T H E V S L N E W S M A G A Z I N E • I S S U E O N E - 2 0 0 4

NEWSVSL’s innovationsDampers on test

Penny’s Bay in HK

RUSSIA 13

INNOVATION 9

CONTRACTING 20

high

ligh

tsFACTS&TRENDS 4Electrically isolated anchors protection 5

CS 2000’s Spanish debut certification 5

SITE INSIGHTS 12Hong Kong: Deep Bay projects on the starting blocks 13

Portugal: Fresh start for Figueira Da Foz 14

Ecuador: VSL's 100th cable-stayed bridge! 15

U.A.E.: Sheikh Zayed Bridge 16

COVER STORY 6VSL NETWORK: Sharing innovationA selection of some of the recent VSL innovations recently displayed.Post-tensioned truss form 7Modular form traveler 7Tandem strand unit 8Universal lower roller support 9Closure for formwork 10VSL DeMon, a service for live monitoring of structures 11

FOCUS 20Partnering in SydneyIn Australia’s largest urban infrastructure project currently under construction, VSL and its client are experiencing a new way of contracting

TECH SHOW 22Small room, big gamesHighly technical bridge construction at Penny's Bay contract 1 in Hong Kong

EIT 5

NEWS, magazine published by VSL International Ltd. • Bern, Switzerland and VSL • Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. Director of Publication: Jean-Philippe Trin• jean-philippe.trin@vsl-intl.com Editor in chief: Jane Rousseau • jrousseau@vsl-intl.com Co-ordinators: Valérie Foyard, Carlos Such, Doris Tong. Distribution:Sandra Puel • sandra.puel@vsl-intl.com Design: Red Line Photos: A. Derek, J. Rousseau, others. Copyright: VSL •

PENNY’S BAY 20

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EDITORIALI S S U E O N E • 2 0 0 4

Adding value with innovation

J e a n - P h i l i p p e T r i n

VSL has been investing in innovation for more than 40 years. Dedicated specialist teams and

effective R&D programmes ensure that our projects benefit both from new developments

and from continuous improvements in established techniques.

Any new technology must fulfil four key criteria: better quality; better reliability and long

term behaviour; better productivity; better cost-effectiveness. Recent VSL developments

that have achieved these demanding specifications include new post-tensioning systems,

high performance grout and dampers for stay cables. Such innovations provide even more

value than before, helping our clients as well as ourselves to gain a competitive advantage.

The VSL network believes that the sharing of know-how and best practice is a key factor in

providing top quality services. We have launched an internal web-based technical forum to

boost the process of spreading information throughout our 35 local subsidiaries. This

allows us to exchange advice on best practice and ensures that good ideas are put into use

straightaway, to the benefit of our clients.This feedback

ensures we adopt the best possible approach in the

package solutions we offer, especially for segmental

bridges and complex superstructures. In particular, our

recent jobs in Asia and South America have provided us

with case studies showing how the quality of projects can be

improved with more global technical input.

VSL specialists thrive on applying "good ideas made

workable" to special projects. I also look forward to

meeting our clients on projects around the world

and presenting the full range of our innovative

technologies that will add value.

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4

FACTS&TRENDSBontec1

Proving itsworth> Demand for the new Bontec1bonded post-tensioning systemcontinues to grow. It has already beenused for applications with a total areaof 110,000m2 across 13 projects,including offices, industrial buildingsand universities. Bontec1 is aninnovative encapsulated system forbonded post-tensioning using the VSLS5N anchorage with PE ducts. One ofits main advantages is that any futuremodifications will be easier than if anunbonded system had been used.Use of the system is also starting to highlight cost benefits. Fewerreinforcement bars are needed, givingsavings as steel prices rise. The totalprice is now slightly cheaper than forunbonded systems. ■Contact: aavend@vslchile.cl

Anchorages

CS 2000’s Spanish debut

Footbridges

Mine openings> Two years of concentratedefforts have resulted in VSL in Chileachieving ISO9001:2000 qualitymanagement certification. Theaward covers the design, supplyand construction of post-tensioningstructures, mechanically stabilisedretained earth walls and specialprojects. It also applies to the

supply and installation of bridgeexpansion joints. Obtaining thecertification has brought aboutimprovements in VSL’s operatingprocedures and at the same timewill help the company to accessspecific markets such as themining industry. ■Contact: aavend@vslchile.cl

Chile

Bridgingthe tracks> VSL footbridges have earned avery good reputation in the Chileanmarket. The use of post-tensionedtrusses gives control overconstruction loads and deflections.The latest project involves theconstruction of four footbridges forthe national rail system EFE, a major safety programme whichincludes the construction of manypedestrian bridges and the fencingof rail tracks. The EFE project isthe first in which this footbridgehas been used over a railway.■ Contact: aavend@vslchile.cl

Diversification

Training strengthened> A three day intensive salesteam training session for businessdevelopment engineers was heldin June 2004 as part of VSL’sdiversification into concrete repairand strengthening in Asia-Pacificfor the petrochemical and oil/gasindustries. VSL now has the

capabilities to provide clientswith condition evaluationservices on top of repair work.Such services include fieldsurveys, laboratory analysis andboth non-destructive and semi-destructive testing. ■Contact: adesilva@vsl-sg.com

> The new high speed railwaysouth of Barcelona featuresbearings and anchorages from VSL,including Spain’s first application of the VSL CS 2000 system. CTT-Stronghold won the contract tocarry out the post-tensioning worksand to supply POT bearings inSeptember 2003. All the post-tensioning work was carried out

with the CS 2000 system and 640 anchorages were installed. Thiswas the first time that CS 2000 6-31units had been used on such a largescale. The work included the supplyof 58 POT bearings for 4 pre-castviaducts as well as the supply of POTbearings and post-tensioning worksfor two major viaducts, Avernó andAnoia. ■ Contact: pferrer@vslsp.com

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More CS 2000. VSL France hassuccessfully completed the post-tensioning works for 4 bridgesalong the high speed rail linkingParis to Strasbourg: 26 units of CS 2000 6-12 and 156 units of CS 2000 6-19 have been installed.Work was completed in April,following on from VSL France’s 1stapplication using CS 2000 last year.

Award. Puente la Unidad has wonthe bridge category of the Post-Tensioning Institute 2004 award,following its Grand Award from theAmerican Council of EngineeringCompanies. Entries were based oncreativity, innovation, ingenuity,cost effectiveness, functionality,constructability and aesthetics.

Medal. The British group of IABSEhas launched an award forexcellence in structural design,the Milne Medal. The first winneris Mr Srinivasan for his designs ofWadi Leban Bridge (Saudi Arabia)and Wadi Abdhoun Bridge(Jordan). Both structures featureVSL stay cables.

VIP at Fib. French Minister ofConstruction Gilles de Robienvisited the VSL booth at April’sfédération internationale du béton(fib) meeting in Avignon. Heexpressed interest in post-tensioning and VSL activities andwas presented with an art book onLa Unidad Bridge.

N O T E P A D

> Electrically isolated anchorshave represented the state-of-the-art for over 20 years and are nowbecoming increasingly popularoutside Switzerland. They were firstintroduced in 1985 at theStadelhofen Station in Zürich,where VSL installed some 950 electrically isolated anchors.This started a development thatlater became a code requirement in Switzerland. It is now an integralpart of the EN 1537 norm foranchors and is attracting increasedinterest outside Switzerland. Themethod involves checking thequality of the corrosion protectionby measuring electrical resistance.This determines the tightness ofthe encapsulation around theanchor and the isolation betweenthe anchor head and the structure.

