Sunteți pe pagina 1din 18

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

INCREMENTAL LAUNCHING OF STRUCTURES*


By Wilhelm Zellner 1 and Holger Svensson, 1 Members, ASCE

ABSTRACT: The incremental launching method for concrete structures was first
developed in the early 196CS. Since then it has spread all over the world.
Bridges constructed by this method are cast in segments behind an abutment
in a stationary form against a previously cast segment of the bridge girder. The
whole superstructure is then longitudinally jacked forward incrementally to
make room for the next segment in the stationary form. This method combines
the advantages of precasting with those of cast-in-place methods, resulting in
a high concrete quality and low costs. Remarkable achievements of incremen-
tally launched bridges the to data are: Longest continuous superstructure [3,809
ft (1,161 m)]; longest span in final stage [551 ft (168 m)]; longest span during
launching with auxiliary stays on top [436 ft (133 m)]; and a strongly curved
bridge superstructure in plan with a radius of 492 ft (150 m). The incremental
launching method has also been applied to buildings; e.g. across railway tracks.
A new potential application is the construction of underwater tunnels. The
main savings are achieved by the reduced labor and equipment expenditure.

INTRODUCTION

The incremental launching method, developed in the early 1960's by


Leonhardt and Andra for concrete structures, combines the advantages
of precast segmental construction with those of segmental cast-in-place
methods (9).
The bridge is cast in segments behind an abutment under sheltered
shop-fabrication conditions. High concrete quality and precise dimen-
sions are assured. Reinforcement crosses each joint in addition to the
bonded prestressing tendons as each new segment is cast directly
against the already hardened one in front. The concentric prestress re-
quired during launching guarantees, in addition, an excellent, relatively
maintenance-free performance of the bridge during its whole lifetime.
By avoiding costly and time-consuming falsework and by concentrat-
ing all construction activities in the small fabrication area, considerable
savings in cost and time against conventional bridge construction are
achieved. This has been demonstrated all over the world, by approxi-
mately 150 bridges built to date, using the incremental launching
method.
'Presented at the May 11-15, 1981, ASCE International Convention and Ex-
hibition, held at New York, N.Y. (Preprint 81-146).
Consulting Engrs., Leonhardt, Andra und Partner GmbH, Stuttgart, West
Germany.
Note.—Discussion open until July 1, 1983. To extend the closing date one
month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager of Technical and
Professional Publications. The manuscript for this paper was submitted, for re-
view and possible publication on August 19, 1981. This paper is part of the Jour-
nal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 109, No. 2, February, 1983. ©ASCE, ISSN
0733-9445/83/0002-0520/$01.00. Proc. No. 17742.
520

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Initially, reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges were built on


falsework supporting the entire length of the bridge. This was very ex-
pensive, so various segmental construction methods were developed;
first by casting the girder spanwise on falsework. The repeated erection
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

and dismantling of this falsework was still time-consuming and expen-


sive, especially when the height above the ground level increases.
In order to gain complete freedom from the ground, self-supporting,
and self-propelling steel launching girders were developed. Several of
these huge machines were built, the biggest weighing 2,200 tons (22
MN) for a maximum span of 348 ft (106 m). Their high capital investment
can only be regained satisfactorily if they are used for several bridges,
but this proved to be difficult.
The free cantilevering method, first used in 1930 for a bridge across
the Peixe River in Brazil, has since been further developed. Its econom-
ical application lies in the range of spans of about 300 ft (91 m)-850 ft
(259 m).
For larger spans, cable-stayed bridges are the appropriate solution.
The majority of bridges, however, are built with spans up to about
200 ft (61 m). For these spans the Incremental Launching Method was
developed. Although steel bridges had been launched earlier, e.g. dur-
ing World War II, the Incremental Launching Method for concrete struc-
tures started with the first bridge across the Caroni River (8) in Vene-
zuela in 1961 (Fig. 1). The entire length of the 1,575 ft (480 m) long

FIG. 1.—Caroni Bridge (Venezuela)

FIG. 2.—Kufsteln Bridge (Austria)


521

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


Casting Prior to casting of Increment 1

Jacks^gjpss^s
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

After casting of Increment 6


Casting

FIG. 3.—General Layout of Work Progress

superstructure was launched as a unit. Although a technical achieve-


ment, this method proved to be too costly for general application. The
next logical step, therefore, was to cast the superstructure one unit at
a time, thus making room for the next segment to be cast. This method
was first applied to a bridge at Kufstein, Austria (9), across the Inn River
in 1968 (Fig. 2).

