Versatility of DYWIDAG post-tensioning used for signature arch bridge

The town of Pirna is situated in the upper Elbe river delta in Saxony. To relieve from non-regional traffic as well as to connect to the planned interstate A17 between Dresden and Prague an outer west drive which includes the new Elbe Bridge Pirna is under construction.

The bridge with a total length of 1,072 m consists of two separate superstructures subdivided into three construction segments, each utilizing different technologies.

The left bank approach bridge will be constructed using incremental launching and has a total length of 480 m
The 416 m river bridge is supported by a reinforced concrete arch connecting to the deck using shear connectors
The 176 m long right bank approach bridge will be constructed on falsework

The cross section of all construction segments is a single cell box girder. The approach bridges are post-tensioned in both the longitudinal and transverse directions while the river bridge utilizes a partial stressing of the deck only. Temporary construction phases required the use of DYWIDAG stressing tendons and tension elements. The reinforced concrete arches of the river bridge were constructed using the free-cantilever method. The cantilevering arch segments were held in place with galvanized DYWIDAG auxiliary strand tendons, tensioned from the pier head in both sides until the load could be transferred to the drive deck. The temporary stays were coupled to DYWIDAG bond head anchorages cast in the arch. The hanging form traveller for the segmental construction of the arch is partially supported by DYWIDAG THREADBARS^® 36mm dia. St 835/1035. The elevation of the traveller could be easily adjusted with centre hole jacks for the different construction phases.

The box girder section of the river bridge is composed of a steel web and lower deck with transverse post-tensioned drive deck. The mid span is divided into 5 steel segments, each 22 m to 30 m long. The erection proceeded with a crane on a floating barge: 4 steel segments required auxiliary DYWIDAG strand tendons. The following structural elements were utilized:

steel pylons on the bridge piers with each two concrete pier heads
auxiliary DYWIDAG strand tendons 11 to 15-0.6" (approx. 36 tons total)
galvanized strand tendons 0.6" grade 270 (St 1570/1770), repeated use for both decks
tightening strand with DYWIDAG monostrand jacks
final tensioning and elevation fine tuning of individual segments per construction phase with 4 DYWIDAG multistrand jacks type HoZ 3000

The construction began in 1997 and was completed in 1999.

Owner State of Saxony +++ Bridge Design Engineering DYWIDAG, HV TA, Munich, Meyer & Winter, Wunstorf +++ General Contractor Dyckerhoff & Widmann AG/ HN Saxony/Thuringia DSI Services Supply of 834 t DYWIDAG strand tendons 4 to 19-0,6" for the approaching bridges; 100 t DYWIDAG strand tendons 5-0,6" for the river bridge; 36 t DYWIDAG strand tendons 11 to 15-0,6" for the temporary ties used on the main bridge; installation works.