A minimum resistance value meansthat the encapsulation andinsulation are providing an adequatebarrier, sufficient to prevent anydamage from chemical attacks andstray currents. It is essential for theanchor to be robust and carefullyassembled for the method to work.A recent application of thetechnique was on the CaselertobelBridge in the Schinschlucht, in theCanton of Grisons. VSL secured thestability of the bridge pillars with 57 electrically isolated anchors.These were unusually long,measuring up to 60m, a challengefor VSL and Greuter Ltd., thedrilling company. Force as well aselectrical resistance can bemeasured at any time at fourteen ofthe anchors. ■Contact: mrickli@vsl-schweiz.ch

> Founded in May 2004 as a jointventure between S.A. des Chaux deContern (70.25%), VSL (9.75%),Eurefi (12.5%) and CD-PME (7.5%),Tetris Close Packing Technology hasdeveloped "tetrification", a micro-compaction technique derived fromresearch conducted on ultra-highperformance (UHP) concrete whichenables obtaining maximumcompactness for finely-gradedmixes with very low water contents.Wastewater sewage pipes made ofthe new "Evolit" material feature a

sizable gain in both mechanical andchemical strengths, lower pipewallthickness, outstanding useproperties plus greatly-improvedenergy efficiency and environmentalattributes. The three partners tothis research venture plan onmaking user licenses available asof 2005 on the international marketfor sewerage and wastewaterservices and, subsequently, for urban heating distributionnetworks.■ Contact:jane.rousseau@vsl-intl.com

EIT anchors

Spreading the word

Tetris

UHP sewer pipes

VSL is a network and operates as such, believing that sharingknow-how and best practice is a key factor in providing topquality services. The ability to spot and immediately transfer the

best ideas which have been tested within the network serves VSL's aim:creating innovative solutions by adapting proven experience. The solutions may be for clients or for one of 35 subsidiaries worldwide– or for both. An in-house convention held in May 2004 brought togethera hundred VSL specialists and provided them the opportunity tohighlight and develop this sharing network. Here is a selection of someof the recent VSL innovations that were on display.

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COVER STORY

6

VSL NETWORK

Sharing innova

PurposeVSL strand jacks have beensuccessfully used as the meansof dismantling a launching girderafter completion of deck erection.Four sets of SMU-70 jacks wereused in the removal of the 1,000t launching girder.

DescriptionThe launching girder consisted of along central beam positioned underthe deck on the two piers. Two sidebeams were hanging front and rearon the cross beam. Conditions atthe job site were challenging. Theheight of the pier was 40m to 50m

above the sea level. The availablespace for dismantling of the centralbeam was just 100mm, which is thegap between the two viaducts. Thelowering position was at sea level.Using this new method led toexcellent results.

Advantages• The operation cost very little –

just one fifth of the budget. • The short construction period of

15 days (1/3 of planned schedule). • Equipment was light, consisting

of just four SMU-70.•System simple and safe to use. ■

F R O N T C R O S S S E C T I O N R E A R C R O S S S E C T I O N

STRESS

FRONT BEAM

REAR CROSS BEAM ARM

STRESS

Dismantling of launching girder with VSL strand jacks

PurposeVSL in Chile has developeda footbridge design forcomplete constructionsolutions in concrete that usesone continuous structureacross all spans. A formworksystem was needed.

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tion

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VSL modular form traveller

DescriptionAn overhead system was selected due to its more favourableintroduction of support reactions into the deck, its reduced self-weight and its possible use for cross-sections with more than twowebs. VSL’s modular traveller features: • use of grade 40 steel with no need for SHS; • a traveller launching system which provides longitudinal fixity for

both uphill and downhill launching, through the use of double-acting long-stroke jacks connected by pins to the rail beam;

• rear tie-down of the traveller with 2 x 4 stress bars, all of themlocated outside of the webs.

PerformanceThe main performance characteristics are: • bridge alignment - gradient up to 5%,

horizontal curve greater than 500 m,superelevation up to 5%;

• segment geometry - segment lengthup to 5m, segment weight up to 180t(for a single box; higher for multipleboxes), single or multiple cell boxgirder, vertical or inclined webs;

• pier table length - minimum length7.2m, minimum length forsimultaneous installation of a pair of travellers 8.2m.■

Competitivepost-tensionedsteel truss form

PurposeThis formwork system for construction of cast in-situ bridges usingthe FC method was developed for easy reuse from project to project,to minimise investment in new steel and equipment and to reduceredesign costs for individual projects.

tensioning of the footbridge. Eachmodule is then removed separately.

Advantages•Pours are completed without

interrupting the traffic; vertical andhorizontal clearances are

maintained during construction.• The system is easy to mount and

dismount. • Use of post-tensioning reduces the

force in the bolts in eachconnection, and allows control ofvertical deformation. ■

DescriptionThe construction of the formsstarts with the assembly ofthe modules on the floor.After that the variousmodules are stressedtogether with individualstrands. All the modules arelifted into position as oneunit. The post-tensioning inthe form is released aftercompletion of the post-

PurposeThyssenkrupp, a company active in steel structure fabrication anderection, was looking for a retaining system of 140t capacity that wouldcombine with and follow the continuous propulsion movement of its in-house launching equipment. The purpose was to achieve a safe downhill

launch of a steel bridge. VSL provided equipment for this operation, whichinvolved lowering the load in a practically continuous movement.

DescriptionVSL had previously used SMU strand units for lowering loads or for

retaining incrementally launched bridgestructures with downhill launches. Theseproduced a stepwise movement, similarto that of SLU in lifting. VSL adapted thetandem lifting equipment to work on themuch more complex SMU lowering units.

It involved designing new pump controls, which result in variablepiston speeds. This allows the extending jack piston to be fastenough to “overtake” the piston that retracts under load and henceto be in the right position in time for the load transfer from oneanchorage to the other. The bridge moves in a continuous way, dueto the elasticity of the retaining cables and to the sliding friction.

Main advantageA continuous movement that allows an increase in the averagelifting or pulling speed to values that were previously unimaginable. ■

V S L N E T W O R K

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Tandem strand unit forcontinuous lowering and lifting

PurposeDuctal® has an exceptionally highenergy absorption capability andresistance to fragmentation, makingit an ideal material for panels andcomponents that may beaffected by explosivesor by high impactloads. The cost ofDuctal® makes itsuse competitiveonly when itsexceptional strengthand durabilityproperties can beexploited.

DescriptionStructural engineersare paying special

attention to terrorist-resistantdesign of building structures andcritical infrastructure. It wasreported that 256 or so buildingswere damaged in the Oklahoma

bombing. In the case of theworld trade centre, in

excess of 300 buildingssustained some kind ofdamage. About 53 buildings within a100m radius of the Balibombing eithercollapsed or sufferedserious damage.Therefore, it is not justhigh-risk facilities thatneed to be safeguarded. Protection is needed for allbuildings that are close to

the potential target. Two successfulblast trials were conducted in mayusing bare charges of 5t ofHexolite. Ductal® targets consistingof 2m x 1m panels of 50mm, 75mmand 100mm thicknesses werelocated at 30m and 40m from theblast.

Advantages• Effective blast and fire protection

cover is provided for stay cables.• This structural system for

panels uses a new method ofexploiting the high compressivestrength of Ductal® and the hightensile strength of prestressingsteel. The patented methodallows large energy absorbingdeflection. ■

Ultra-high performance material for blast andimpact resistance

COVER STORY

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Universal lower roller support

PurposeThe aim was to develop astandardised support for deckerection using both the freecantilever and span-by-spanmethods for a gantry’s main girderswhich can perform correctly,regardless of gradient, super-elevation and curvature in plan.

