AKASHI KAIKYO BRIDGE

INTRODUCTION
• Nicknamed the “Pearl Bridge”
• Located over the Akashi Straight in
Japan
• Carries 6 lanes of roadway & 24,901
cars pass over it every day
• Groundbreaking in 1986
• Opened April 5, 1998
• Longest Spanning Suspension Bridge
in the World (longest span: 1991m)
• Total length of the bridge is 3911 m.
Cont.


• Tallest Towers of any Suspension Bridge

in the World
 Height : 283m
• Largest Anchorage Foundation of any
Suspension Bridge in the World
• Most Expensive Suspension Bridge Ever
Built
The central span was planned to be 1,990
meters, but the Kobe earthquake
increased it to 1,991 meters.
The two bridge towers can expand up to 7
feet due to the heat
•
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
 ANCHORAGE
G ra vity - a n ch o ra g e .
E a ch a n ch o ra g e re q u ire d 3 5 0 , 0 0 0  to n e s ( 3 4 0 , 0 0 0  LT ;
3 9 0 , 0 0 0  S T ) o f co n cre te .
 TOWERS
• The two towers stand on two large circular
foundations.
• Each is nearly as high as the Eiffel Tower and is
designed to have a two hundred year lifespan.
• The towers are 283 meters in height and if the
foundations are included, this adds a further 60
meters.
• Each tower is designed to flex / move in storm
force conditions. They and even have a special
mechanism that counteracts and dampens
movement.
 
 DECK
The bridge was designed with a two-hinged stiffening girder
system, , allowing the structure to withstand winds of
286 kilometers per hour (178 mph), earthquakes measuring
to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and harsh sea currents.
The open network of triangles makes the bridge very rigid,
but it also allows the wind to blow right through the
structure.
 CABLE
• Length of each main cable - 4,073 meters (13,363 feet, 2.53
miles)
• Diameter of main cable - 112 cm (44.1 inches)
• Diameter of each individual wire - 5.23 mm (3/16 inch)
• Strands in each main cable - 290
• Wires in each strand - 127
• Total number of wires in each cable - 36,830
• Weight of each main cable - 50,460 metric tons (~56,000 tons)
•
 TECHNNOLOGICAL
ADVANCES
• Dampers Built into the Towers
• Special Paint Coatings
• New Type of Concrete in the
Anchorages
• New Material for the Wiring in the
Cables
• New Wind Tunnel Built Specifically for
Testing a Model of the Bridge
• Vertical Stabilizer Used for Balance
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