Innovations in bridge construction to be discussed at 100+ Forum Russia

This year, one of the central topics of the III International Forum of High-rise and Unique Construction 100+ Forum Russia will be bridge construction: innovative solutions, the latest technologies, global trends.

Bridge construction is one of the most relevant and promising areas of development in Russian cities. According to Alexander Vasiliev, an academician of the Russian Academy of Transport, Director of Science at the Institute for Research on Bridges and Other Engineering Structures (IMIDIS), many countries around the world face similar challenges in this area.: "Today, it is difficult to single out a leading country in bridge construction. The offensive is taking place on a broad front both in the west and in the east. The fashion in bridge construction is dictated by super-large span bridges, transport interchanges and architecture. This is due, on the one hand, to the rapid growth of transport in recent decades, mainly by road, and, on the other, to the expansion of economic integration to a global scale. This required additional development of the transport infrastructure."

Often beautiful cable-stayed and suspension bridges become not only important transport hubs, but also an attraction: the world's longest bridge (3,911 m) across the Akashi Strait connects the islands of Honshu and Awaji (Japan), and the Ataturk Bridge (1,560 m, while the length of the main span is 1,074 m) has become the hallmark of Istanbul.

Russia also has important industry examples of large—span bridges: for example, the bridges over the East Bosphorus Strait to Russian Island (the length of the central span is 1104 m) and the bridge over the Golden Horn Bay in Vladivostok (the main span is 737 m), the bridge over the Ob River in Surgut (the length of the cable—stayed span is 408 m), the "mesh arch" across the same river in Novosibirsk (the main span is 380 m). A 19-kilometer bridge crossing to Crimea is currently under construction. "The longitudinal sliding of arch blocks along circular-shaped scaffolding during the construction of the Bugrinsky Bridge over the Ob River in Novosibirsk can be called a real sensation in bridge construction technology," Vasiliev emphasizes.

In many Russian cities, bridges that function as major arteries and connect large areas were built decades ago. Expert commissions are increasingly making conclusions about the extreme wear of structures and the impossibility of further use. One of the most striking examples is the Municipal Bridge in Perm: after 2017, its operation will be impossible. Bridge closure (including for repairs) It will make it difficult to move between large areas on different sides of the river. This is one of the main problems during the complete reconstruction of the old bridges.: Yekaterinburg is preparing to repair the Makarovsky Bridge, which is currently restricted to traffic.

Experts name multilevel interchanges and organic architectural solutions among other relevant areas in bridge construction: "Multilevel transport interchanges with diverse outlines are designed to solve the problems of urban traffic. Another feature is the shift in emphasis to modernist architectural forms, which sometimes take on a very exotic appearance, and apparently fit into a new stage of architectural development," Alexander Vasiliev comments on the current situation.

At the forum, experts will discuss innovative approaches to the construction and development of bridges. The agenda of the thematic sections includes issues ranging from standards and quality management to specific examples of the implementation and monitoring of new technologies.