Millau Bridge France

1. Introduction
2. Building system
3. Structural system
introduction

• Located in southern France, the bridge will connect the motorway from Paris to Barcelona
at the point where it is interrupted by the River Tarn
• This new bridge, opened on the 14th December 2004, replaces the bridge crossing the
River Tarn in the centre of the town of Millau.

•
introduction

• This project has the highest bridge piers in world, spans 350

meters and its columns range in height from 75 meters to 235
meters - higher than the Eiffel Tower - with the masts rising a
further 90 meters above the road deck.The tallest will be 240
meters high. Overall height an outstanding 336.4 meters.
• At 2.4km long, and 270m above the river at its highest point, the
Millau viaduct spans a 2km valley in the Massif Central mountain
range and forms the final link in the A75 highway from Paris to
Barcelona.
 Building system
• The Millau Viaduct, designed in collaboration with engineers, illustrates
how the architect can play an integral role in bridge design.
• Famous British architect Norman Foster was in charge of the viaduct's
appearance.
• It has been designed to look as delicate and transparent as possible. Each of
its sections spans 342m and its columns range in height from 75m to 235m
over the river Tarn.
 Building system
• The millau viaduct is a multi cable-stayed structure long of 2460m slightly
curved in plan on a radius of 20000 m & a constant up ward slope of 3.025
%from north to south.
• The structure is continuous along its eight cable stayed spans ,two end
spans of 204 m each and six central spans of 342m each.
• 120 years : Predicted lifespan
Building system

• The cross section profile of the motor way consists of a dual

carriageway each carriageway bordered by a 3m emergency line and
1m shoulder next to the central reservation.
• Over all deck width of 27.75.
The piers
• At 4 per pier, fifteen
metres deep and 5m
wide, the morocan wells
form the foundations
and ensure stability
• At the foot of each pier,
a foundation slab, 3 to
5m thick, reinforces the
action of the wells.
• 19,000 tonnes : Steel
used for reinforcing the
concrete piers
 The piers
• The piers of the Millau
viaduct are numbered
from 1 to 7, from the
north to the south of the
structure. Here are their
respective heights:
P1: 94.50 m
P2: 244.96 m
P3: 221.05 m
P4: 144.21 m
P5: 136.42 m
P6: 111.94 m
P7: 77.56 m
 detail of deck/pillar joint

The deck
• A trapezoidal profiled metal box girder with a maximum height of 4.2 m at
the axis with an upper orthographic decking of metal sheets 12-14 mm
thick on the greater part of the main spans.
 The pylons

• The pylons are set in to the deck.

• Longitudinality, continuity is ensured between the metal sheets
of the webs of the central box girder and those of the walls of
the pylons legs.
The pylons

• Transversely, rigidity is provided

by a frame which covers the
bearings found on each pier shaft.
• 97 m : Height of the 7 pylons
• each pylon is in the form of an
inverted Y. The height of the legs
of each Y is 38m.
The cables
• They are anchored along the axis of the central reservation at regular
intervals of 12.51 m following the curvature of the structure.
• Consists of t 15 strands of class 1,860 which are super galvanised ,
sheathed and waxed .

154 : Number of stays supporting the road-deck from the pylons
The cables

• Each cable is protected by white sheath. This acts as a barrier to UV light &
has discontinuous spirsls on its surface in order to combat vibration resulting
from the combined effects of wind and rain .
• The cable anchors are adjustable at the deck end fixed on the pylons
 The materials
• The deck and the pylons , entirely of metal
, are made of steels of grade S355 &
S460.
• The piers are constructed in B60
concrete.this concrete is choosen more for
its durability than for its high mechanical
resistance.
 Static longitudinal scheme
&wind studis
• As the bridge will be exposed to winds of up
to 151km/hr, side screens are used to reduce
the effects of the wind by 50%.
• The speed of the wind at the level of the road
therefore reflects the speed of the wind found
at ground level around Larzac and Sauveterre.