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Bridges and viaducts are key infrastructure that have an impact on the economic and social development of a city, region and even an entire country. They require the expertise of a design, construction and maintenance specialist to ensure their stability and durability. Since 1956, VSL is specialized in bridge construction and has contributed to thousands of bridges and viaducts worldwide offering a diverse range of solutions from post-tensioning to full building, which can be combined to create bespoke packages or applied as standalone services.
Ahead of a bridge construction project, it is vital to investigate and assess the ground properties in order to locate faults, groundwater and large fissures with soft infill materials. This information is crucial for a successful project execution as it dictates the choice of methods, the programme, the resources needed and the project costs. Ground investigation is especially important to guarantee solid foundations of structures subject to high loading such as bridges.
The improvement of ground properties guarantees solid foundations and therefore, improved stability, durability, and increased success of construction works. Ground improvement also reduces the cost of foundation works.
Ground improvement methods include:
By transferring loads deep into the ground to competent soils or rock, these structural elements, encompassing the piles and pile caps, improve the stability and durability of bridges.
Arch structures are not only elegant, but also extremely cost-effective. And they can be the best solution for achieving low-carbon infrastructure! As a specialist contractor, VSL is able to deliver a turnkey design and build solution.
Active structural reinforcement systems and solutions that offer flexibility in the design of bridges, optimise the construction process and drastically improve sustainability and safety of the structures. VSL is an industrial pioneer of this technology and stands at the forefront of innovation and worldwide standards.
In the early fifties, post-tensioning systems for the pre-stressing of concrete was developed by specialists such as VSL in Switzerland. Very quickly, this revolutionized the design and construction of concrete bridges.
Vital components that provide a resting surface between the bridge deck and its piers, and allow controlled movement and rotation by the bridge, by transferring concentrated forces from one structural member to another one – thereby reducing stress. We tailor-design and fabricate them to meet requirements specific to each structure.
Key elements of a bridge structure that allow for bridge deck movement and expansion by absorbing horizontal, vertical and oblique movements. They are critical components that ensure a comfortable surface continuity for the road traffic, and require quality supply and installation services as well as rigorous inspections and maintenance.
Stay cables are the optimum solution for spans or cantilevers between 100 to 500 metres and exposed to severe loadings and environments. VSL is a worldwide leader in stay cable solutions, and has developed versatile and modular solutions that are installed with minimum impact on site operations.
A game changing and revolutionary new technology that offers you the chance to permanently transform your cable-stayed bridge into a breathtaking and must-see attraction. Your bridge will become a giant screen – measuring several hundred meters and with several million pixels – that can project live shows, videos, advertisements and direct messages to the public, offering inhabitants and visitors alike a new kind of entertainment and interaction.
A monitoring scheme, including the integration of permanent or quasi-permanent sensor systems, which allows the collection and analysis of data to control and anticipate the structural behaviour and stability of a bridge, and optimise maintenance and repair interventions.
Bridges and viaducts are critical links in transport infrastructure networks that need to remain in operation while ensuring users safety. The structural components ensuring their stability, such as stay cables, post-tensioned concrete or bearings, are subject to high stresses and exposed to harsh environments. It is therefore critical to preserve, repair and sometimes upgrade them in order to control their ageing and guarantee the structure’s stability.