GENERAL OUTLINE

The beam is cast in segments in a stationary form behind an abutment.


All segments have identical lengths of about 50 ft (15 m)-100 ft (30 m),
equal to one-quarter, one-third or one-half of the typical spans.
After segment 1 is cast and moved forward by one increment, segment
2 is cast against No. 1, and both segments 1 and 2 are moved forward
by another increment. This occurs until the superstructure is completed
(Fig. 3).

Concrete
mixing

Launching

_|

Reinforcement Inner formwork


for bottom slab moved back a f t e r
launching

FIG. 4.—Fabrication Area


522

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


The cantilever moments at the tip of the girder are reduced by a steel
launching nose. During launching, the girder slides on launching bear-
ings, resting on the bridge piers and, if required, on auxiliary interme-
diate piers. The horizontal force for shifting the girder is provided by
hydraulic jacks.
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

The components of the special equipment used for the incremental


launching method are outlined in more detail later.
The fabrication area (Fig. 4) comprises the stationary form-work, the
rail-mounted tower crane, the concrete batching plant, and the space for
storing and preassembling the reinforcement and prestressing tendons.
Nearly all activities are concentrated here. Transport distances are,
therefore, very short. The whole area can be completely covered; thus,
factory-like conditions independent of the weather are created, resulting
in a high concrete quality.
Casting of the girder can take place for temperatures below 41° F
(+5° C) by heating the covered fabrication area. The required concrete
temperature for grouting of the ducts can be achieved by casting elec-
trical wires into the concrete which permit heating. Year-round produc-
tion thus is possible.
The stationary formwork (Fig. 5) consists of the rigid substructure sup-
porting the bottom slab formwork, the outside forms, the internal web
forms, and the formwork for the inner roadway slab.
First, the bottom slab and the webs are cast. After initial curing the
forms for the inner webs are lifted out and the formwork for the inner
part of the roadway slab is pulled back from the last segment. The road-
way slab is now cast. Then the concentric prestress is applied, the ex-
terior formwork and that for the bottom slab is lowered and the whole
superstructure is launched by one segment. The form for the inner road-
way-slab is moved forward together with the superstructure.
The reinforcement for the next bottom slab segment has previously
been prefabricated behind the stationary formwork (Fig. 4) and is now
being pulled into the form by the moving bridge girder. The remaining

> ri I —n—^l]

FIG. 5.—Stationary Formwork: © for 1st Concreting; ® for 2nd Concreting


523

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


reinforcement and tendons are assembled and the weekly cycle is re-
peated (Fig. 6).
The launching equipment (Fig. 7) is placed on the abutment. It con-
sists of two pairs of vertical and horizontal jacks. The vertical jack slides
with a teflon covered plate at the bottom on a polished steel sheet and
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

has a special friction element on top. The vertical jack lifts the super-
structure slightly for launching. The horizontal jack then moves the su-
perstructure horizontally. After the piston of the horizontal jack has
moved one stroke [~10 in. (—254 mm)] away from the abutment, the
vertical jack is reset and brought back into its original position by the
horizontal jack.
The girder slides over the piers on temporary launching bearings (Fig.
8), made of high strength concrete, or of a structural steel frame filled
with concrete. On top of these elements, polished teflon-steel-neoprene
plates slide on the stainless steel sheets. In a repeating cycle, the plates
are first inserted in the launching direction and, after having moved
with the girder over the launching bearing, are removed to be inserted
again. The friction coefficient for these plates is approximately 2%-3%,
if properly lubricated.
Lateral guides connected to the launching bearings ensure the correct
position of the girder in plan.
In order to remove the temporary bearings after launching, jacks are

