Jiayue Bridge: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:54, 30 May 2014

Jiayue Bridge
嘉悦河大桥
Chongqing, Chongqing, China
295 feet high / 90 meters high
820 foot span / 250 meter span
2010

Extradosed bridges are so rare in China that any one of them would be a cause for celebration. But when the design is executed as nicely as the Jiayue Bridge, it makes the span not only special but a structure that has become a landmark in the region.

Originally developed in Japan, extradosed bridges are a blend of cable stayed and beam bridge where the towers are short with the cables at a much lower inclination. The central beam is thicker then is required on a cable stayed bridge but the harp of cables is more minimal with larger openings near the towers and in the center of the bridge. Extradosed bridge spans cannot be made much longer then 300 meters but they are a perfect solution for mid-size river crossings like the Jiayue Bridge over the Jialing River.

But the Jiayue Bridge takes the X, Y and Z axis of the normal extradosed design to yet another level by using Y-shaped towers that incline the cables outward and away from the deck. This was first done by Christian Menn on the Swiss Sunniberg Bridge in 1998. Other special treats of the 6-lane Jiayue Bridge include wide, dual bike/pedestrian paths below the deck and narrow, split pier towers that are a hallmark of designer Man-Chung Tang of T.Y. Lin.