alternatives and construction sequences. The final design followed a simple aesthetic with structural supports only at either end. To meet the needs for a slim, long-span structure, post-tensioning came into play during construction. The bridge was built from both ends of the gorge without the use of temporary supports, so the piers were tied using tension rods. Then the bulk of the superstructure was completed in three separate stages.
“Allplan was a great help to us in this challenging bridge project. It was particularly useful to have the 3-D depictions of the design of the foundations in steeply sloping ground, as well as the complex geometrical details and for eliminating reinforcement collisions,” said Oliver Müller, one of the project engineers.
