The Rion-Antirion bridge

The Rion-Antirion bridge is situated in an area of high seismic activity, with the two ends of the bridge founded on different tectonic plates, resulting in a relative movement of almost 2cm per year. The principal supports stand in up to 65m of water, and the main pier foundations (cast in a dry dock on-site before being floated to an adjacent area of deep water for completion) measure 90m in diameter. The pier bases too were constructed on-site, before being floated into position in the Gulf, and lowered onto the seabed using water as ballast. The four main pylons, to which the deck sections attached, were built in concrete, using climbing shutters, and reach 164m above sea level. Almost 20000 tonnes of English structural steel was shipped over for assembly into 12.5 metre-long sections for the main bridge deck. The three central spans measure 560m each and the two side spans, 286m. After casting of the concrete decks onto the steel deck sections, each completed 300 tonne unit was lifted into position between the pylons by a 1200 tonne capacity floating crane. Each deck section is supported by two cable stays, anchored at the top in the steel and concrete pylon head. The 1km long Rion viaduct is also constructed of composite steel and concrete, while the shorter Antirion viaduct is concrete/deck slab on pre-stressed concrete beams. The whole project has been completed almost five months inside the five year programme and within budget.



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