A country like China is famous for many of its own achievements. Not only did they build the most gigantic dam, which managed to slow down the movement of the Earth, but they also embarked on a second one, which will be the second largest hydroelectric power plant on the planet. Skyscrapers are built here in large numbers and in a very short time, thanks to a real monster - a special machine. But the Chinese have something else, and this incredible machine helps them build huge bridges.
The SLJ900/32 bridge paver
This machine lays bridges right over an abyss and knows how to stay up in the air. Not only does it get the job done faster, it also helps significantly reduce the risks to the workers. The Chinese bridge paver is by far the largest in the world, as its work involves overcoming large spans. And such work requires a reliable helper.
The huge technical marvel is 91 cm long and weighs 580 tons. The machine is capable of handling concrete blocks weighing up to 900 tons. It is a huge crane with two tractors. It has sliding beams in its lower part, which hold the concrete spans underneath. The equipment has 4 segments, all of them separate and each has 16 wheels, capable of rotating 90 degrees. The machine moves at a speed of 8 km / h, with a cargo - 5 km / h. Despite such dimensions, the machine is quite maneuverable and copes with its task well.
All that is needed is to install the supports. Then, a paver gets to work. It moves a large concrete deck below, and at the same time, moves its front part on top of the pier. While this is happening, the front end is literally hanging over the abyss. It's quite a sight.
Cantilever concreting
To construct these giant bridges in China, they use special concrete machines. These machines resemble lattice girders, but are enormous in size. At the front of each is a cantilever supporting a section that is being concreted. At the back of it is a very heavy counterweight. Two of these units are installed on each bridge pylon, and they are connected to each other. When the work is done, the beams are disconnected and the platform is concreted right in the air. The main thing here is the right balance, otherwise the unstable support will simply topple over.
umbrella bridges
But the Celestial Empire is not the only one to have success with developments for building bridges. In Austria, a whole technology has been invented that makes it possible to unfold the bridge like an umbrella. The structure is initially erected in a vertical position and then lowered to the desired location. From the outside, it looks like an umbrella opening. The developers are sure that such production saves not only time, but also money. This method is also very convenient if it is necessary to block the entire route for the construction.
The development was planned 10 years ago, the specialists of the Technical University of Vienna worked on it. In the winter of 2020 the technique was used for the first time to build two bridges at once. This method looks very unusual.