MAURER supplies expansion joints, bearings, and dampers for bridge and viaduct projects. One of MAURER's global projects in this area is the Botlekbrug Bridge project in the Netherlands, the largest lift bridge in Europe. The Netherlands needs to use such bridge technology.
This lift bridge consists of 2 lifting sections. The bridge has 3 lanes for road traffic and 2 lanes for rail traffic in each direction. Each bridge section is 100 m long, 50 m wide, and 60 m high.
Technically, the maximum lifting height of the bridge sections is 40 m. It can open 6 times per hour. Structurally, it resembles a machine (mechanism) rather than a bridge.
In this project, MAURER supplied both expansion joints and bearings. Different expansion joints were used for different sections. DS 720 and DS 320 expansion joints were used for the external and internal passages, respectively.
MAURER faced three challenges in this project:
16 spherical bearings were also used in the construction. They measure 1200x1100 mm and weigh 4 tons. The load they bear ranges from 21,000 to 29,000 kN.
This bridge is characterized by high susceptibility to both longitudinal and transverse loads. Therefore, additional bearings were needed for horizontal loads. 3 bearings were supplied: 1 for transverse loads and 2 for longitudinal ones.
This lift bridge consists of 2 lifting sections. The bridge has 3 lanes for road traffic and 2 lanes for rail traffic in each direction. Each bridge section is 100 m long, 50 m wide, and 60 m high.
Technically, the maximum lifting height of the bridge sections is 40 m. It can open 6 times per hour. Structurally, it resembles a machine (mechanism) rather than a bridge.
In this project, MAURER supplied both expansion joints and bearings. Different expansion joints were used for different sections. DS 720 and DS 320 expansion joints were used for the external and internal passages, respectively.
MAURER faced three challenges in this project:
- The problem of lifting the expansion joint when the bridge is raised
- Integration of the lifting beams of the bridge span with the steel structure of the bridge
- Ensuring the match of the bridge structure when the span expands and contracts for various reasons while performing the lifting function
16 spherical bearings were also used in the construction. They measure 1200x1100 mm and weigh 4 tons. The load they bear ranges from 21,000 to 29,000 kN.
This bridge is characterized by high susceptibility to both longitudinal and transverse loads. Therefore, additional bearings were needed for horizontal loads. 3 bearings were supplied: 1 for transverse loads and 2 for longitudinal ones.