DescriptionThe universal lower rollersupport (ULRS) is the part of abridge deck erection gantry

which supports the gantry’s maingirders. The ULRS is itself placedon a lower crossbeam (LCB),which sits stationary on top of thedeck or pier.

Advantages• The system enables the transfer

of longitudinal loads from themain girders directly to the baseof the ULRS.

• It keeps the chain connectionbeam at a fixed vertical distancefrom the soffits of the main

girders, even when the level inthe main vertical support jacksis changed.

• The fixity system is independentof the magnitude of rotation inplan of the main girders.

• Commonly available gantrysystems in the market have notcome up with solutions to all ofthese issues and therefore oftenuse the winch trolley’slongitudinal movement systemfor the launching of maingirders. ■

Post-tensioning connections to absorbdeformations from seismic events

PurposeThe use of post-tensioningunbonded strands iscombined with ductilesteel reinforcement in the connections betweencolumns and beams.

This allows the structure to absorb considerabledeformation during seismic events withoutstructural damage or residual deformation.

DescriptionA prefabricated building was built during the ExpoHormigón 2002 concrete show to demonstraterecent innovations in connection systems anderection. The building was designed with twoframes in the longitudinal direction and two wallsplus two frames in the transverse direction. Thegravitational loads are supported by frictionbetween the beam and the columns.

Advantages• For low lateral displacements, this connection will

stay closed and the structure will be similar to aregular cast in-situ structure. For large lateraldisplacements, theconnection will start toopen; the strands willwork and will close thegaps after the event.Beams and columns arereturned to theiroriginal alignment bythe PT strands.

•Mild steel is included inthe grouted ductsprimarily to give thestructure an adequatelevel of energydissipation. ■

OPERATING COST MAINTENANCE COST

www.vsl-monitoring.com

Relevant information is sent straight back to the user’s desk.The system works with any IT and measurement solution.

°°

The Consultant

VSL

Remote server

The Owner

MYBRIDGE

V S L N E T W O R K

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COVER STORY

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

PurposeIn segmentalbridge

construction,stitch formwork

has to bedurable,rigid

enough to maintain the curves of the outer webs, yet flexible andlightweight for ease of handlingand installation. This formworksystem is designed for quick and easy assembly by hand.

DescriptionBased on the actual segmentshape, the outer formwork isdivided into three parts: left outerwing, outer soffit and right outerwing. Only one or two workers areneeded to assemble the outerformwork. The inner formworkcomes in 14 small pieces, whichcan easily be carried andassembled into position. Wheelson the ribs of the outer formworkare used to “wheel” it to the nextclosure pour area.

Advantages• Only two people are needed to

wheel the formwork.• No cranes or scaffolding are

needed – just two strand jacksto hoist the outer formwork up.

• Inner formwork is secured inplace. ■

Formwork for stitches

Wind speed measured in 3 directions expressed in m/s

Temperature of cables, concrete expressed in °C

Humidity expressed in %

Rain intensityexpressed in mm

Air qualityexpressed in CO, NOX, O3, SO2...

Structural vibrationacceleration expressed in gvibration modes expressed in Hz

Angular movement two directions expressed in °

°°

Stress and deformation expressed in µm/m and in mm

Inspection and investigationpaper and multimedia reports laboratory or in situ tests

Traffic expressed in km/h, veh./h, t, type...

Cable forceexpressed in kN

Sun intensity expressed in W/m2

Material ageing expressed in Cl-, mV…

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DescriptionInitial tension detection during lift-offof the existing AMS 3.0 system isbased on a pop-off event taking placeat the beginning of tensioning.However the pop-off may not happenin some circumstances, where theforce is low or where the wedges areexcessively greased. The new AMS 3.1 program responds to

this with new features whichdetermine the initial tension in any situation.

AdvantageThe new AMS 3.1 is able to detectinitial tension in strand during lift-off with, or without, pop-off of thewedges. ■

PurposeVSL has developed a service thatallows an authorised client, user orowner of a bridge or other structureto have secure and easy access tomonitoring data through theinternet in real time.

DescriptionVSL DeMon Web is a combinationof web services provided by VSL.The VSL DeMon Site software isinstalled on the structure, whereit collects and filters the raw data– both static and dynamic – beforesending it to a VSL DeMon Webserver. VSL DeMon may be usedwith any type or number ofsensors (from one to 1,000) andon any size of project. Applications are:• Temporary instrumentation

during construction can includeinstallation of stay cables, safetycontrol, sound and vibrationmonitoring, stress and

displacement control andprocessing of heavy lifting.

• Existing structures can be fittedwith temporary instrumentationto examine aspects such as thevalidation of shrinkagehypotheses, identification ofpathology and the validation ofdamping systems.

• The system can be used forpermanent instrumentationincluding long term monitoringof complex structures,management of inspectionreports, monitoring of safety andthe behaviour in seismicenvironment.

Advantages• Open platform compatible with

all suppliers.• High speed measurement and

data filtering.• Various wireless connections.• Cost-effective fieldbus

technology. ■

VSL DeMon, a service to provide a gateway allowinglive monitoring ofstructures throughthe internet

New version of automaticmonostrand stressing system (AMS)

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SITE INSIGHTS

12

> VSL recently made its name inthe Indian heavy lifting market bysuccessfully installing a 325t DeHydra Di-sulphate Reactor insidean operational refinery in Mumbaiin February. VSL was assignedthe contract by sub contractors,M/s Freight Wings PVT Ltd underthe main contractor M/s Larsen &Toubro Limited. The reactor is 42mlong with a diameter of 3.7m and is

surrounded by pipelines carryingdiesel at a temperature of 360°C. It was lifted to a height of 52.85musing VSL lifting jacks supportedby two towers and a portal beam,then slid transversely and finallylowered onto its foundation. The job was successfullycompleted in 17 hours by a skilledteam of 17 members. ■ Contact: ganesh@vslindia.com

India

Reacting to a hotchallenge

Hong Kong

Net benefits> VSL Hong Kong has used4,500m2 of VSoL® mesh wall toprovide a novel alternative solutionin securing the slopes for animportant site access road for theShatin Heights project in HongKong. The original intention was touse a geogrid reinforced slope forthe access road support, but the240m long by 22m high VSoL® wallproved more cost effective. It also had other benefits.

The system uses steel meshladders and steel mesh facing unitswhich are flexible enough to enablesite modification to tie in with theexisting rock slope. The VSL siteteam achieved installation rates ofup to 100m2 of wall face per day,working immediately behind thesoil nailing operations givingtemporary support to the cut face.■ Contact: richard.austin@hk.vsl-intrafor.com

> For the prestigious Hong Kongbuilding project, KW P3,VSL HongKong supported the main contractorSanfield and consultant Arup infinding an economical method forbuilding a connecting deck spanning30m between two towers, 135mabove ground level: raising a 350tworking platform by 106m during onenight. This was achieved by installingSMU-70 jacks upside down inside theplatform, climbing up a static liftingcable. The lifting/lowering equipmentthen remained in place during theconstruction of the upper floors. ■Contact: wschroeppel@vsl-schweiz.ch

Hong Kong

Dual systems

Hong Kong

Back-tracking

> Two erection systems are inaction for the installation of pre-castsegments on the Lok Ma ChauViaduct which extends the railwayfrom the existing KCRC Sheung Shuistation to the new Lok Ma Chaustation. VSL’s work includes theerection of the pre-cast segments aswell as the supply and installation ofpermanent post-tensioning andgrouting, bearings and single elementexpansion joints. CompletionNovember 2004. ■ Contact: henry.chan@hk.vsl-intrafor.com

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> Gammon Skanska has awardedVSL Hong Kong a sub-contract toerect pre-cast segments on theDeep Bay Link North andShenzhen Western Corridor. TheDeep Bay Project is a new cross-boundary road link between HongKong, New Territories andShenzhen, Mainland China.Segment erection started in June

with completion due by mid 2005.Deep Bay Link North has thelargest structure, consisting oftwin 5.4km decks. Three overheadgantries and a scaffold system areneeded to erect 3,000 pre-castsegments, which weigh between35t and 80t. Shenzhen WesternCorridor has a length of 3.02kmand is also a twin deck structure.

