 New Stay Cable Bridges in Toledo Increase MobilityRecently, two new, aesthetically pleasing pedestrian bridges were built in the city of Toledo in Spain. Buenavista Bridge links the district of Buenavista with a new urban development around the Beatriz Hotel, and Benquerencia Bridge connects a residential area and an industrial area. Both bridges cross two very busy ring roads. Despite their completely different geometries, both pedestrian bridges were built using the same construction method. In both cases, the stay cables were installed using an innovative system that did not require the use of a crane. The stays, which had previously been assembled to their total length on site, were raised with the help of an auxiliary steel rope and a winch. Thanks to this method, the traffic on the ring roads beneath the bridges was not obstructed. The coupled Ø 30-56mm DYWIDAG Structural Bars that were used as stay cables are hot dip galvanized and between 30 and 80m long. In order to make the bridges look elegant and modern, the DYWIDAG Structural Bars are lead through white HDPE ducts. The stay cables were installed and stressed in only 2 weeks on both bridges, with work carried out at night. In addition to the stay cables, DSC also supplied Ø 25mm and Ø 32mm GEWI® Bars that ensure a stable connection of the bridge pylons with the foundation. Thanks to efficient work cycles, both bridges were successfully completed within a mere five months from February to June 2011. |