After years of preparation, Sund & Bælt is getting ready to ceiling the western part of the Great Belt Bridge for the first time ever. They promise that motorists will not feel anything
The western part of the Great Belt Bridge has been roofed for the first time ever. This ceiling is part of a larger maintenance project that Sund & Bælt is behind.
The project aims to replace the sliding plates that ensure the bridge's flexibility and ability to adapt to temperature changes. The work marks a milestone in the maintenance of the nearly seven kilometer long bridge.
This is what Sund & Bælt, which operates the bridge, writes in a press release .
The bridge's construction rests on bearings, where the sliding plates lie between the upper and lower parts of the bearing. These plates, which consist of Teflon, allow the bridge to expand in heat and contract in cold.
After more than 25 years of use, the sliding plates have worn out and require replacement. To carry out this work, it is necessary to lift the bridge so that the bearings can be removed.
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The preparations for the ceiling have taken several years and required the development of specially designed tools and equipment. According to engineer and project manager Sophie Juulsgård, the project has been a complex task:
" You can't look up a manual when you have to lift the Great Belt Bridge, which weighs several thousand tons. Every single part of the bridge is unique, and that's why I dare to call it a great feat of ingenuity that we now, after many months of work, have found a safe and effective method ."
A trial ceiling was carried out on 28 November, where one of the 64 piers was lifted using 12 specially designed jacks. The jacks, which can lift up to 9,000 tonnes, created an opening of 20 millimeters.
This gave room to remove the bridge bearings, but without replacing them under the test ceiling. The work was carried out without affecting traffic.
After the trial ceiling, Sund & Bælt must find a contractor through a tender to carry out the replacement of the sliding plates on all 64 bridge piers. The work itself is expected to take 3-5 years.
Facts:
- The Great Belt link was completed in 1998, but the bearings were installed in 1995.
- Each bridge section that is suspended weighs approximately 5,500 tonnes.
- The bridge's bearings weigh between 5.5 and 7.5 tonnes, while the sliding plates have a thickness of 6 mm when new.
- Ramboll advises on the task, while HYTOR has supplied jacks for the test ceiling.