Two overhead gantries will erectapproximately 2,000 pre-castsegments, ranging from 100t to170t. ■ Contact: dominique.droniou@hk.vsl-intrafor.com

Malaysia

Lifting traffic woes> The use of a lifter is minimisingtraffic disturbance during erection of pre-cast segments for the 720mJalan Gopeng Viaduct. Cranes wouldhave caused far more disruption totravellers on the busy road leading toIpoh town. Up to 4 segments arebeing placed a day, speeding upconstruction of the viaduct that willease congestion. Each of the 282 segments is a single cell box andtheir weights range from 80t to 95t.The balanced cantilever method isused to erect most segments in the48m to 60m spans. Launching iscarried out by a combination of ashort span stationary truss andlifters equipped with SMU-120 jacks.The truss is used for the piersegment and some of the spanelements before being removed bycranes. The lifters are thenassembled on both sides of theerected deck. Once each pair ofsegments has been put up, thecantilever tendons are stressed andthe lifters can then be launchedforward to pick up the nextsegments. A typical erection cycle forone cantilever is 14 days. The bridgelevel and alignment is monitored asthe launching progresses. ■Contact: ckchong@vsl.com.my

Hong Kong

Deep Bay projects on the starting blocks

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SITE INSIGHTS

> Use of VSL Hardwire SRP hascut the costs of repairs inBaltimore’s Hippodrome theatre.The original renovation includedconcrete structural repairs andstrengthening of the main theatreand the balcony seating area.Investigations revealed that therisers also required strengtheningto guard against cracking due tomovement under loads. VSL steel-reinforced polymer (SRP)

composites are thin laminates thatare externally bonded to structuralelements using epoxy adhesive.This can significantly increase theload carrying capacity. VSLHardwire SRP was chosen for theBaltimore project to serve asadditional reinforcement to providetensile strength. The HardwireSRP system is similar to fibre-reinforced polymer fabric andconsists of ultra high-strength

steel wires that are twistedtogether to form reinforcing steelcords. This application involvedbonding the SRP to the back of therisers with epoxy adhesive. TheVSL Hardwire SRP system reducescosts by using a less expensivematerial that neverthelessprovides the advantages of thehigh shear strength of a compositesystem. ■ Contact:bgallagher@structural.net

> Figueira Da Foz Bridge, acable-stayed bridge in Portugalconstructed in the seventies, isbeing repaired and cleaned up. The bridge has a steel deck (a 225-m-long main span held by24 stay cables) and two approachviaducts in post-tensionedconcrete. VSL Portugal will beresponsible for the repair of thestay cables, the post-tensioningreinforcement, the bearings, thereplacement of seismic devicesand the expansion joints. Staycables include fixed anchors in thedeck and a tensioning systemfeaturing a saddle supported bysteel shims on the top of the pylon.Cable wires and anchors are beinginspected before proceeding with

repair and protection of allcomponents. The pylon head willbe protected and reinforced withhigh-strength VSL bars. The southand north approach viaducts,respectively 315m and 630m long,are made of 45-m-longprestressed concrete beams,which will be reinforced withexternal post-tensioning, usinggrouted and replaceable cables3/0.6" and 4/0.6". Retrofitting isstarting now with the repair of someof the original steel bearings andinstallation of new bearings andseismic dampers. The project is tobe completed by January 2005. ■Contact: ralmeida@vslsistemas.pt

USA

Steel bonding cuts riser repair bill

> VSL’s scope of work in post-tensioning contracts for civilworks projects in Chile used to belimited mainly to design, supply of materials (duct, strand andanchorages), installation of components, and the post-tensioning itself. Today, however, it also includes forms, rebar,concrete and labour. VSL in Chilewas given the opportunity toparticipate in the bidding for threebridges in the Froilan Roasproject. After initially making aproposal for the post-tensioningworks alone, VSL ended upwinning the contract for all theconstruction works, including the abutments. ■ Contact: aavend@vslchile.cl

Chile

Froilan Roa:expandingthe offer

Portugal

Fresh startfor FigueiraDa Foz

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> Last January, CTT-Stronghold(VSL in Spain) completed installa-tion of the stay cables on the newbridge over the Guadalquivir Riverin Cordoba, in southern Spain. Thecontract was awarded in March

2002. It called for the supply andinstallation of stays and post-ten-sioning on the Guadalquivir Bridgeand five additional structures along withthe design and supply of the steelsaddle on the top of the pylon.Main contractor is OHL and designer is Carlos FernandezCasado Consulting. The owner isJunta de Andalucia. PT totalled425t. The stays are placed in acentral double harp, with ninepairs of stays, ranging from 6-31 to 6-43, running through a metallicsaddle in the pylon. ■ Contact: pferrer@vslsp.com

Spain

Double harp and saddle

Ecuador

Pastaza: VSL's 100thcable-stayed bridge!> VSL has been awarded acontract for a cable-stayed bridgeover the Pastaza River, a tributaryof the Amazon River. The bridge ison the highway between Bañosand Puyo. The lead contractor isan Argentine company, JoseCartellone Construcciones CivilesSA and the designers areCabjolsky-Amura, also fromArgentina. The VSL SSI 2000system will be used for the 64 stays that will support acomposite deck of steel girders

and concrete slabs. There will be a total of 81 tons of replaceablestays. Work on the pilings hasalready started, and cableinstallation should begin in Octoberof this year and last 8 months. The project is located in theAmazon Forest, in the territory of the Shuara Indians. It takesseveral hours to reach the site.This bridge will be VSL’s 100threference in cable-supportedstructures. ■ Contact: epalos@vslsp.com

Cleaner city. VSL has beenhelping the city of Pune in India to speed up the development of a world class, pollution-freetownship, Magarpatta. The 182 hectare site will include 12 post-tensioned towers each of approximately 30,000m2. VSL suggested that a flat platesystem would speed up the cycletime. This resulted in Tower 2being completed in a record timeof four months. VSL is nowengaged in the construction ofTower 3, with more to follow.

Olympic Ring. VSL won a majorcontract as part of the ring roadlinking the two major athleticactivities areas for this year’sOlympic Games in Athens. Thework has involved the supply andinstallation of 450t of post-tensioning for the Kifissos andPoseidonos Avenues interchange.

Grecian walls. Three VSoL®

retained earth walls have beenbuilt as part of the EgnatiaHighway, which crosses fromLefkopetra to Polimilos inNorthern Greece. VSL carried outthe design, supplied the materialsand supervised the installation ofthe walls which total 8,700m2.

