Cable-stayed bridges are safe and durable structures. Still, their direct proximity to the bridge’s users and to the wind and rain expose stay cables to several risks.
Protecting them includes avoiding and/or limiting the safety, financial and insurance risks – due to bridge closure or legal liability following an accident, for example.
Depending on the country, a protection plan may be part of the required specifications requested by the municipal authorities (like fire protection in the United States, or seismic protection in Japan.)
Consequently, VSL has developed multifaceted protection solutions – to both address these existing specifications and help consultants and owners navigate their options in their ambition to protect their asset(s).
VSL has set up a range of protection solutions for stay cables, specifically for those which are highly-exposed to these risks:
- Fire (in case of a vehicle accident on a bridge for instance)
- Blast
- Ice accretion (in areas where winter temperatures are low, proper precautions must be made in order to address dynamic instability and potentially dangerous ice falls on vehicles or pedestrian passages)
- Severe winds (within seismic zones, in particular)
VSL’s solutions meets or exceeds the latest protection standards to ensure users’ safety and asset durability, all while respecting the aesthetic beauty of the structure.