2012 01 baluarte bridge closing

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    For further information: [email protected] Communications projects manager

    EXTRANET NEWS

    January 2012

    BALUARTE STAY CABLE BRIDGE

    Main span closed on record breaking bridge

    On January 6, 2012, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has inaugurated the world's highest cable-stayed

    bridge. The 402.57m (1,321ft) tall Baluarte Bridge spans a deep ravine in the Sierra Madre Occidental

    Mountains in the north. Officials from the Guinness World of Records were on hand to present him with an

    award recognising the engineering feat and certifying the record of the highest cable-stayed bridge in the

    world. The opening of the 1,124m (3,687ft) long bridge is part of celebrations to mark 200 years of

    Mexico's independence from Spain.

    Stay cable installation was completed at dawn ofDecember 23

    rd2011, reaching an average cycle of one

    week for the segment installation for the last seven

    segments on both sides, reaching twice a 6 day cycle.

    The steel segments were installed using two lifting

    frames designed by VSL TCAA and manufactured in

    Mexico with hydraulic components supplied by VSL

    Taiwan and VSL Switzerland.

    The last steel segment of the main span was installed

    end of 2011, and the concrete of the last slab poured

    on January 5th

    2012 in the presence of the President of

    Mexico.

    Baluarte Bridge is on the highway from Mazatlan on

    the pacific coast to Durango in the interior. http://www.bbc.co.uk

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    For further information: [email protected] Communications projects manager

    EXTRANET NEWS

    VSL is part of the consortium

    contracted by the Ministry of

    Communications and Transportof Mexico to build this

    impressive bridge whose main

    span of 520m is the longest

    cable stayed main span on the

    American continent.

    The total length is 1,124m

    including the approaches that

    were built in free cantilever

    method using form travelers.

    Here again, the design was

    carried out by VSL Technical

    Center, the form travelers were

    manufactured locally with

    hydraulic components supplied

    by VSL Taiwan.

    On this project, VSL has installed 630t of post-tensioning in the pier diaphragms and in the deck (internal

    and external post-tensioning), 75t of bars at the anchorages in the deck and in the pylons, close to 1,000t for

    the 152 stays and 152 friction dampers. The PT anchorages, stay anchorages and friction dampers have

    been manufactured by CTT in Spain, the bars and accessories have been supplied by VSL Australia.

    VSL has been installing the stays in a fast-track sequence. The installation of the PEHD duct and the

    1st

    stressing at 30% of a pair of strands was carried out in less than 24 hours. The last pair of stays on main

    span (one side) was installed in 20 hours including PEHD, 12.5 working hours (during night shift) for thestay installation itself with 1st

    stressing, and 41 strands of 271.35 m long for each stay, i.e. 22,251km or

    28.929t for both stays. Close to 450 tons of stay cable (400km of cable) were installed in the last 2 months.

    The form travellers building the bridge approaches have completed the segment cast early December 2011,

    the installation of the 152 friction dampers is ongoing and the final adjustment of the stays is scheduled for

    February 2012.

    Bruno Delalande

    Spanning the ravine at 402,57m above ground

    The Mazatlan-Durango highway

    It will be part of a modern highway linking

    the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. It replaces a

    notoriously dangerous winding road knownas the "Devil's backbone". Expected to

    open to traffic later this year, Mexican

    officials hope it will boost tourism and

    commerce in the region.

    Besides Baluarte Bridge, there will be eight

    other bridges over 300m high, as well as

    more than 60 tunnels. Eventually, it will

    form part of a modern highway linking the

    Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

    As the highest cable-stayed bridge in the

    world, it surpasses the famous Millau

    Viaduct in France.