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The viaduct is divided into three distinct
parts: two access roads and one central
section. The central section comprises a
384-metre-long concrete arch span. The
bridge is 996 metres long with a deck fixed
upon a 14-m-wide and 3.10-m-thick stati-
cally indeterminate box section formed by
23 spans.
The construction of the Almonte Viaduct
arch has broken a new world record. Once
completed, the viaduct will become the rai-
lway bridge with the largest reinforced con-
crete arch span worldwide.
“With regard to previous railway projects,
both in Spain and within a European and
global scope, we are exceeding the record
length of what has been built until now by
1.5”, claimed Pedro Cavero, site manager
of the Alcántara-Garrovillas Reservoir Joint
Venture.
This structure will exceed the Dasheg-
guan Bridge in China by 336 metres. Also,
amongst those which are used as railways
–even if not high-speed ones–, it will also
exceed the bridge over the Froschgrund
lake in Germany by over 100 metres, also
made of concrete, on the Nuremberg-Erfurt
line, which is 270 metres long..
Closing of the arch
During the week of 3-7 August, the FCC
Construcción team worked on a very
complicated operation regarding locking
and closing the arch of the Almonte Via-
duct with the keystone. This operation
came to a close in the early hours of Fri-
day 7 August with the concreting of the
last segment.
Lowering of the bridge cranes
On 19 August, the process to remove the
bridge cranes used to close the arch of
the Almonte Viaduct got underway.
The operation consisted of lowering the
main beams of the cantilever bridge cra-
Two major milestones
nes that were used to execute the North
edge of the Almonte arch. It was carried
out using a system of 4 HEAVY LIFTING
type hydraulic jacks with a synchronised
stroke between the 4.
The weight of the part to be lowered was
approximately 100 tonnes and the bridge
cranes were lowered at a speed of appro-
ximately 12 m/h and unloaded into a pon-
toon, which was chartered specifically to
receive the load.
Once this operation is finished, the com-
pleted arch in its entirety can be seen
without the bridge cranes.
Detensioning and dismantling of the pro-
visional staying system is currently being
carried out and pilasters are being put in
place which will subsequently support the
deck of the viaduct.