990 anchors. VSL carried outpost-tensioning of a voided slabon a cut and cover tunnel at theMadhuban Chowk intersection inDehli for the Delhi Tourism andTransport DevelopmentCorporation. The base of the 60m-wide PSC voided slab slab of the underpass has been fittedwith 990 permanent post-tensioned soil anchors to preventuplift due to the high water table.

N O T E P A D

> The main contractor, Archirodon,has awarded VSL two separatepackages in the prestigious SheikhZayed Bridge project. Designed by theaward-winning architect Zaha Hadid

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16

SITE INSIGHTS

Russia

Cold a challenge in Neva project

> The main contractor, Carillion,has installed the final VSoL® panel on the prestigious, 3-km-long DubaiMarina project. Over 20,000m2 of theVSoL® polymeric soil wall systemhave been used to support a newservice road. VSL Middle East hasnow been nominated for the designand supply of post-tensioning to thefloor slabs on the new MarinaMansions high-rise tower. Atkins, thelead consultant on the project, gaveVSL the PT contract for this 30-storeybuilding ahead of the main contractaward so that the post-tensioningdesign package will be ready forsubmission to the successful maincontractor on day one of theconstruction programme. ■ Contact: vslburke@emirates.net.ae

Dubai

Marina:from VSoL®

to PT

U.A.E.

Sheikh Zayed: Post-tensioning and hangers

(see page 5), the bridge will be themain access route onto Abu DhabiIsland, in the United Arab Emirates.The first package is for the post-tensioning works of the concrete box

girder decks, including the inclinedconcrete pier supports and pier pilecap foundations. The second packageis for the supply and installation of theinclined cable-stayed hangers. VSL´sSSI 2000 system will be utilised forthe hangers. The VSL post-tensioningtendons will be encapsulated usingVSL's proprietary PT Pluspolypropylene duct system in order toenhance corrosion protection. Thehanger anchorage components rangein size from 6-61 up to 6-127 strandsand are fully encapsulated, with eachstrand separately protected inside theanchorage. ■ Contact: vslburke@emirates.net.ae

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

17

Jordan bridge. VSL is workingon the Wadi Abdoun cable-stayed bridge, a very technicalproject in Amman. VSL ismodelling the entire structureto carry out stress analysis andgeometry control duringconstruction. Design, supply andinstallation of the stay-cablesystem as well as the post-tensioning works will besupplied.

Economical jacking. VSL Francehas won a large repair contract,thanks to an alternative in-house hydraulic jackingtechnique that providessignificant savings: jacking of 12 bridges, replacement ofthe bearings, and the supplyand installation of 400m of newexpansion joints.

Incremental launch. A team ofsix VSL specialists is launchingthe deck of the La BresleViaduct on the A29 motorway inNormandy, France for RazelCivil Works Division, maincontractor with three SLU 330jacks at a rate of 30m per week.VSL is in charge of the full post-tensioning of the viaduct.

French VSoL®. VSL France hasbeen awarded three retainedearth projects in France:abutment walls at Homécourt(400m2), plain walls andabutment walls at Limoges(1,295m2), and walls made withsteel-mesh facing panels(1,635m2) at Bois Roger, for theA28 BOT motorway. This projectis the first time in France that6.50-m-high walls have beenused to support a motorwaysection of such dimensions(270m long and four lanes).

N O T E P A D

> One of the most importantcrossings on the St. PetersburgRing Road, the Neva River cable-stayed bridge is a twin-pylonstructure with a 382-m mainspan and two 174-m backspans. The deck and pylons are made of steel. The 24.9-m-wide, 2.4-m-high (during construction)and 12-m-long deck segmentsare fabricated by boltingtogether several sections tomake the 120-t double-boxgirder segment. Over 440,000m of galvanisedstrands have been individuallygreased, coated with a high-density polyethylene sheathstressed and stressed (SSI2000 stay cable system). The stay cable sizes vary from 13 to 91 strands. Short and tough scheduleconstraints associated with thedifficulties of casting concreteduring the extremely lowtemperatures of a Russianwinter has led to the use of10XCHD steel (Russian grade) as a basic material. The supplyof the stay-cable system andtechnical assistance for theinstallation of stays has beensubcontracted by Mostootriad 19 to VSL. The installation ofstays started in Aug. 2003 and isdue for completion in summer 2004.■ Contact: jcampbell_russia@hotmail.com

Oman

80 jacks in Muscat

> At the end of 2003, VSLSwitzerland was awarded thecontract for the jacking and loweringof bridges in the second phase of arepair project in Muscat, Oman. The first phase was carried out in1998. On-site operations started inearly January 2004 and are to becompleted in September 2004. More than 80 VSL jacks are beingused as called for by the maincontractor's sequence of works.Other repair projects are expected inthe near future in this area as partof the overall bridge repairprogramme. ■ Contact: cpetrel@vsl-schweiz.ch

Qatar

Doha interchanges> VSL Middle East has deliveredsuccessfully and on time the soil walland post-tensioning packages for theSalwa, Immigration, and LuqtaInterchanges in Doha, Qatar. The project included 11,000m2 of theVSoL® polymeric soil wall system and170 tonnes of post-tensioning to thebridge deck concrete box girders. Themain contractor was J&P, and theconsultant supervising the projectwas Technital. ■ Contact: vslburke@emirates.net.ae

Egypt

Damiettatanks completed> The civil works on the twoDamietta LNG tanks were completedat the end of May 2004. Aftersuccessful water tests in March andApril, the doors of the tanks wereclosed in mid-May. More than 1,000 tonnes of strand were installedfor the two tanks for Saipem. Thework was done in a joint venture withBouygues Civil Works. ■ Contact: cpetrel@vsl-schweiz.ch

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18

SITE INSIGHTS

> VSL is providing the post-tensioning for the KW68 viaduct(Contractor. J.V. MD-AB Hoogstraten)in Hoogstraten, Belgium. The viaducthas a total length of 88m and issupported by two abutments and anintermediate support, with spansmeasuring 40m and 48m,respectively. The supporting structureconsists of two massive post-tensioned concrete girders, each 1.5m wide and 2.35m deep. Betweenthem is a concrete slab resting onprefab concrete transverse beams tocarry the roadway. These beams arelaid on a ridge on the side of eachgirder. After concreting, hardeningand post-tensioning, each girder (89m long and 1,000t) was to beplaced on its supports. The distribution of forces differsgreatly in the construction, transportand final phases. The post-tensioning

was done in several steps and evenpartly removed. The post-tensioning is produced by eight permanenttendons, four temporary tendons, andfour extradosed tendons per girder.Each saddle consists of a bundle of 37 curved steel tubes. To have access

to the saddles during the threading of the strands and to allow somedisplacement of the structure duringthe stressing of the extradosedtendons, the top part of the stainlesssteel ducts is made slightly wider.■Contact: vellekoop@vsl-benelux.nl

Benelux

VSL in the saddle

> The old railway viaduct with its12 arches spanning the WeißeElster in Halle had carried heavytraffic for 164 years. To meet the 10-day limit set for the replacementoperation, the new bridge was to bebuilt beside the existing one on atemporary substructure (generalcontactor: Alpine Bau). The newviaduct is a single-cell, box girderstructure with a main span of 58mand side spans of 47m and 38m,respectively. Thirty segments andone closure were required tocomplete the bridge. The wholesuperstructure contains 166 cablesof 19 strands and 96 shear needles

