Record-breaking bridge nears completion

In China’s Jiangsu Province, north of Shanghai, work is in progress on what will be the world’s biggest cable-stayed bridge, the Shanghai-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge.

As well as the world’s longest span (1,092m), it will also have the tallest pylons at 325m.

Doka automatic climbing formwork SKE100 plus is being used in combination with Large-area formwork Top 50 to construct the pylons.

Due for completion in 2019, the Shanghai-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge will take its place in the list of mega-bridges. With a total length of 11,072m, the bridge has two levels, with a six-lane highway on the upper level and a four-line railway on the lower.

The new traffic link is part of the efforts to create a new economic zone around Shanghai. When completed, the bridge will cut journey time between Shanghai and Nantong from two hours to one.

The south bridge is a cable-stayed structure with steel framework, spanning the main channel of the Yangtze River. The north bridge crosses the Tiansheng Port channel and has a rigid steel girder structure and a flexible arch with a main span of 336m.

The pylons are being constructed in one of the biggest and deepest (115m) coffer dams ever built. The enclosed area is about the same size as 12 basketball courts and approximately 147,000 m³ of concrete is needed for one pylon.

Difficult weather conditions, climbing in 55 pouring steps without major alterations to the working platforms and progressive re-use of the formwork sheets posed major challenges for Doka.

“Height of more than 300m and poor, foggy weather conditions are the biggest challenge for this jobsite”, said Mr. Yuan Bo, principal engineer from China Railway Bridge Bureau.

The construction managers opted for Doka’s SKE100 plus automatic climbing formwork system, which is designed to ensure smooth progress on the build even when outdoor conditions are extreme.