THE TABLATE BRIDGE ROAD A-44. BÉZNAR-VÉLEZ DE

BENAUDALLA STRECHT

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Granada, 1994-1995

• Cross section.

• General view of the finished bridge (©

copyright: Ana Muller).

• Stages of the construction process.

• Views of the construction process (stage 5),

the arch has been closed and the steel

lattice mounting of the deck is about to be

finished. (©: Ana Muller).

This bridge is a part of the construction

project of the Béznar-Vélez stretch of the

Granada-Motril road, in an area of

uneven topography over the Tablate

riverbed. Moreover, this is an area of

high seismic hazard.

A composite structure was adopted for

the project, with a steel arch and

composite deck, in order to span 149

m. The construction process is

described below:

After placing the foundation blocks, the

instalment of the two box girders begins,

using four supporting scaffoldings (stage

1). At the same time, the two girder

arches are braced with transverse

beams in order to guarantee the bridge’s

lateral stability(stage 2); the construction

advances in free cantilevers until the

arch is closed (stages 3 and 4). After

dismantling the scaffolding, the

installation of the steel truss advances

from the abutments; the two horizontal I-

beams of variable depth are linked by

transverse reinforced concrete beams

(stage 5). The process ends with the

construction of the 25 cm thick upper

deck; this is achieved by placing 7 cm-

thick precast pre-slabs (stage 6), then

casting the deck (stage 7) and, finally,

laying the pavement and finish.