Bras de la Plaine Bridge, Reunion Island, France

Jean-Marc Tanis, General Dir., Jean Muller International, France

Introduction
The Bras de la Plaine Bridge, situated
in the south of Reunion island, is a
single 280 m long span embedded in
counterweight abutments. The deck is
a composite truss structure compris-
ing two concrete slabs linked by two
planes of steel diagonals. The bridge
structure is a single 280 m long span
embedded in counterweight abutments.
The deck is a composite truss structure
comprising two concrete slabs linked
by two planes of steel diagonals.
After a restricted European tender
during the first half of 1999, the Bras
de la Plaine Bridge was awarded to a
Fig. 1: Bridge under completion
joint venture consortium.
– a 6 m wide bi-directional carriageway Structural Characteristics
In its bid, the Consortium eliminated
– two pedestrian pavements each 1,35 m
the articulation at the key included in Background Information
wide
the basic design and made the upper
– two cycle-paths each 1,10 m wide The structure designed to cross the
slab continuous after horizontal jack-
Bras de la Plaine ravine comprises a
ing. The connection of the steel diago- and standard BN4-type lateral safety
single 280 m long span embedded at
nals to the upper and lower slabs was barriers.
both ends in huge abutments (Fig. 3).
completely modified. The prestress in
The deck cross section is roof-shaped: At the key, only the upper slab is con-
the diagonals can be replaced. In addi-
each side slopes down with a 2,5% gra- tinuous.
tion, the abutments were reduced due to
dient (Fig. 2).
the effect of the horizontal jacking at the The deck has a constant width of
key before stitching the two halves to- Vertical Alignment 11,90 m and a depth ranging from
gether. Construction began in December 17,60 m on the abutment to 4 m at the
The vertical alignment is a convex
1999 and ended in December 2001 (Fig. 1). key. It is a composite prestressed con-
parabola with a 1500 m radius. It
crete and steel truss structure compris-
slopes down to the right bank abut-
ing:
Structure Description ment with a 1,013% gradient and to
the left bank abutment with a 5,017% – an upper slab with a constant section
Functional Characteristics and gradient. in high-performance prestressed con-
Geometry crete
Plane Alignment – a lower slab with a variable section in
Functional Cross Section The Bras de la Plaine Bridge is situat- high-performance concrete
The bridge’s functional cross section ed on a straight alignment over the – 2 planes of steel tubes arranged in
has a useful width (between the safety ravine and slightly overlaps on either V-shaped triangulation inclined at
devices) of 10,90 m which comprises: bank. about 6° off vertical.

Fig. 3: Longitudinal section

Structural Engineering International 4/2003 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award 259

 11,900 m Upper anchorage
Jacks

0,270

0,250

0,812
2,5%

0,775
Var. 17,386 a 4,050

0,735
0,850

0,
04
100

0
Var. 1,650
à 0,200
Var. 1,650
à 0,650

10 Plate
HA32 ou HA40
routing with compensated
shrinkage
0,450

Lower anchorage Plate planer view

Threaded rod, galvanized disc and nut
Fig. 4: Cross section Plate Longitudinal axis
0, Coupling
04 0,610
0
The truss mesh is a constant 12,70 m Grouting with
along the whole structure. The deck compensated HA32 ou HA40
intrados is a parabola with a radius of shrinkage

