THE MILLAU VIADUCT
Located in Southern France, the Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge in the world. Constructed in three short years, the bridge is an engineering and architectural marvel. At its highest point, the bridge soars 343 meters (1,125 ft) above ground, that’s 19 meters (62 ft) taller than the Eiffer Tower!
This is a cable stayed bridge.
THE MILLAU VIADUCT – RECORD FIGURES
Length: 2,460 m (8,071 ft)
Width: 32 m (105 ft)
Maximum height: 343 m (1,125 ft), or 19 m higher than the Eiffel Tower
Slope: 3.025 %, going up from north to south in the direction Clermont-Ferrand – Béziers
Curve: 20 km (12.4 miles)
Height of the tallest pier (P2): 245 m (804 ft)
Height of the pylons: 87 m (285 ft)
Number of piers: 7
Length of the spans: Two end spans of 204 m (669 ft) each and six central spans of 342 m (1,122 ft) each.
Number of stays: 154 (11 pairs per pylon laid out in one mono-axial layer)
Tension of the stays: from 900 t to 1,200 t for the longest
Weight of the steel deck: 36,000 t, or 5 times that of the Eiffel Tower
Volume of concrete: 85,000 m3, or 206,000 t
Cost of the construction: 400 Million Euros (585 m USD)
Contract duration: 78 years – 3 years for construction and 75 years of operations
Structural guarantee: 120 years
CONSTRUCTION
Raising the piersBridge rests on 7 piers the highest of which rises upto 245 meters.
Throwing the deckEighteen sliding operations brought the two parts of the deck together above the tarn.
Joining the deckThen the decks were joined and happened successfully. This was the first time where throwing the deck technique was used to make the deck as lifting the deck was not possible to such a height.
Installing the pylonsThe pylons were brought to the deck lying on their sides by four self propelled trailers.The staysEleven pairs of stays were installed face to face on each pylons inside the protective sheaths, several dozen steel strands were placed under tension.
The finishingThen the finishing touch was given to the bridge like street lights and was opened for traffic.
The bridge received the 2006 International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering Outstanding Structure Award.
CIVIL ENGINEERING 