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ALAMILLO BRIDGE

Theory of Structures

PRESENTED TO:
PRESENTED BY:
BACCAY, DAIGO, ESTRADA, LORENZANA, REYES

ARCHT. MARK GARCIA

STRUCTURE
SPECIFICATION
Name: Designer: Location: Structural Type: Function: Crosses: Puente de Alamillo, Alamillo Bridge, Harp Bridge, Santiago Calatrava Seville, Andalusia, Spain Asymmetrical Cable-stayed Bridge, Inclined Pylon, No Backstay Road bridge, Pedestrian and Motor Bridge Guadalquivir River

Duration:
Materials:

1987 - 1992
Cables: Pylon: Deck: Steels Reinforced Concrete Reinforced Concrete

Dimensions:

Main Span: 250 m. Pylon Height: 162 m. Pylon Angle: 58

ALAMILLO BRIDGE

INTRODUCTION
Santiago Calatrava merges the boundaries between engineering and architecture, art and function. He has gained an international reputation for integrating technology and aesthetics, producing dynamic structural forms that challenge traditional practice in both architecture and engineering.

BRIEF

BACKGROUND
Commissioned for the World Fair, Expo '92, to serve as its main entrance. This static concept can be traced back to the 1986 sculpture by Calatrava entitled 'Running Torso', in which inclined stacked marble cubes are balanced by a tensioned wire.
The core of the tower contains a service stair to the top.

BRIEF

BACKGROUND
Originally consisted of two mirrored bridges to create symmetry. For political reasons, an asymmetrical solution was decided upon.

This is the only cable-supported bridge that is not backanchored.


The bridge is balanced solely through added weight of inclined pylon.

CONCEPTUAL

IDEA

DESIGN
CONCEPT

Calatrava is inspired by natural forms in movement waves undulating, trees bending to the wind, flower petals opening. Especially, he focuses on the human body.

One draws the human body to understand the movement, the gesture. The space, the landscape, the human landscape, and topology are important for me. These will inspire or bring the essence to a project. So, for myself I venerate the human body.

CONCEPTUAL

IDEA

DESIGN
CONCEPT

The Alamillo Bridge Completed in just thirty-one months for the 1992 Worlds Fair in Seville, Spain, was instantly recognized as a landmark, joining the list of numerous memorable historic structures in this remarkable city.

In the case if the Alamillo Bridge, the images a Harp, a ships mast, a swan might come to mind. Deeper reflection, however, on the structural raison detre of the bridge carrying horizontal weight requires a more robust metaphor. The simple image of the human body bearing a weight on its back recasts our perception of the bridge by the strong relationship between the cables and the horizontal deck.

STRUCTURAL
CONCEPT
Calatrava tries to express the kinetic movement of the static members in a structure. In the Alamillo Bridge, he shows his intention strongly with the concrete-filled steel pylon inclined at 58 degrees. He had the pylon that is divided with several pieces and accumulated for the structural solution and allowed the weight of the pylon to counterbalance the deck. He created a new type of cable-stayed bridge. Spanning 200 meters, thirteen pairs of stay cables support a hexagonal, steel bow beam over the Meandro San Jeronimo River.

KINETIC VS.

STATIC

STRUCTURAL
CONCEPT

1> ASYMMETRIC
INCLINED PYLON

CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE
It makes a counter-force and enhances the asymmetry International geometric arrangement of the return anchorage cables

STRUCTURAL
CONCEPT

The concept design was based on the balanced cantilever method. It was intended to erect segments of the bridge deck and the tower so that they balanced so as the deck grew outwards from the tower so the tower grew upwards. The construction designers and advisors showed that this was too risky - proper safety levels could not be reached. They realised it was possible to backfill part of the river underneath the bridge and erect temporary supports.

STRUCTURAL
CONCEPT
The sequence was as follows:
1. Construct the foundations and the lower concrete part of the tower. 2. Backfill part of the river 3. Construct temporary piers 4. Erect the steel box girder using the temporary suports. Weld into place the steel ribs onto the box 5. Construct the four lower segments of the tower . 6. Continue to erect the tower and tension the cables 7. The total construction time was 2 years

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS
DISTRIBUTED LOAD OF ROAD DECK CABLE STAYS IN TENSION CONNECT ROAD DECK TO PYLON DISTRIBUTED LOAD OF ANGLED PYLON

REACTIONS

BRIDGE DECK
The bridge deck is designed as a metal structure and consists of a central platform and hexagonal anchorages where the cables attach. In this platform, metal ribs leave some 4 meters on both sides, which rests on a slab of concrete that functions as the road; there are two roads of three lanes each. Mast and bridge deck are embedded in a solid base of concrete, anchored by 54 pillars of 2 m in diameter and 48 m deep. These pillars is compensate for movements experienced by the mast and bridge deck. The device is made through the corresponding transitions between the concrete and metal

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

ROOF

DECK

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

ROOF

DECK

Hexagonal box beam Lightweight crossbeams

CABLES
The cables are made up of 60 cords of 6 inches in diameter each, except the last couple of 291m in length, consisting of only 45 cords. The cords are protected by epoxy resin, and the cable is surrounded by a sheath of high density polyethylene injected into the anchorages.

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

CABLE AND DECK

CONNECTION

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

CABLE AND DECK

CONNECTION

CONNECTION OF CABLE TO BRIDGE GIRDER

Thirteen pairs of cables


Compression wedge connections

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

PYLON - GIRDER

CONNECTION

Rigid connection Gusset plates Loads transmitted through drilled piers to soil.

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

ARRANGEMENT OF PYLON

REINFORCEMENT BARS

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

CABLE AND DECK

CONNECTION

Concrete filled steel pylon


Central service core 58 degree inclination

Compression wedge connections Equal tension in all cables Installed prior to concrete fill

STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS

CABLE AND DECK

CONNECTION

CONNECTION OF CABLE TO PYLON

ADDITIONAL DESIGN

CONSIDERATIONS
TYPICAL NEED FOR BACK SUPPORTS IN ASYMMETRIC BRIDGES

WIND LOADS AND SEISMIC LOAD CONSIDERATIONS


UPLIFT MAY CAUSE POTENTIAL INSTABILITIES

CONCLUSION & STRUCTURAL

ANALYSIS REVIEW

"It is phallic, but I was mainly concerned with the lightness of traversing the river,"
- Santiago Calatrava

VIEWS
As seen from central Seville

The Alamillo Bridge from the south at La Cartuja

VIEWS
close up of deck

Bridge deck - with transverse steel ribs under and cable supports over

VIEWS
the leaning tower

as seen from base of tower footway on right and east to west traffic on left

looking up front face of tower

VIEWS

pedestrian's view

Bridge deck - with transverse steel ribs under and cable supports over

VIEWS

looking back at tower from footway

support and bearings under deck adjacent to tower

VIEWS

central box girder with ribs either side

VIEWS
welded junction of ribs to box girder

welded junction of ribs to box girder

THANK

YOU

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