TASKS MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
1 PRESTRESSING 1
2 LOWERING OF FORMS a
3 LAUNCHING BY ONE SEGMENT
t INSTALLATION OF OUTER FORMS
i
!
1
5 GROUTING OF TENDONS 1
6 REINFORCING OF BOTTOM SLAB AND WEBS
7 PLACING OF LONGITUDINAL TENDONS 11
6 INSTALLATION OF INSIDE WEB FORMS
9 CASTING OF BOTTOM SLAB AND WEBS
10 REMOVAL OF INNER WEB FORMS
11 INNER ROADWAV SLAB FORM E
12 REINFORCEMENT AND TENDONS FOR ROADWAY SLAB
13 CONCRETING OF ROADWAY SLAB
U CURING OF ROADWAY SLAB ¥
^
FIG. 6.—Weekly Cycle

FIG. 7.—Launching Jacks


524

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


positioned alongside the temporary bearings underneath the webs or
diaphragms and the superstructure is slightly lifted to unload the
launching bearings for exchange with the final ones.
In order to reduce the cantilever moments during launching a tem-
porary steel launching nose (Fig. 9) is stressed with short tendons to the
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

front end of the girder. Its length is approximately 60% of the regular
span of the bridge during construction. As the bottom chord of the
launching nose has to take the support pressure from the launching
bearings continuously over its entire length, its web is generally built
as a plate girder with a thickened web above the bottom chord.
The tip of the launching nose is deflected downward when approach-
ing a pier. At its front end a jack is installed, which acts on the sliding
bearing on the pier in such a way that the cantilever tip is pushed up-

ELEVATION

FIG. 8.—Launching Bearings

FIG. 9.—-Launching Noss


525

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


wards until its underside is level with the surface of the sliding bearing
(Fig. 10). The support reactions of a continuous girder have now been
achieved.
If local conditions require one or more spans to be greater than about
200 ft (61 m) in the final stage, auxiliary piers (Fig. 11) are used to reduce
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

these spans during launching. They consist generally of concrete posts


connected by light steel trusses. For easy erection and dismantling they
are prefabricated in sections. If two superstructures are built close to one
another, either the auxiliary piers and the formwork can be shifted side-
wise or the completed first superstructure can be shifted sidewise to
make room for the second one.
The friction forces acting at the top of the piers can either be taken by
the piers themselves, if they are stiff enough, or the pier tops may be
restrained by cables either spanning between the abutments or fixed to
the foundations of adjacent piers. The cable forces can be monitored

FIG. 10.-—Jack at Tip of Launching Nose

FIG. 11.—Auxiliary Piers


526

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


with jacks. Recently, compact launching units have been developed,
which can be placed on top of the individual piers and be monitored in
such way that the piers remain vertical during launching (2,13). The last
method is economical for very high piers only.
To overcome the fluctuating stresses during launching, the superstruc-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

ture is initially concentrically prestressed with straight tendons in the


top and bottom slab (Fig. 12). These tendons are stressed in increments
also, before the segments reach the position as a girder between sup-
ports for the first time. This permits coupling of these tendons at every
second or third joint, thus reducing the number of couplers required.
The stressed tendons are grouted before launching and remain in the
girder.
For the final stage, additional curved tendons are required (Fig. 12).
They are generally inserted after launching and stressed against corbels
inside the box. The empty ducts are safely kept free from intruding
grout or deformations during casting by stiffening them temporarily
with plastic pipes which are pulled out after curing for re-use in the next
segment.
If more curved tendons are required than can be reasonably placed
inside the webs, concentrated tendons at the outside of the webs may
be used (Fig. 13). Their direction is changed at ribs protruding from the

