Case Study
Mersey Gateway Bridge
- Analysis of an illustrative design
of a 3-tower cable stayed bridge
- Line beam modelling to
investigate global effects
- Staged construction analysis of
a single tower to
prove the design
Ramboll was appointed Lead Consultant
and Project Manager by Halton Borough Council to carry out a route
identification study and illustrative design for a new crossing of
the River Mersey in the UK. To assist with its development of the
proposed new bridge Gifford used LUSAS bridge analysis software to
carry out analytical studies to prove its draft design.
Overview
The Mersey Gateway Bridge is part of
a £431million project to ease significant congestion currently
experienced by residents of the towns of Runcorn and Widnes in
Cheshire, UK, and to improve the resilience of the regional road
network. The existing Silver Jubilee Bridge which crosses the River
Mersey and connects the two communities is used by over 80,000
vehicles every weekday - ten times the number it was originally
designed for. The proposed 2.3km long new toll bridge will provide a
landmark new structure carrying 3 lanes of traffic in each
direction. Whilst the detailed cosmetic design for the new bridge is
yet to be finalised, the illustrative design is based on a
cable-stay structure similar to the second Severn Crossing, also in
the UK, but with 3 towers - the central one being some 20m shorter
than the 135m high outer towers. Three piers in the river carry the
195m, 300m, 300m and 215m spans over the naturally occurring deeper
water channels.
Analysis
Using LUSAS, Gifford created a line
beam model of the entire crossing to investigate global
effects.
A detailed staged
construction model of one tower used activation and deactivation
techniques to model the process of building the deck, installing and
stressing the stays.
Overall, modelling and
analysis with LUSAS helped Gifford to derive and confirm suitable
section sizes and prove the capability of its draft design.
Find out more
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