Sheikh Zayed Bridge – Abu Dhabi
Use of post-tensioning to allow construction
of an otherwise almost unbuildable structure
▲ The 842m-long Sheikh Zayed Bridge is said to be the most intricate bridge ever constructed.
The 842m-long Sheikh Zayed
Bridge comprises a sequence of
concrete waves that curve up and
down from the water to reach a
height of 64m, evoking the look of
undulating sand dunes in the
desert. It connects Abu Dhabi
Island with the mainland, carrying
a four-lane highway on two road
decks that are cantilevered from
the sides of the structure.
The bridge, which opened to traffic
in December 2010, is named after
Scope of works performed
• Engineering
• Supply and installation of VSL’s SSI
2000 system
• Supply of post-tensioning components
and their equipment
• Heavy lifting for segment erection
the country's principal architect and with plate thicknesses of up to
former president, Sheikh 90mm . Below deck they are of
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. prestressed concrete.
The project is widely regarded as the The bridge currently carries four
most demanding in Abu Dhabi and is lanes, two shoulders and a
also notable for its huge size. Its most pedestrian footpath in each
striking features are the arch-like direction but has been constructed
structures that for two spans rise in such a way that it can easily be
above the roadway decks in the expanded to six lanes in each
centre of the bridge, before diving direction.
under the structure and coming up on
the outside of a third span. These
‘arches’ are really bent box girders in
a non-vertical plane, fixed at their
ends with little or no allowance for
adjustment during erection.
Consequently any applied load
causes bending in all directions and
torsion and compression or tension.
Above deck they are steel boxes
about 4m wide and 5m deep - the
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height of a two-storey building – ▲ Finished main arch of the bridge
Simple repainting of the dividing
lines will create the extra lanes,
should the flow of traffic require it.
The bridge has a capacity of
16,000 cars per hour.
The unusual combination of
concrete and steel provided more
than its fair share of headaches.
Over 200,000m3 of concrete were
used – the central pier alone
contains enough concrete to cover
a football pitch to a height of 5m,
while 52,000 tonnes of steel were
required for the structure and
reinforcement.
The twin decks are 23.7m wide
and 5m deep and are supported by
36 stay hangers in sizes up to 6-127.
The arch bridge with its suspended
deck consists of 11 deck sections
and three major arches, with four
main piers and two additional sets
of supports at the western end.
The length of the main span is
126m and the highest point of the
arch is at 63m.
▲ Final design and construction engineering
For the erection of the arch segments,
VSL Heavy Lifting provided four
▲ The pier arms have an undulating shape.
▼ The arches rise to over 60m above sea level.
▲ VSL’s lifting system
for the arch erection was done by VSL’s
Technical Centre in Singapore.
OWNER
Abu Dhabi Municipality
CONSULTING ENGINEER
High-Point Rendel
MAIN CONTRACTOR
Archirodon Construction / Six Construct
Co. Ltd.
VSL ENTITY
VSL Switzerland Ltd. – Special Projects
and Heavy Lifting Department
VSL Middle East LLC
DATE
July 2003 – December 2010
SMU-330 lifting jacks. They were
installed on a turntable that allowed
segment movement with five
degrees of freedom. The heaviest
segment and lifting gear together
added up to 740t.
The structure’s 5,000t of
prestressing steel including bars
and hangers was a large amount
for such a short but massive
bridge. The cable hangers
consisting of 109 and 127 strands
were among the largest that VSL
had ever installed. Hanger pipes
made of stainless steel were
welded on site.
VSL’s scope of work included
post-tensioning of a total of
780 cables. White PT-Plus® plastic
ducts were used instead of the
standard black ducts because of
the high temperatures experienced
in Abu Dhabi.
Construction deadlines for VSL’s
work were very tight. VSL’s site
team worked day, night and
weekend shifts and close
communication and a solid team
effort ensured that the project was
completed on time and to the
owner’s total satisfaction.
Edited 2012
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www.vsl.com