(36mm diameter PT-bars). The temporary substructure and the final piers beneath theexisting arches were constructedsimultaneously. VSL’s work was crucial to respectingthe tight schedule: Eight tendons inthe webs and four temporarytendons in the bottom-slab had tobe installed and stressed before thetraveller could proceed to the nextsegment. That work was completedin March 2004. However, theprogramme did not allow 30 cablesto be stressed before all secondaryloads were applied to the structure.Only three days before the bridgewas shifted into its final position,VSL had to stress and grout those 30 cables inside the box without anyrecesses left for suspension of thestressing jacks. The superstructurewas launched on 24 May 2000, asscheduled. ■Contact: vsl-syst@t-online.de

Germany

1 new bridgein 10 days

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19

> Geoffrey Osborne Ltd slid a270-t bridge deck into position overtwin tracks of the London-to-Exeterand Bristol-to-Southamptonrailway lines. The deck slide is partof the £3 million Highways Agencysafety project to upgrade the A36Skew Bridge in Salisbury. Precastelements feature strongly on thisproject. Each footbridge consists offour precast beams and in-situdeck slab. Each beam is 26-m-long

and weighs up to 50t. VSL suppliedheavyweight hydraulic jacks to liftand suspend the deck from thetemporary steel tracks workingnear a live rail line. The liftingbeams, with the bridge decksuspended beneath them, werethen pulled on phosphor bronzeskates along the tracks by strandjacks. When in position, the deckwas lowered onto the abutments. ■Contact: Scardwell@vslsystems.co.uk

> A new administrative building,the Pankrac House, is beingdelivered close to the city centre of Prague. The main contractor isconsortium Porr – Swietelsky, thesubcontractor of the structuralpart is Skanska CZ. Since spacefor the foundation was limitedbecause of nearby metro tunnels,a special structural system madeof arches with ties and tensionedcolumns was required. The tiesand tensioned columns are post-tensioned, using tendons with 2 to22 strands. The upper floors with a10-m span are post-tensioned with4-strand tendons in flat ducts. ■Contact: psevcik@vsl.cz

> VSL France has been awarded apost-tensioning contract (design,supply and installation) for theconstruction of the Larvotto Hotelterrace in Monaco. Located veryclose to the sea, the 4,200-m2 slabterrace holds a luxury pool called the"Lagoon". The post-tensioningprovided by VSL is 6-7 cables in bothdirections, totalling about 110t ofstrand. ■ Contact: michel.guichard@vsl-france.fr

France

Rail bridge shift> As part of the construction ofthe A28 highway, VSL Franceshifted a rail bridge into positionon the Paris-Caen railway line inMay 2004. During the 60-hourwindow for the work, 15,000m3 of

earth were removed, and therailway bridge (3,500t) was slidinto its final position using four1,000-t heavy lifting units. ■Contact: patrick.travers@vsl-france.fr

Czech Republic

Arches, tiesand tubes

France

Luxury pool United Kingdom

Strand jacked bridgeover live railway

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

20

The Western Sydney Orbital toll-roador Westlink M7 motorway will divertAustralia’s heavy eastern seaboardhighway traffic west around Sydney.The AUD 1.5-billion project involvesthe design, construction, operationand eventual transfer of 40km of“seamless” electronic tollway,including 7.6km of elevatedstructures with 146 bridges and over25,000m2 of retained earth walls. In addition to VSL’s award of sub-contracts for the design, supply andsupervision of retained earth walls,supply of equipment and personnel forpost-tensioning operations, VSL hasformed a “sub-alliance” partnershipfor the design, supply and operationof the specialist plant for placing thepre-cast elevated sections.

Enhanced decisionprocessesThis “alliance partnering” assists inobtaining a “best for project” result:VSL brings its extensive pre-cast

erection knowledge and experience.In exchange, the alliance enablesVSL to be active in the decisionmaking processes that influence itsown work scope. In its “sub-alliance”arrangement with the contractingconsortium of Abigroup & LeightonContractors Joint Venture, VSLprovides the skilled engineering,equipment, materials and keysupervisionary roles on a secondmentlike basis with a management fee. Design work for VSL started in mid2003. The project is expected to becompleted in September 2005 andopen for traffic by the end of 2006.

VSL’s scope of works includes:• the provision of skilled personnel for

construction design, managementand supervision of superstructureerection and stressing operationsfor 32 segmental bridges involving6 bridges /82 spans by underslunggantry, 16 bridges /69 spans byfalsework systems and 12 bridges/76 spans by balanced cantilevers.

•the supply of stressing equipment,components and personnel for2,300t of internal & external PT inboth situ works and for transferstressing in the pre-cast yard.

• materials, plant and personnel forthe grouting of 2,300t of PT.

• the design and supply of 20,000m2

of 5 degrees inclined, texturedpanels, un-reinforced retainedearth walls & components.

Superstructure erection involvesplacement of segments by crane

either on to temporary falseworkdecking, or on to underslung self-launching gantries, and on balancedcantilever construction. Groutingutilises the VSL optimised groutingprocedures for both systems.

20,000m2 of VSoL®

VSL’s original 5,000m2 contractquickly expanded to up to 20,000m2

of the 25,000m2 of retained earthwalls on the project. VSL designed,supervised erection and suppliedthe architecturally finished panelswith galvanised reinforcing meshand components. The walls cater for a combination of conditionsincluding crash barriers withvarious heights, reinforcing lengthsall with a 5 degree inclination.

This contract is a typical applicationof VSL’s will to develop alternativecontractual relationships. Such newcontracts can be alliances, lumpsum, cost plus, internal joint venturewith main contractor for specialistwork with partnering approach,bipartite or tripartite agreements…The overal trend is to move avayfrom traditional subcontract. In allcases, such approaches can onlywork if designed for the benefit orboth the Client and VSL. ■

Partnering in Sydney

New contractinginto orbitVSL is taking a key role in Australia’s largest urbaninfrastructure project under construction, theWestern Sydney Orbital toll-road or Westlink M7motorway. VSL and its client are experiencing a newway of contracting.

FOCUS Western SydneyOrbital – M7

OWNER: WESTLINK MOTORWAYCONSORTIUMComprising: MacquarieInfrastructure Group, Transurban,Leighton Holdings and Contractorsand Abigroup.Concession: The Consortium hasbeen granted a 34 year concessionby the Roads & Traffic Authority ofNSW on behalf of the FederalGovernment.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTIONCONTRACTOR: ALJVAbigroup Leighton Joint Venture

RETAINED EARTH AND POST-TENSIONING: VSL (sub-contracts)

DESIGN, SUPPLY AND OPERATIONOF THE SPECIALIST PLANT FORPLACING THE PRE-CASTELEVATED SECTIONS: VSL ("sub-alliance” partnership)

Western Sydney Orbital toll-road site.

A typical application of VSL’s will to developalternative contractual relationships.

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21

Friction damper testing

Long cables: high results

SPECIAL REPORT

Dampers are to be installed on future cable-stayed bridges in China, particularlythe Sutong Bridge. The Tongji University of Shanghai has recently tested theperformance of various types of cable damping systems, including prototypes.The VSL friction damper achieved excellent results in these exercises.One of the objectives of the testswas to study the performance ofcable damping systems. For verylong cables (over 400m), theperformance of the damperinstalled at deck level was to beincreased by installing anadditional damper near the pylon.However, the VSL systemperformed so well that this seconddamper should not be needed. The dampers tested by TongjiUniversity were mainly linearhydraulic systems. The VSLfriction damper was alsosubmitted for testing, although it isa non-linear system. Its efficiencywas measured using differenttypes of friction materials at twolocations along the cable and withvarious values of friction force.

