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The tallest bridge in the world: Viaduct de Millau

Turkish

Turkish

Lifer
Pics at the URL below.

Bridges are often considered to belong to the engineer's realm rather than the architect's. But the architecture of infrastructure has a powerful impact on the environment. The Millau Viaduct, designed in collaboration with engineers, illustrates how the architect can play an integral role in bridge design.

Located in southern France, the bridge will connect the motorway from Paris to Barcelona at the point where it is interrupted by the River Tarn, which runs through a wide gorge between two plateaux. A reading of the topography suggested two possible approaches: to cross the river, the geological generator of the landscape; or there was the challenge of spanning the 2.5 kilometres from one plateau to the other in the most economical manner.

The structural solution follows from the latter philosophical standpoint. The bridge has the optimum span between cable-stayed columns. It is delicate, transparent, and uses the minimum material, which makes it less costly to construct. Each of its sections spans 350 metres and its columns range in height from 75 metres to 235 metres - higher than the Eiffel Tower - with the masts rising a further 90 metres above the road deck. To accommodate the expansion and contraction of the concrete deck, each column splits into two thinner, more flexible columns below the roadway, forming an A-frame above deck level. This structure creates a dramatic silhouette - and crucially it makes the minimum intervention in the landscape.

Appointment Date: 1993
Construction Date: 2001
Completion Date: 2005

Statistics:

Length: 2.5 km
Height: 280 m

Client: Department of Transport and Public Works of France
Consultants: Chapelet-Defol-Mousseigne, Ove Arup and Partners
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Link to the guys that designed it
Some more info on it
 
and they couldnt just go down in the valley and back up the hill on the other side why? It looks like thier is already one road down there.--- I dont see how building this ginormous bridge was eashier or cheaper.

damn cool though. Makes me want to go do one of those build a bridge out of toothpicks contests.
 
Originally posted by: Rallispec
and they couldnt just go down in the valley and back up the hill on the other side why? It looks like thier is already one road down there.--- I dont see how building this ginormous bridge was eashier or cheaper.

damn cool though. Makes me want to go do one of those build a bridge out of toothpicks contests.
Click to expand...

Until the bridge was built, traffic on the busy A-75 motorway had to negotiate twisty roads running through the valley near the town of Millau.

At the height of summer these roads quickly became jammed with holiday traffic.

The elegant bridge, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster, now bypasses Millau and links the two existing sections of motorway.
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The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.
 
that stupid bridge is totally ruining the landscape. oh and did they really need it there? no body of water or anything.
 
Originally posted by: absolu7
that stupid bridge is totally ruining the landscape. oh and did they really need it there? no body of water or anything.
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"Tallest in the world and taller than the Eiffel Tower, slung across the valley of the river Tarn, the Viaduct de Millau (Viaduc de Millau) is the chosen solution for taking the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferraud south to Beziers. This is cheaper than the alternative of tunnelling through the hills flanking the river, and will shorten the journey by 100km and by up to 4 hours in the holiday season, as well as removing much traffic pollution caused by continual traffic jams for local inhabitants in Millau."
 
They had the building of that bridge on Extreme Engineering on Discovery HD last month... Freakin amazing 😀
 
That's an incredible article. I can't believe I haven't heard about that bridge before now. That's just an amazing structure. I hope that makes it to "Extreme Engineering" on Discovery HD some time. I'd love to see a nice picture of that in high-def on my 65" TV. *drool*
 
Originally posted by: FFactory0x
Screw driving across that thing. Well the 2nd picture where it is in the the clouds looks scary
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Well the trick is to drive along it, and not off it. 😉
 
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