Central prestress

Curved
web
tendons

FIG. 12.—Longitudinal Tendons

Reinforcing Thread

Stress steei
with spacers

Prepakt concrete

Roughened surface

FIG. 13.—Concentrated Tendons Outside of Webs


527

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


webs and after stressing they are bonded to the webs with reinforced
concrete.
The ratio of straight to curved prestress depends on the pier distance
during launching. If auxiliary piers are used, for example, less straight
and more curved tendons are required.
The incremental launching method requires stringent dimensional
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

control. This, however, can safely be achieved under the factory-like


conditions at the stationary formwork.
During launching, the risks are much lower than for traditional false-
work construction, because less temporary supports are needed. Due to
the straight concentric prestress, the structure is highly resistant against
unforeseen loads such as excessive pier settlements, temperature differ-
entials, and earthquake. This is also true for the girder after completion,
especially at its points of counterflexure, where the straight tendons
provide more compression than other construction methods.
The joints of incrementally launched bridges have a high quality due
to the following reasons:

1. New segments are cast directly against the already completed ones,
which results in a smooth surface, watertightness, and uniform distri-
bution of stresses.
2. All joints are crossed by reinforcement for crack control.
3. All tendons cross the joints and are bonded to the girder. As most
of the straight tendons and all curved tendons are continuous across the
joints, only about 25% of the tendons are coupled there. The integrity
of the joints is thus preserved.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The envelopes of positive and negative moments are given in Fig. 14.
They are valid for equal inner spans and end spans with 85% of the
lengths of the inner spans. Moments due to unequal pier settlements
and temperature differentials between top and bottom slabs are not
included.
The launching nose is assumed to have a length of 60% of the inner
spans. The tensile stresses created by these moments in the top and
bottom slabs can only be counteracted by concentric straight prestress-

• D i r e c t i o n of launching

91 12/11 X-srgil2/7,5

^moBmaam

91 , 2 / 2 2 X L |
g 1 : Dead weight g<| , 2, £ Jp&f-

FIQ. 14.—Moment Envelopes during Launehing


528

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


ing tendons because the stresses vary in each cross section during
launching. The tendons for this concentric prestress are placed in the
top and bottom slabs where they act with the biggest possible leaver
arm.
The cross sections used with the incremental launching method can
be less simple than those for conventional cast-in-place construction
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

methods since the stationary form has to be built only once and the
fabrication is highly mechanized. For single spans distinctly longer than
the typical spans local thickening of the bottom slabs can be added after
launching.
Bridges constructed by the incremental launching method should be
straight or constantly curved in plan and elevation. Slight deviations in
plan can be accomodated by varying the widths of the cantilevers; de-
viations in elevation can be overcome by building up concrete wedges
underneath the webs for launching only. Bridges with a change of cur-
vature somewhere in the middle have been launched with different radii
from each abutment or from the center to both ends, which would be
finally connected with a center-joint.
The ratio between the depth of the girder and the largest span during
launching (taking into account auxiliary piers) for a well-balanced cross-
section should be as follows:

1. For spans up to 115 ft (35 m): 1/19-1/13.


2. For spans between 115 ft (35 m)-200 ft (61 m): 1/13-1/12.
3. For spans exceeding 20 ft (61 m): 1/12-1/11.

The amount of concentric prestress required during launching can


only be minimized by using a favorably shaped cross section.
The first condition is that the superstructure should be as light as pos-
sible. As both the tensile stresses due to dead weight and the compres-
sion stresses due to concentric prestress are proportional to the cross-
sectional area, the amount of prestress required increases with the
square of the cross-sectional area.
The second condition is that the ratio of section moduli at top and
bottom should be similar to the ratio of support moments to span mo-
ments. This requires a cross section with a top section modulus about
double that of the bottom.
The third condition is that the core width, i.e. the ratio between sec-
tion modulus and cross-sectional area, should be as large as possible.
These three conditions are best fulfilled by a box with cantilevers for
the roadway slab. For this box the required concentric prestress above
supports and in the spans is about equal. T-sections are possible as well
but generally require more prestress.

