Stay cable system in the cable-stayed segment of the Constitucion de1812 Bridge over the Cadiz Bay

Abstract

The bridge over Cadiz Bay includes a 1,180 m long cabled stayed segment, with a 540 m long central span, which in itself is a record in Spain, and also the third longest span of this kind in Europe.The design of the stay cables system, necessary to hang the deck from the two A-shaped towers (tower 12 and tower 13) of the cable stayed segment, consists in 176 H2000 stay cables, being necessary to install 2,167 tons of semi-adherent Monostrand®.For the first time in a stay cable system, installed via the Isotension® method, the maximum stresses to be reached during construction will be 55% of the strand guaranteed ultimate tensile strength (GUTS) and 50% during service.Furthermore, the standard internal hydraulic and radial damper system has been improved, with an enhanced stroke, in order to respond to the vibration range of the stay cables, including dynamic oscillations due to aero-elastic effects and movements of the anchorages under service loads.