Project
“Calatrava and his team presents this project as “a challenge for the next century”. Besides the main structure, the northern adjacent structure, with a span of 25m, allows for the crossing of the promenade. A southern adjacent structure, with a span of 80m, allows for the crossing of the gardening area. The deck is conceived as terraces, like an opened book over the city. Piers are tripods, with one of their arches as extension of the main central arch. The design competition jury described this project as elegant and slender, modern, lively and urban, a strong landmark at the entrance of Orléans”
Publication: République du centre
The new West bridge in Orleans is a steel bow-string arch bridge with a central span of 200m, supported by high performance reinforced concrete tripods type piers. The deck of the bridge is made by voussoirs in cantilever, elegantly curvedly shaped.
Santiago Calatrava’s watercolors, bridge’s details
AA
The bridge is built with the most modern materials: thermodynamical steel and high-performance reinforced concrete. The cross section, with the shape of a wing, was subject to wind tests, in partnership with the Danish Maritime Institute.
AA
Services
setec tpi provided the bridge’s preliminary design and the full design project management services.
Key features:
- Total length: 470m
- Width: 25m
- Length of the arch span: 200m
- Reinforcement: 4,500 T
The stability of this bridge is achieved in flexion and torsion. The static and dynamic calculations were undertaken by a finite element model produced using setec tpi’s in-house developed software Pythagore. This allowed for the assessment of the deformations and movements of the structure.
Key information
- Client: SIVOM de l’Agglomération Orléanaise
- Design Project Manager: setec tpi
- Architect: Santiago Calatrava
- Duration: 1997 – 2000