ECONOMICAL ADVANTAGES

The main savings achieved by the Incremental Launching Method re-


sult from reduced costs for labor and equipment.
About 15 workmen are required on site; five of them are skilled. As
they produce one increment per week, only about 0.2 manhours per sq
ft (2 mh/m 2 ) are necessary to fabricate the superstructure.
529

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


The equipment costs in Germany today are as follows:

1. Stationary formwork, depending on size and degree of mechani-


zation, are $80,000-$200,000..
2. Launching jacks, depending on forces, are, $50,000-$70,000.
3. Launching nose, depending on size, is $70,000-$120,000.
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

FIQ. 15.—Bridge Aeross Val Rtstel, Italy, Curved with R = 482 ft (150 m)

FIQ. 16.—Malnfllngen Bridge, Germany, Using Auxiliary Stays for Launehing


Across the 435 ft (133 m) Span
530

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


4. Launching bearings are $1,500 per pier.
5. Auxiliary piers, depending on forces, are $70-$85 per ft.

All this equipment can be re-used several times. Modifications to fit


local conditions can easily be applied.
The amount of materials used for incrementally launched bridges dif-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

fers mainly in the necessary longitudinal prestress from other bridge


constructions:

1. Concrete: average thickness is 2 ft (0.61 m),


2. Reinforcement is 5.2 lb/cu ft (83 kg/m 3 ).
3. Prestress, transversely in roadway slab (optional), is 1.2 lb/sq ft
(6 kg/m 2 ).
4. Longitudinally is 10.2 lb/sq ft (50 kg/m 2 ).

These quantities are for regular bridges with spans of about 150 ft
(46 m).
Incrementally launched bridges, if properly planned and correctly ex-
ecuted, grant the owners lower first costs than any other segmental con-
crete bridge construction method because they require less support

! . » • ' • •

| U, " -- ,v.

i • I
U i
FIG. 17.—Wfirth Bridge, Erection Stag® after Transverse Shifting of the First
Bridge Girder

FIG. 18.—Shatt Al-Arab Bridge, Iraq, Concrete Swing Bridge Launched Together
with Girder
531

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


equipment and a smaller work crew. They also may avail higher quality
of the finished work because the quality can be better controlled than
in any other system.

SPECIAL APPLICATION FOR BRIDGES


Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

The longest superstructure launched from one side to date is the Aich-
tal Bridge near Stuttgart, West Germany, with a total length of 3,809 ft
(1,161 m). Fig. 11 describes the bridge further.
An incrementally launched bridge strongly curved in plan is the one
across the Val Restel River (7) in Italy with a radius of 492 ft (150 m).
This is shown in Fig. 15.
During construction of the Mainflingen Bridge (6) in Germany the cen-
tral span of 436 ft (133 m) had to be kept completely free from any ob-
structions for the traffic on the Main River. Despite this restriction the

"•-.' • - V-

i "' - - •" '


I ' « - - i n ^ •***£"•*'• ,
[ . i-a,* - ••• *V~* V*¥*yt* j

!
' ''*(••' i • " ' . J .-••-";">:5* ; ••"'''i^3fift'«.

!• " i:-!«._ '- • • V % ' 2 B & $ S ^ , -

I
• -
-
:. _
"•
'
•-• . =
^ ? i •*. Htf*-
«' •*
- , * : . .*».• A."-*-'t — •. ' I
^ **--

FIG. 19.—Neekarburg Bridge, Germany, Launched Across a Concrete Arch

Auxiliary piers

In meters

FIG. 20.—Wabash River Bridge, U.S.; First Application of the Incremental Launch
Ing Method in the U.S.

