Design and construction of two composite tubular arches with network suspension system: Deba and Palma del Río Arch Bridges

Abstract

The use of Network hanger arrangement, which constitutes a development of the classical Nielsen V-hanger system, in steel bowstring arch bridges allows for important steel saving, with very slender main elements, owing to the remarkable reduction of bending forces in the arches and tie beams. The present paper describes the main features of the project and construction of two large arch bridges of this typology, the Bridge over River Deba in Guipúzcoa, with a span of 110 m, and Palma del Río Bridge over River Guadalquivir in Córdoba, 130 m long. In both cases, two inclined arches linked at the crown were used, a very effective disposition to reduce the out-of-plane buckling length. The multiple crossings of the hanger system, consisting of prestressed bars in the case of Deba Bridge and locked-coil cables in Palma del Río Bridge, were dealt with by means of crossing devices which led to a technically satisfactory solution with minimal visual impact.