0,730
661 m (Fig. 4). Diagonal
thicknes 14,2
Abutments
The abutments consist of a reinforced
concrete box-shaped structure about 0,850
45 m long, 11,90 m wide and between
18 m and 21 m in height. This structure
has 2 compartments: Fig. 7: Prestressed diagonals connected to the slabs
– a back compartment 11 m long, filled
with ballast
The slab formwork is constant for the anchoring points. These cables are an-
– a hollow front compartment.
whole structure except around the key chored just in front of the diagonals
The invert (bottom slab) has a con- where a transverse beam enables the nodes:
stant thickness of 1 m. The side walls structure to be jacked apart (6000 t
– because, first, of the cantilevered
of the front compartment are 0,70 m horizontally at the key) before stitch-
method
thick. The side walls of the back com- ing the two cantilevers. The slabs for
– also, to equilibrate the horizontal
partment are 1 m thick. The upper slab either side will be cast successively in
tension effort transmitted by the di-
has an average thickness of 0,60 m 12,70 m long segments.
agonals on the bottom slab.
(Figs. 5 and 6).
Prestress: Lower Slab:
Deck The upper slabs of each half are pre- Like the upper slab, the lower slab is in
stressed using 12 or 19T15 super ten- B60 high-performance concrete. The
Upper Slab:
dons with an elastic strength of 1860 intrados is a parabola with a 661 m ra-
The slab is built in B60 high-perfor-
MPa. This cantilever prestressing can dius. The lower slab has variable width
mance concrete (60 MPa characteristic
be divided into internal and external and thickness so as to both:
strength at 28 days). Its total width is
prestressing.
11,90 m. The slab is of varying thick- – adapt to the transverse interval be-
ness as follows: On the deck side, the tendons are an- tween the ends of the diagonals which
chored in groups of four at the end of is variable
– 0.270 m for the cantilevers which are
each segment and then at the back of – accompany the increase in compres-
1,7 m long
the abutment. The tendons are ten- sion effort of the key towards the
– a constant 0.250 m for the central
sioned at both ends. They are disposed abutment.
part, 3,8 m long
in a plane alignment like fish bones
– 0,810 m at the ribs which are 0,850 m
and there is no vertical undulation in The section on the abutment is rectan-
wide edged by 2 gussets 0,735 m and
the slab except locally, near the deck gular: 4,120 m wide and 1,700 m high.
0,775 m wide.

Elevation
B-B section B-B section Elevation
SAPHIR water pipe
C26
C 32,973 B Construction 11,900
C27
B A
0,600 3,0132% 0,500 5,950 5,950 11,900 35,973
joint SAPHIR waterpipe
5,950 5,950 3,0119% 0,500 0,600

Struts
LEST

Struts
22,158

1000
19,794

700
1000
700 4000 LEST
4000

Construction joint
44,337
45,347
Fig. 5: Abutment C26 Fig. 6: Abutment C27

260 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award Structural Engineering International 4/2003

As it nears the key, the lower slab has
the shape of an inverted cradle. The
section near the key is 0,200 m thick
with ribbing 0,650 m high. The lower
slab is cast in place in 12,70 m long sec-
tions (pours).
Diagonals:
The diagonals are comprised of S355
steel tubes. A single range of tubes
with an external diameter of 610 mm
is used. Their thickness ranges from
28 mm to 36 mm for the compressed
diagonals and is a constant 14,2 mm
for the tensioned diagonals. The dia-
gonals are welded on to rectangular
plates between 55 mm and 65 mm thick.
Around the upper nodes, the meeting
point of the diagonals is situated at the
neutral axis. The plates are fixed on to
the concrete by means of screws whose
number varies depending on whether
the diagonals are tensioned or com-
pressed.
The tensioned diagonals are prestressed
by a pair of tendons comprising be-
tween 10 and 17 strands. The prestress-
ing anchors are situated in the upper
and lower slabs (Fig. 7).
Structural Behaviour
General Behaviour
Apart from the aesthetic aspect which
is visible in the original architectural
design, the new bridge over the Bras
de la Plaine river is an exceptional
bridge structurally speaking. The struc-
ture functions like a variable depth War-
ren beam whose upper and lower slabs
are the heart of an arch effect after hori-
zontal jacking and stitching at the key.
As the arch, or lower slab, is not con-
tinuous at the key, the positive flexion
moment in mid-span generates com-
pression efforts in the lower slab of the
beam and in the upper slab at the key.
Where the beam is embedded in the
abutments, traction efforts are gener-
ated in the upper slab.
General Stability
The structure’s stability is achieved at
each abutment by using ballast weigh-
ing 7500 t. The deadweight of the abut-
ment is 7250 t whereas the deck weighs
4400 t on each bank (deadweight 3000 t,
equipment 800 t, extra loads 600 t). The
safety coefficient against overturning
is 2.1 in Service Limit States and 1.6 in
Ultimate Limit States.
Efforts in Deck
Diagonals
Due to the curve of the lower slab, the
normal efforts in the diagonals are

View B-B
In addition, the standard phasing for building a segment Elevation Cross beam back tie
(upper slab and lower slab) is: A Cross beam
Front tie
front tie
Phase 1:
Placing compressed diagonals in segment Vn.
Phase 2 :
temporary
pile frame

Reinforcing and concreting segment Vn top slab.