532

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


incremental launching method was applied advantageously by launch-
ing the bridge from both sides and by using auxiliary stays on top of
the superstructure (Fig. 16). The curved underside of the box girder was
straightened during launching with temporary wedges.
The longest span length in the final stage of all incrementally launched
bridges is that of the Worth Bridge (11) across the Danube River in West
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

Germany. Its span is 551 ft (168 m). Three auxiliary piers were used in
the main span. After launching, the first superstructure was shifted
transversely to make room for the second one (Fig. 17).
The bridge across the Shatt Al-Arab (12) Iraq, comprises a swing span
(Fig. 18), which was cast and launched together with the remainder of
the bridge beam.
The superstructure of the Neckarburg Bridge (1,15) near Stuttgart,
West Germany, was launched on piers which rest on a concrete arch
(Fig. 19).
In 1977 the Wabash River Bridge (3,5) near Covington, Indiana was
built using the incremental launching method for the first time in the
U.S. (Fig. 20).
Even cable-stayed bridges can be built using the incremental launch-
ing method if auxiliary piers can be placed during construction. In the
final stage, these auxiliary piers are replaced by the stay-cables. The
Metten Bridge across the Danube River in East Germany with a main
span of about 476 ft (145 m) was constructed in this manner (10). Other
bridges of this type are in the planning stage.

APPLICATION FOR BUILDINGS

The 18 stories of the University Hospital in Cologne (4), West Ger-


many, are hung from a concrete girder grid, on top of the two cores,

FIG. 21.—Hospital Cologra, Gtrmany, Girder Grid on Top of Building Incremen-


tally Launched

533

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

Constant radius on total length

Constant radius on each side

HI

' ' ' ^ *fr underground chamber


const radius r2

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


Combination with Sinking-Tunnel-Elements

"*"**i^,. mentally f o u n d * » ° *
-built of Hooted and sunken tunnel-
elements

FIG. 22.—Incrementally Launched Underwater Tunnel


263 ft (80 m) above ground. The grid consists of two longitudinal girders
and 11 cross beams, each 20 ft (6 m) high and 121 ft (37 m) long, can-
tilevering out 43 ft (13 m) from the cores.
Traditional formwork would have been expensive. Therefore, the grid
was cast in segments in a stationary form, with each segment compris-
ing one cross-girder and the corresponding parts of the longitudinal gir-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

der. The grid was then launched incrementally in the direction of the
longitudinal girders (Fig. 21).
Due to the limited space available in city centers, parking garages,
department stores, etc. are being constructed across railroad tracks in
the vicinity of railway stations. One special requirement for these struc-
tures is that their construction should interfere as little as possible with
the railway traffic underneath. This can be achieved by launching their
main load-bearing members across the tracks. The first example has
been realized across the tracks of the Main Railway Station in Basel,
Switzerland (14). Several other applications are in the planning stage.

APPLICATION FOR UNDERWATER TUNNELS

The incremental launching method is in principle even more favorable


for underwater tunnels than for bridges, because buoyancy helps the
sealing door

fJ^^s/ffi////Mw^////MM
direction of launching launching jacks

FIG. 23.—Longitudinal Section through Construction Pit

air-side
(construction pit)

water pressure -

direction of launching

FIG. 24.—Cross Section through Double Sealing of the Gate


535

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


launching considerably. A launched bridge has to be supported at least
every 200 ft—230 ft (61 m-70 m), whereas the supports of a tunnel can
be 650 ft-1,000 ft (198 m-305 m) apart depending on the cross section
of the tunnel, the velocity o£ the current, and other influences.
A constant radius is favorable but not obligatory. Long tunnels can be
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

launched from both ends; it is then possible to have two radii. Combin-
ing other methods can be advantageous, e.g. with tunnel elements
floated out and sunk into position (Fig. 22).
The tunnel can be launched in a dredged trench or, if the water is too
deep, over piers built under water, rather widely apart. Piles or shallow
foundations can be used in the dredged trench, or the tunnel can be
supported continuously on sand or gravel with a thin layer of bentonite.
Temporary cross walls can be built to form cells, which can be more
or less filled with water to obtain precise equilibrium between dead
weight and buoyancy. It is important to control the geometry of the tube
during construction constantly and precisely.
Construction is carried out inside a cofferdam with a sealing door
through which the tunnel is pushed. The door has a double seal of neo-
prene and steel (Figs. 23 and 24).
If the tunnel is launched from both banks, closure of the tunnel is
straightforward, with the two ends being pressed against each other by
the launching equipment. Eventually, the steel seal is completed by a
welded strip at the air-side and by injection with epoxy.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The incremental launching method combines the advantages of pre-


