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Incremental Launched Bridge Construction
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Since constructing the Tugela River Bridge in 1992 Stefanutti Stocks has become the leading construction company in South Africa in the technique of incremental launching of concrete bridges. |
The system involves the casting of sections of the bridge deck behind one abutment in a specially designed casting yard. After attaining the specified concrete strength, the cast segment is stressed, and then using purpose made hydraulic jacks, launched forward to clear the casting yard. The next segment is then cast and stressed to the rear of the first segment, and the two segments are then launched forward again. The whole process is repeated in what can be described as a sausage machine process, which eventually launches the entire superstructure into its final position.
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Stefanutti Stocks has constructed the following structures using the incrementally launched construction system:
- Ndwedwe Bridge over the Umvoti River in 1991.
- Tugela River Bridge in 1992.
- Klip River Bridge in 1997.
- Southern Gateway Bridge adjacent to the Durban International Airport in 1997.
- CTC Woodchip overhead conveyor gallery in 2002.
- Effingham Bridge in 2004.
- Centurion Bridge in 2007.
- Khangela Bridge, Durban in 2010.
- King Shaka International Airport Interchange, Durban in 2010.
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| The Tugela River Bridge construction won the prestigious Fulton Award for excellence in the use of concrete in 1994. At that point in time this structure was the largest incrementally launched concrete box structure in the southern hemisphere. The deck is 452m long, 20.75m wide and 4m deep, comprising of 1x23m, 1x49.5m, 6x56.25m and 1x42m spans, with a final launch mass of 165 000 ton. |
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