View A-A Temporary
B
Phase 3 : Front tie pile frame
Back tie
Connecting the compressed diagonals of segment Vn with A
concrete slabs. B
Phase 4 :
Fig. 8: Concreting of an upper slab segment
Tensioning the first pair of cantilever tendons in segment Vn.
Phase 5:
Elevation
Removing the top slab formwork of segment Vn. Cross beam Cross beam
front tie back tie Cross section
Phase 6:
Tensioning the second pair of cantilever tendons in
segment Vn.
Phase 7:
Moving the travelling form to prepare for casting the
bottom slab of segment Vn.
Phase 8:
Placing tensioned diagonals of segment Vn.
Phase 9:
Reinforcing and concreting the bottom slab of Vn segment. Fig. 9: Concreting of a lower slab segment
Phase 10:
Connecting the tensioned diagonals of segment Vn with
concrete slabs. Elevation
Cross beam Cross beam
front tie back tie
Phase 11: Truss tie
Removing the bottom slab formwork of segment Vn. Formwork tie

Phase 12:
Moving the travelling form to prepare casting of top slab of
Cross section
segment Vn+1.
Temporary
Phase 13: hanger
Prestressing the tensioned diagonals of segment Vn.
Phase 14:
Back tie
Placing compressed diagonals of segment Vn+1.
Table 1: Segment construction phase Fig. 10: Move of the bottom travelling form

Structural Engineering International 4/2003 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award 261

Fig. 11: Travelling form Fig. 12: Aerial view of bridge under construction
Abutments Deck
B35 concrete 5437 m3 B60 concrete 2395 m 3
B60 concrete 318 m3 Average thickness 0,72 m
Reinforcement 910 t Reinforcement 530 t
Ratio 158 kg/m 3
Ratio 221 kg/m3
Internal longitudinal prestressing 158 t
External longitudinal prestressing 49 t
Prestressing for diagonals 15 t
Steel for diagonals 201 t
Steel plates 45 t
Table 2: Principal quantities
similar in both the compressed diago- Building the Bridge
nals and in the prestressed tensioned
diagonals. The compressed diagonals
bear an average effort of 600 t whereas General Site Organisation
the tensioned diagonals always remain
As access from the right bank is diffi-
compressed in Static Limit States due
cult, the site was set up mainly on the
to their prestressing and the residual
left bank with a batching plant to
compression is 150 t on average. The
produce the B35 concrete for the two
diagonals prestressing varies between
abutments and the B60 concrete for
500 and 600 t.
the deck.
Deck
For material supplies and concrete for
Under the effect of live loads (3.5 t/m), the right band, an elevated cableway
the arch effect of the stitched deck de- crane was set up between the two
velops the following efforts: banks. Its spans between the two py-
lons is 415 m. The two pylons are 40 m
– compression at the key: 570 t
high and can be inclined ±10° which
– traction of the upper slab where em-
corresponds to a horizontal movement
bedded at the abutment: 760 t
at the top of ±7 m. The elevated cable-
– compression of the lower slab where
way crane loading capacity is 8 t.
embedded at the abutment: 1300 t.
Deflection at the key is 83 mm. Under Building the Abutments
the effect of the deck dilating 20°, the
The walls were built in sections 6 m
structure moves vertically 214 mm at
high and 10 m long. The upper slab
the key resulting in compression of
was built using sacrificial slabs resting
2850 t in the upper slab and tension of
on a temporary support half way along
up to 300 t in the lower slab near the
the transverse span.
abutments.
262 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award
Deck Construction
To build the deck, two sets of travel-
ling forms were designed, one for each
side, each weighing 150 t. Each set of
forms casts 12,70 m of upper deck,
then 12,70 m of lower deck as shown in
Figs. 8 and 9.
The travelling forms are moved as fol-
lows:
– upper part: drawer-like system with
the formwork and the steel structure
successively resting on the concrete
upper slab already built (Fig. 8)
– lower part: the steel structure and
the lower framework are moved as
indicated in Fig. 9.
SEI Data Block
Owner:
Réunion Department, Sainte Clotilde,
France
Project manager
(design and construction supervision):
Jean Muller International/Scetauroute,
Guyancourt, France
Owner’s engineering consultancy:
Jean Muller International, France
Architect:
A. Amedeo, J. Padlewski & Assoc.,
Marseille, France
Contractors:
Bouygues TP / DTP
Terrassements, St-Quentin-en
Yvelines, France
Final designs:
Bouygues TP Design
Office, St-Quentin-en Yvelines, France
Sub-contractor:
VSL (Prestressing), Montigny-le-
Bretonneux, France
Total cost (EUR millions): 21
Service date: 2001
Structural Engineering International 4/2003