cast with cast-in-place construction methods.
The completed structures are monolithic with reinforcement and
bonded prestressing tendons crossing the construction joints. The
straight prestressing tendons, in addition to curved ones, provide a high
resistance against unforeseen loads in the completed stage.
The method is especially suitable for constantly curved or straight
medium span bridges. The main savings are achieved by reducing labor
and equipment cost by about 5%-10%; less than for other box-girder
construction methods. This has been proven for approximately 150
bridges built to date all over the world using the incremental launching
method.
The method has also been applied successfully for buildings and has
a high potential for underwater tunnels.
APPENDIX.—REFERENCES
1. "Arch Slipformer Shuns Ground Support to Cross Valley," Engineering News
Record, June 1, 1978, pp. 26-27.
2. Baumann, H., and V.. Schwichow, E., "Vom Bau der Steinaggertalbrucke,"
Proceedings, Ninth International Congress of FIP in Stockholm, Sweden, (Re-
port of German Group of the Federation International de la Precontrainte),
1982, pp. 24-26.
3. Baur, W., "Bridge Erection by Launching—a Fast, Safe and Efficient Method,"
Civil Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 47, No. 3, Mar., 1977, pp. 60-63.
4. Boll, K., and Hettasch, K., "Das Bettenhaus der Medizinischen Fakultat der
Universitat zu Kaln," Der Bauingenieur, Vol. 48, No. 7, July, 1973, pp. 233-
249.
536

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.


5. "Box Girder will be Launched in the U.S.," Engineering News Record, Jan. 27,
1977, p. 10.
6. "Extruded Span Cuts Bridge Costs in Half—Mainbrucke Mainflingen," En-
gineering News Record, Nov. 17, 1977.
7. Giovannini, B., "Un Impalcato Estruso: II Viadotto Val Restel," Dalla Rivista
Tecnica Dell'Ance L'lndustria Delle Costruzioni, No. 32, 1972, pp. 3-14.
8. Leonhardt, F., and Baur, W., "Briicke iiber den Rio Caroni," Beton- und Stahl-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY on 08/29/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

betonbau, Vol. 51, No. 2, Feb., 1966, pp. 25-38.


9. Leonhardt, F., and Baur, W., "Erfahrungen mit dem Taktschiebeverfahren
in Briicken- und Hochbau," Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, Vol. 66, No. 7, July,
1971, pp. 161-167.
10. Schambeck, H., and Kroppen, H., "Die Donaubriicke Metten," Beton- und
Stahlbetonbau, Vol. 77, Nos. 5 and 6, 1982.
11. Scheidler, J., and Fritsch, R., "Donaubrucke Wftrth—Taktschiebeverfahren
mit Querverschub," Der Bauingenieur, Vol. 55, No. 5, May, 1980, pp. 161—
168.
12. Seifried, G., and Wittfoht, H., "Die Briicke iiber den Shatt-al-Arab in Basrah
(Iraq)," Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, Vol. 74, No. 4, Apr., 1979, pp. 77-85.
13. Waliuschek, W., "Weiterentwicklung des Taktschiebeverfahrens am Beispiel
der Schwarzbachtalbrucke," Mayreder Zeitschrift, May, 1980.
14. Walter, S., "10,000 m2 Fertigteile iiber dem Bahnhof in Basel," Bauwirtschaft,
No. 19, May 12, 1977.
15. Woessner, K., Gebhardt, H., and Woerner, H., "Die Talbriicke Rottweil—
Neckarburg," Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, Vol. 74, No. 10, Oct., 1970, pp. 237-
281.

537

J. Struct. Eng. 1983.109:520-537.

S-ar putea să vă placă și