The bridge over the Hangzhou Bay (Hangzhou, China) is an additional confirmation that jokes about the low quality of things released in the Middle Kingdom are not always appropriate. It represents one of the most ambitious such engineering structures on our planet and is characterized by incredible beauty. Its length is 36 kilometers.
Design
Long studies and consultations regarding the possibility of building a bridge in this place began in 1994 and continued for nine years. In the process of creating his project, the best experts and architects from all over the world were involved, of which there are a total of more than seven hundred. As a result of painstaking work, the developers agreed on the idea that the bridge in Hangzhou, the photo of which is presented below, should be supported by powerful cables, as this will allow it to better resist difficult geological conditions at the bottom, multidirectional water flows, as well as high waves characteristic of the construction site. As a result, according to the creators, this object can withstand even an earthquake with a power of seven points on the Richter scale.
Construction
Hangzhou Bridge in China began to be built in June 2003. Five years later, all work was completed, and another year later the grand opening took place. It should be noted that the casting of all nodes and the construction of structures was carried out on the mainland. After that, the nodes were transported to the erected part, where they were installed using giant floating cranes. In order for the spans to be clearly adjusted to each other, builders constantly used more than fifty GPS systems.
the main problem
The main problem that Chinese engineers had to solve before building the Hangzhou bridge was the natural gas emissions characteristic of deep water layers along its main line. In a series of special studies of soil characteristics characteristic of this process, it was excluded. Thus, the possibility of structural damage to this engineering structure for this reason has been completely eliminated.
Opening
As noted above, the facility was commissioned in 2009. The opening ceremony, which was very pompous, was attended by many people. At a gala event dedicated to this event, chief construction engineer Wang Yong proudly announced that Hangzhou is the longest bridge in the world. Moreover, the specialist emphasized that the project was implemented in the most difficult environmental conditions, because there is a stream that is one of the three strongest on the planet, typhoons quite often happen. At the end, the engineer focused on the fact that this bridge became one of the most important not only directly in China, but also on the whole Earth.
general description
The Hangzhou Transoceanic Bridge crosses the bay of the same name, which is part of the East China Sea, as well as the Qiantang River, which is located in the Yangtze Delta. As noted above, its total length is 36 kilometers. This architectural structure was designed and built in the form of the English letter "S". It is an integral part of the highway of the Chinese east coast, due to which the northern and southern parts of the state are interconnected. The bridge originates in the city of Jiaxin, and ends in Nimbo. Based on the design documentation, the construction is designed for a hundred-year guaranteed service. In other words, a small reconstruction of it will be required no earlier than at the beginning of the next century.
It should be noted that the object consists of nine sections and boasts the presence of a modern system of protection against potential shipwrecks and damage to it as a result of this. Designers took into account the seismological features of the region through which it passes, so its integrity will not be violated even if quite strong earthquakes occur.
Main characteristics
According to statistics, the Hangzhou bridge daily passes an average of about 50 thousand various vehicles. In each direction, there are three lanes. The total width of the roadway is 33 meters. The spans are located quite high above the water (at a height of 62 meters), which makes it possible to pass various vessels, including container ships, which belong to the fourth and fifth generation. The total length of the cable used to support the Hangzhou bridge is 32.2 kilometers. The speed limit at this facility is set at 100 kilometers per hour.
The GPS systems mentioned above, which were used at the construction stage of the facility, are now used to track the current state of spans and nodes for stability, and in case of potential danger or any deviations, they will warn the maintenance staff about this.
Isle
In the very center of the bridge is an island with an area of ten thousand square meters, which is designed for drivers to relax. There are a number of possibilities for travelers. These include gas stations, restaurants, hotels and even an observation deck. Thanks to this, the island is quite popular among tourists. Many of them come here just to get an opportunity to see with their own eyes the world famous river stream. Public parks also attract them. To prevent destruction, the island is equipped with modern monitoring and security systems and built on the pier.
Positive effect
The Hangzhou bridge immediately after its appearance had a positive impact on the development of the entire region. The local governor shortly after the opening announced that the transport network’s efficiency had significantly increased in the Yangtze River Delta . In addition, the process of economic development of the region has also seriously accelerated. One cannot but note such an important nuance, which is to reduce the distance between Shanghai and Ningbo by 120 kilometers. In other words, the travel time from one important city to another was halved - up to two hours.
Major investors and contractors
According to the main investors of the project, the Hangzhou bridge has become a sign of continued growth of economic power of the entire state. They have every reason to say so, since after its discovery a strong leap has taken place in the economic development of the region. The project cost of the facility amounted to about 1.4 billion US dollars. 18 million dollars contributed by seventeen private enterprises that are deployed in the region. The largest such investor was Songcheg Group, whose investments are estimated at 17.3% of its fixed capital.
The main contractor for the project is China Railway Bridge Bureau Co Ltd. The international company Ty Lin has developed a bridge design. Hardesty & Hanover Corporation, known throughout the world, was responsible for maintenance and consulting. A shipwreck protection contract was signed with Ben C Gerwick.