Bezienswaardige brugpijlers

The target

The construction of a new highway junction and a new bridge with minimal disruption to traffic.
The A1 in the north of England is being converted into a motorway to relieve traffic in the area. Several ring roads are being built in the Leeds region, including the Holmfield junction. The new traffic interchange includes a bridge with extraordinary and unique bridge piers.

The project

Overview:
The bridge piers had to meet high requirements for exposed concrete and the construction work had to be carried out without hindering the traffic on the adjacent roads.

Challenge:
The biggest challenge on this project was keeping the adjacent M62 open to traffic during the bridge construction. In addition, the 22 bridge piers had to meet strict architectural requirements.

Solution

1. Strict requirements
   The new highway junction consists of various viaducts at different levels. Therefore, the 22 piers had different heights between 5 m and 17 m. Strict demands were placed on the shape and surface finish of the unusual champagne glass-shaped piers. A vertical line structure and a smooth, architectural surface had to be realized on each bridge pier. The ideal solution was a formwork system that, for the serial production of the pillars, could be infinitely adjusted in height at the end, could absorb the associated concrete pressure, meet the high safety requirements and, above all, also display the widening and curvature of the pillars in a excellent concrete surface quality.

   De keuze viel op de standaard grootvlaksbekisting van MEVA Mammut, gecombineerd met op maat gemaakte stalen elementen met voorgebogen alkusplaten. De standaarddiameters van de pijlers, die voor sommige pijlers tot 11,5 m hoog waren, werden in de eerste stortfase gebetonneerd. De Y-vormige pijlerhoofden werden in een tweede stortfase gebetonneerd. De verticale lijnen van elke pijler werden bereikt door uitsparingsstrips aan de bekistingsplaat te schroeven.
    
   

2. Flexibele klimkonsoles
   
   

   

   
   Climbing brackets KLK230 served as a bulkhead for the formwork and as a safe working platform . They could be flexibly adjusted in height at the differently inclined pier heads. The two end formworks were mounted variably from pillar to pillar at any desired height. By using the KLK console it was not necessary to close the adjacent traffic routes.
    
3. Innovative solutions for every situation

   A special solution had to be found for the piers, which were built in the green strip between the two directions of travel of the A1, to brace the formwork. A conventional bevel shoring would inevitably have narrowed the roadway too much or led to a temporary highway closure.

   In this case too, MEVA had the right solution available in the form of rentable system components: the occurring wind load could be dissipated via two „ Space “ scaffolding towers, which were placed in line with the pier formwork in the green strip. The formwork and bracing, mainly made of standard parts with the necessary additions and safety accessories, provided a quick and easy to assemble system for this situation.

The result

The contractor was extremely satisfied with the formwork systems and the concrete surface achieved. The project was well planned and will ensure uninterrupted traffic from the south of England to the north and Scotland.

Recommended products

• Wall formwork Mammut 350
• Climbing scaffold KLK 230
• Grandstand Tower Space

Bouwonderneming:
RMG Joint Venture (AMEC, Alfred McAlpine, Dragados, Kellog Brown and Root)

Project:
A1M Holmfield Interchange Bridge

Locatie:
Leeds, UK

Bekistingsplanning:
MEVA Formwork Systems, UK