Installation As for all the other tested dampingsystems, the VSL friction damperwas installed on a 216m-longparallel wire stay cable of 113mmdiameter. The cable was stressedto 3950kN. The performance of theVSL friction damper wasmeasured at two differentlocations in relation to one of theanchorages. The positions were5.0m (2.3% of the cable length) and3.5m (1.6% of the cable length). Inboth cases, the damper was testedwith different types of new

composite friction materialdeveloped by VSL. The cable wasequipped with several accelerationand displacement sensors.Excitation was achieved by twomen pushing the cable by hand atthe correct frequencies. Thefriction damper was studied at thethree first modes of vibration in atotal of 19 tests.

Main results The tests demonstrated a high levelof performance by the VSL frictiondamper and confirmed that this typeof damper may be used not only formedium but also for long cables.Being a non-linear system, theVSL friction damper is designed to perform at maximum efficiencyat a defined low level of cabledeformation. An efficient cabledamping system has to:a) increase the cable damping to aminimum value of 3%,b) achieve this action with a

damper installed near theanchorages (at a distance lessthan 3% of the cable length).During the tests, the VSL frictiondamper achieved a damping of 8% at a distance of 2.3% and adamping of 6% at a distance of 1.6%.

Another advantage of the non-linearVSL friction damper is that itachieves its maximum dampingeven if its adjustable friction force is lower than the theoretical value.This is not the case with linearhydraulic dampers. The tests clearlydemonstrated this advantage: a reduction of about 25% in thefriction force had practically noeffect on the maximum damping ofthe VSL damper.With this level of performance,only one friction damper installednear the deck anchorage shouldbe sufficient to stop the vibrationon very long cable (about 500m).The need for the second, includingthe maintenance cost at the pylon,is avoided. ■

Damper location 1st mode 2nd mode 3rd mode

5,0 m 8% 7% 6%

3,5 m 6% 5% 4%

The VSL damper achieved excellent results.

Behaviour of the cable displacement at L/4. For about 20 seconds, the cable has been excited

(at mode 2) to reach a 90mm deformation.After this period of excitation, the sharp

decrease in the cable deformation over thenext 35 seconds is due to the damper's action.

The first curve shows the damping at mode 1 inrelation to the cable deformation measured bythe displacement sensor installed at a quarter

of the cable length (L/4). The damper wasadjusted to have its optimum performance

when the amplitude of the cable deformation(at L/4) was around 30mm

(data supplied by Tongji University).

The VSL damper on test.

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22

SPORTS

VSL’s play in the Euro cup

Braga Stadium

Leiria Stadium

Boavista Stadium

José Alvalade Stadium

Foundation and slab post-tensioning withcables and stays anchorage block.Reinforcement with VSL bars

Radial frames andcircularbeams cable post-tensioning

Roof lockedcoiled cables,VSL’sinstallation

Roof supportmetalicbeams lifting

Connectingmetalic andconcretestructurewith VSL PT bars

Radial frames and circular beams cable post-tensioning

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

23

TECH SHOW

Small room

games

Penny’s Bay contract 1

Hong Kong is the place

today for highly technical

bridge construction.

VSL has been practising

creativity for years.

It shows at Penny’s Bay

contract 1…

big

24

Opening the way to Mickey’s stage

The Penny’s Bay area of LantauIsland in Hong Kong is the site of anew Walt Disney Theme Park whichwill be opened in 2006. VSL HongKong was awarded four contracts onthe infrastructure works, coveringthe construction of two bridges andfour VSoL® Retained Earth wallsforming the approach ramps to theroad bridges. The last contract to beawarded, the Penny’s Bay contract 1bridge, covered the erection of a roadbridge to provide access from thesite over the Airport Express andMass Transit Railway (MTR) railways.This bridge provided the final sectionof road access between the DisneyTheme Park, the Expressway andtrain station.

TECH SHOWP E N N Y ’ S B A Y C O N T R A C T 1

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

1

25

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

WORKING OVER THE AIRPORTEXPRESS AND MTR LINESThe erection works were conductedbetween 1:30 and 4:30 am on limiteddays per week, whilst the power tothe rail lines cut off. Specificprecautions and contingency planswere developed in conjunction withMTRC to cover any potential risk andemergency measures that wouldhave had to be implemented in theevent of a problem which might of impacted on the safe operation of the railway.

2 Squeezing in and adjusting to constraints

SHARP RADIUSThe bridge consists of twin deckseach 11.0m wide, with threecontinuous spans 35, 31 and 36mlong respectively. With a sharpradius on plan and a super elevationof about 6%, the bridge is squeezedunderneath the Expressway, andabove the railway lines. With allthese constraints already in place,the bridge box was designed as acontinuous structure to reduce thedepth of the deck.

SMALL HEADROOM ABOVE THE BRIDGEThe highway above prevented theassembly of the gantry next to thebridge. The equipment had to beassembled about 80 meters awayfrom the first span, and had to belaunched in three stages to theerection area. Clearances betweenthe gantry and the bridge above wereas low as 200mm.

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TECH SHOWP E N N Y ’ S B A Y C O N T R A C T 1

Erecting each deck in 3 stages

Stages 1 and 2 included theconstruction of a full span, eachmade from10 to 12 segmentsweighing between 50 and 60 tons anda quarter of the adjacent span, madewith three segments match-castagainst the pier segments, built incantilever. Stage 3 comprised theclosing of the last span. The piersegments were erected by crane andthe gantry was subsequentlylaunched over the pier segments.The segments of each span wereassembled together and temporarilyprestressed, prior to be connected tothe pier segments with an in-situstitch. When the concrete of thestitches reached 20MPa, theseassemblies where then pre-stressed for each stage intwo sequences of four tendons eachof 6-37 configuration.

3

27

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

Re-cycling reliable VSL launching equipment

For this project, VSL used a new span by span overhead-launching gantry. The main two trusses of the equipmentwere made with one pair of beams which formed part ofthe under-slung gantries that were previously used on the

West Rail and East Rail projects in Hong Kong. A lowercross beam and upper cross beam mounted with

a 90t winch, plus other bracings andcomponents were added to create a

very stable and robust gantry.

4

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

28

TECH SHOWP E N N Y ’ S B A Y C O N T R A C T 1

Following-up with previous projects

To create the abutment and providethe approach ramps to the bridges,VSL Hong Kong was awarded a fullinstallation package for 4,000m2 ofVSoL® Retained Earth walls on thecontract 1 project. Installation workfor the walls followed the erection of a further 4,000m2 of VSoL® on thePenny’s Bay contract 2 project whichformed part of the same site accessroad. To match the architecturalfinish of the walls with that used forthe contract 2 walls and on otherparts of the Penny’s Bay site, thewalls were built using 2.4m wide x 1.8m high panels whichincorporated three different patternsand textures on a single panel face.

5

N E W S N ° 1 • 2 0 0 4

29

With bridge loads supported on 1.8m diameter piles close behind the panel facing, an effective meansof isolating pile loads and movementfrom the retained earth block wasrequired.

6A precast concrete split shellsystem was used to provided a costeffective and rapidly installed way of maintaining a clear void betweenthe columns.

