EXTRANET NEWS

January 2012

BALUARTE STAY CABLE BRIDGE

Main span closed on record breaking bridge

On January 6, 2012, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has inaugurated the world's highest cable-stayed
bridge. The 402.57m (1,321ft) tall Baluarte Bridge spans a deep ravine in the Sierra Madre Occidental
Mountains in the north. Officials from the Guinness World of Records were on hand to present him with an
award recognising the engineering feat and certifying the record of the highest cable-stayed bridge in the
world. The opening of the 1,124m (3,687ft) long bridge is part of celebrations to mark 200 years of
Mexico's independence from Spain.
Stay cable installation was completed at dawn of
December 23rd 2011, reaching an average cycle of one
week for the segment installation for the last seven
segments on both sides, reaching twice a 6 day cycle.
The steel segments were installed using two lifting
frames designed by VSL TCAA and manufactured in
Mexico with hydraulic components supplied by VSL
Taiwan and VSL Switzerland.
The last steel segment of the main span was installed
end of 2011, and the concrete of the last slab poured
Baluarte Bridge is on the highway from Mazatlan on on January 5th 2012 in the presence of the President of
the pacific coast to Durango in the interior. Mexico.
© http://www.bbc.co.uk

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For further information: elisabeth.lichter@vsl.com – Communications projects manager
EXTRANET NEWS
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VSL is part of the consortium

contracted by the Ministry of
Communications and Transport
of Mexico to build this
impressive bridge whose main
span of 520m is the longest
cable stayed main span on the
American continent.
The total length is 1,124m
including the approaches that
were built in free cantilever
method using form travelers.
Here again, the design was
carried out by VSL Technical
Center, the form travelers were
manufactured locally with
hydraulic components supplied
by VSL Taiwan. Spanning the ravine at 402,57m above ground
On this project, VSL has installed 630t of post-tensioning in the pier diaphragms and in the deck (internal
and external post-tensioning), 75t of bars at the anchorages in the deck and in the pylons, close to 1,000t for
the 152 stays and 152 friction dampers. The PT anchorages, stay anchorages and friction dampers have
been manufactured by CTT in Spain, the bars and accessories have been supplied by VSL Australia.
VSL has been installing the stays in a fast-track sequence. The installation of the PEHD duct and the
1st stressing at 30% of a pair of strands was carried out in less than 24 hours. The last pair of stays on main
span (one side) was installed in 20 hours including PEHD, 12.5 working hours (during night shift) for the
stay installation itself with 1st stressing, and 41 strands of 271.35 m long for each stay, i.e. 22,251km or
28.929t for both stays. Close to 450 tons of stay cable (400km of cable) were installed in the last 2 months.
The form travellers building the bridge approaches have completed the segment cast early December 2011,
the installation of the 152 friction dampers is ongoing and the final adjustment of the stays is scheduled for
February 2012.
Bruno Delalande

The Mazatlan-Durango highway

It will be part of a modern highway linking
the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. It replaces a
notoriously dangerous winding road known
as the "Devil's backbone". Expected to
open to traffic later this year, Mexican
officials hope it will boost tourism and
commerce in the region.
Besides Baluarte Bridge, there will be eight
other bridges over 300m high, as well as
more than 60 tunnels. Eventually, it will
form part of a modern highway linking the
Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
As the highest cable-stayed bridge in the
world, it surpasses the famous Millau
Viaduct in France.

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For further information: elisabeth.lichter@vsl.com – Communications projects manager