Mor Temor

2.16 Kuesel R. Floating Bridge

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A challenging innovative technical concept was proposed by Kuesel for waters too deep for economical bridge piers, where multispan cable-stayed bridge piers would be built with each tower founded on a huge pontoon of 250 ft (76 m) diameter, which would be tied to the bottom by vertical anchor cables and lateral stay cables (see Fig. 33). Kuesel proposed to build such a structure for the Gibraltar Strait, which is 5000 m wide, with a meter depth to 1000 ft (305 m). A central section is proposed that will be composed of a 1000-ft (305 m) bridge span supported on tethered buoyant bridge piers. At a depth below the waves, the pier is broadened out to form a cellular pontoon structure with a net buoyancy of about 150% of the weight of the superstructure. This provides sufficient tension in the vertical anchor cables to stabilize the piers against normal tidal current, wind, and wave forces. The vertical anchor cables are deployed in a circle to give equal stability in all directions. Their tension may be monitored and adjusted through access galleries in the pontoons. A sufficient number of cables is provided to permit the removal and replacement of individual pairs of cables without endangering the stability of the system (Kuesel R., 1984).

Fig. 33 Proposed floating bridge for Gibraltar Strait crossing.

Arch. Mor Temor