China's Great Expansion Fuels Boom in High-Profile Designs

This article examines the booming bridge construction underway in China, with focus on the role that T.Y. Lin International (TYLI) is taking in Chongquing in the central region of the country. The firm designed the 1,103.5-meter-long Shibanpo Bridge over the Yangtze in the heart of Chongqing. The bridge's 330-meter long box girder main span is thought to be the longest in the world. The article describes the $190-million Caiyunba Bridge, which will be the world?s longest tied-arch span built to carry both rail and highway traffic. Since weight limits are not often enforced on bridges in China, and with bridge deck temperatures sometimes hitting 160 degrees Fahrenheit, epoxy asphalt is now being used as a paving material on many bridges. One such bridge is the 750-meter long Nanhuan crossing in Changping, near Beijing, which involves a three span self-anchored suspension (SAS) bridge. The article notes that longer SAS bridges are becoming more prevalent in China, with six major SAS spans already under construction. TYLI is also designing the asymmetrical cable-stayed Second Wujiang Bridge in Fulin, which is 100 kilometers east of Chongqing. About 20 new bridges are planned over the next decade.