ALE Heavy Lift completes bridge launch in Serbia
ALE has completed the launching of the Zezelj bridge, weighing 11,100 tonnes, in Novi Sad, Serbia.
The global heavylifting providers were contracted by Azvi to perform the bridge launch of the 474 metre long bridge. The project started in June 2017 and involved jacking as well as launching two arches and installation of two span sections.
ALE deployed jacks, skidding system, three pontoons (coupled each other) combined with hydraulic winches, a ballast system, as well as a bespoke gantry designed especially for the project.
The first manoeuvre consisted of jacking-up the first bridge section, weighing 4,750 tonnes, using 16 jacks with 7,600 tonne capacity. ALE adapted the height of the gantry for several river levels and used a modular steel structure with the combination of hydraulic jacks on top the main columns.
The second arch measured 220 metres long and weighed 6,400 tonnes, and was launched using the same cost-effective methodology as the first arch.
Francisco Gómez, Project Engineer for ALE, said: “We had a team of bridge experts working on this and, by finding a solution that will allow the client to install the bridge with a range of 4m between the water levels, we reduced the project costs and optimised the overall duration of the project so the remaining building work of the railway infrastructure could continue.
“We are really proud of what we have achieved during this complex bridge launch. The team’s expertise was shown when we launched and skidded an arch 105m to the pile in just seven hours, before the water levels got too low. By providing beneficial solutions such as these, we can showcase our capability to perform safely and timely bridge installations.”
The operations took just five days over the four months.