Achieving total isolation of the columns from the backfill

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30

TECH SHOWP E N N Y ’ S B A Y C O N T R A C T 1

Keeping the schedule smoothly

The works started in January 2004with the assembly of the gantry.Erection works started early March2004 and where substantiallycomplete by June. To enableassembly and launching of thegirder for the bridge erection,completion of the South abutmentwas critical to the programme, as the approach ramp was used as a support platform for girderassembly and launching. Followinglaunching of the girder, finalinstallation of wall panels, copingsand bank seat thrust relief wallswhere completed. In addition to theconcrete faced walls, VSL suppliedand installed a number of VSoL®

mesh faced walls as temporaryworks, as a quick and cost effectiveway of allowing adjacent activities to continue as the permanent wallswere built.The erection work overthe Airport Express and MTR lineswere executed without anydisruption to either traffic or equipment from MTRC.

7

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31

C R E AT I N G S O L U T I O N S T O G E T H E Rwww.vsl-intl.com

VIETNAMVSL Vietnam Ltd.HANOIPhone: +84 - 4 - 8245 488Fax: +84 - 4 - 8245 717

Ho Chi Minh CityPhone: +84 - 8 - 8258 144Fax: +84 - 8 - 9102 596

Australia

VSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.SYDNEYPhone: +61 2 9 484 59 44Fax: +61 2 9 875 3894

BRISBANEPhone: +61 7 3265 64 00Fax: +61 7 3265 75 34

MELBOURNE and SOUTHERNPhone: +61 3 979 503 66Fax: +61 3 979 505 47

Americas

ARGENTINAVSL Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción Argentina SABUENOS AIRESPhone: +54 - 11 - 4326 - 06 09Fax: +54 - 11 - 4326 - 26 50

CHILEVSL Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción S.A.SANTIAGOPhone: +56 - 2 - 233 10 81Fax: +56 - 2 - 233 67 39

MEXICOVSL Corporation Mexico S.A de C.VMEXICOPhone: +52 - 55 - 5 - 396 86 21Fax: +52 - 55 - 5 - 396 84 88

UNITED STATESVStructural LLCBALTIMORE, MDPhone: +1 - 410 - 850 - 7000Fax: +1 - 410 - 850 - 4111

Middle East

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESVSL Middle East OfficeDUBAIPhone: +971 - 4 - 282 08 03Fax: +971 - 4 - 282 94 41

Africa

SOUTH AFRICATsala-RMS Construction Solutions (Pty) LtdHomesteadPhone: +27 11 878-6820Fax: +27 11 878-6821

Europe

AUSTRIAGrund-Pfahl- und Sonderbau GmbHIndustriestrasse 27a AT-2325 Himberg bei WienPhone: +43 - 2235 87 777Fax: +43 - 2235 86 561

BELGIUMN.V. Procedes VSL SABERCHEMPhone: +32 3 230 36 34Fax: +32 3 230 89 65

CZECH REPUBLICVSL Systemy (CZ), s. r. o.PRAGUEPhone: +420 - 2 - 67 07 24 20Fax: +420 - 2 - 67 07 24 06

FRANCEVSL FRANCE S.A. ST-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINESPhone: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 85Fax: +33 - 1 - 39 44 85 86

GERMANYVSL Systems GmbHBERLINPhone: +49 30 53 01 35 32Fax: +49 30 53 01 35 34

GREAT BRITAINVSL Systems (UK) Ltd.CAMBRIDGESHIREPhone: +44 (0) 1480 404 401Fax: +44 (0) 1480 404 402

GREECEVSL Systems A/EATHENSPhone: +30 - 2 - 1 - 0363 84 53Fax: +30 - 2 - 1 - 0360 95 43

NETHERLANDSVSL Benelux B.V.AT LEIDENPhone: +31 - 71 - 576 89 00Fax: +31 - 71 - 572 08 86

NORWAYVSL Norge A/SSTAVANGERPhone : +47 - 51 52 50 20Fax : +47 - 51 56 27 21

POLANDVSL Polska Sp. z o.o.WARSAWPhone: +420 2 67 07 24 20Fax: + 420 2 67 07 24 06

Asia

BRUNEIVSL Systems (B) Sdn. Bhd.BRUNEI DARUSSALAMPhone: +673 - 2 - 380 153 / 381 827Fax: +673 - 2 - 381 954

HONG KONGVSL Hong Kong Ltd.WANCHAIPhone: +852 - 2590 22 88Fax: +852 - 2590 02 90

Intrafor (Hong Kong branch)WANCHAIPhone: +852 - 2836 31 12Fax: +852 - 2591 61 39

INDIAVSL India PVT Ltd.CHENNAIPhone: +91 - 44 5214 56 78Fax: +91 - 44 2433 99 02

INDONESIAPT VSL IndonesiaJAKARTAPhone: +62 - 21 - 570 07 86Fax: +62 - 21 - 573 12 17

JAPANVSL Japan CorporationTOKYOPhone: +81 - 3 - 3346 - 8913Fax: +81 - 3 - 3345 - 9153

KOREAVSL Korea Co. Ltd.SEOULPhone: +82 - 2 - 553 8200Fax: +82 - 2 - 553 8255

MAINLAND CHINAVSL Engineering Corp., Ltd.HEFEIPhone: +86 551 3822918Fax: +86 551 3822878

MALAYSIAVSL Engineers (M) Sdn. Bhd.KUALA LUMPURPhone: +603 - 7981 47 42Fax: +603 - 7981 84 22

PHILIPPINESVSL Philippines Inc.PASIG CITYPhone: +632 672 17 03Fax: +632 672 13 95

SINGAPOREVSL Singapore Pte. Ltd.SINGAPOREPhone: +65 - 6559 12 22Fax: +65 - 6257 77 51

TAIWANVSL Taiwan Ltd.TAIPEIPhone: +886 - 2 - 2759 6819Fax: +886 - 2 - 2759 6821

THAILANDVSL (Thailand) Co. Ltd.BANGKOKPhone: +66 - 2 - 237 32 88 / 89 / 90Fax: +66 - 2 - 238 24 48

PORTUGALVSL Sistemas Portugal Pre-Esforço,Equipamento e Montages S.A.S. DOMINGO DE RANAPhone: +351 - 21 - 445 83 10Fax: +351 - 21 - 444 63 77

SPAINCTT StrongholdBARCELONAPhone: +34 - 93 - 289 23 30Fax: +34 - 93 - 289 23 31

VSL-SPAM, S.A.BARCELONAPhone: +34 93 846 70 07Fax: +34 93 846 51 97

SWEDENInternordisk Spännarmering ABVÄSTERHANINGEPhone: +46 - 8 - 5007 3820Fax: +46 - 8 - 753 49 73

SWITZERLANDVSL (Switzerland) Ltd.SUBINGENPhone: +41 - 32 613 30 30Fax: +41 - 32 613 30 15

VSL (Suisse) SAVOUVRYPhone: +41 24 48157 71Fax: +41 24 48157 72

HEADQUARTERS

VSL International Ltd.Scheibenstrasse 70 – BernCH-3014 – SwitzerlandPhone: +41 32 613 30 30Fax: +41 32 613 30 55 VSL LOCATIONS

Your post-tensioningpartner

• Post –Tensioning

• Stay cables

• Heavy lifting

• Climb form and formworks

• Retained earth

• Superstructure erection

• Special construction methods

• Grouting

• Ground anchors

• Repair & strengthening

• Soil improvement

John-Paul II Bridge - Poland

Seonyu Footbridge - Korea

www.vsl-intl.com

Kisosansen Bridge - Japan

Chongquing Masangxi Bridge - China

Roof for Airbus A380 - France

Manhattan Heights- Hong Kong

Austrack Project - Australia

La Unidad Bridge - Mexico