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REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR


LONG SPAN REIFORCED CONCRETE ARCH BRIDGE
Bin-jia PEI, Rui CAO, Dong NIE & Guo-bin XIONG

Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, China

Key words: Reinforced concrete arch bridge, long span, construction technology,
cantilever casting

Abstract: The developing trend of long span reinforced concrete arch bridge home and
broad was growing. The way we used was to overcome the unprefabricated place and
inconvenient to set up the arch bridge. After introducing the available construction
technologies in the world, the paper put forward the choices of the way of cantilever
casting construction.

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

1.INTRODUCTION
Compared with steel arch bridge, reinforced concrete arch bridge has heavier self-weight
and is difficult to be built, but it is cheaper and less maintenance needed. Therefore it has
been widely used in the world. Cantilever method is the most popular construction method
in long span concrete arch bridges. It can be further divided into cantilever launching
method and cantilever casting method. With the span increase, difficulty will increase in the
former method by big hoisting capacity, many assembling segments as well as large yard
for pre-casting. Therefore, the latter one will be the most potential method to be used. In the
trial design research of 600m—1000m super-long concrete arch bridges in Croatia and
Japan, cantilever casting method is adopted.
The cantilever casting method can be further divided into three methods, i.e., Cable-stayed
method with temperate pylons; Temporary truss method as well as composite method.
Cable-stayed method with temperate pylons is a popular method. It has the advantage that
no special requirement to the deck bridge, and it could revise the angle of ropes.
In temporary truss method, truss is formed by the way of supporting the cable-stayed of
arch on the deck of bridge, and we still used the wagon for the concreting of arch. The
broad of bridge had two constructions. One was pretressed concrete deck, the other was
steel main vertical beam. This kind of construction was favorable for the quick building and
fixing up orbital mobile tower crane. After all the perpetual units were installed, it became
one part of cantilever truss construction method and could be operated.
If the deck of bridge selected prestressed concrete, it needed to set up a movable supporting
to casting span by span. While, it had some weak points that, using the way of inclined
cantilever casting to build the big span arch bridge, the errors of some sections influenced a
lot to the quality of the whole project. So we must test and control strictly to the size and
durability of materials.
When the span of a concrete arch is very long, a composite construction method should be
used. In this method, arch ring is divided into three parts. The two side parts can be
constructed by cable-stayed cantilever casting method or cantilever truss method, while the
central part adopt a embedded scaffolding method by hoist vertically the scaffolding and fix
it to the two side parts and make the arch closure, and then cast concrete on the skeleton
frame to form the central part arch ring.

2.CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD IN CHINA


Many long span concrete arch bridges have been built in China. Most of them were built by
cantilever launching method, few by cantilever casting method. Si-bao-zai Bridge in
Chongqing with a span of 80m is the first one built by this method.
It was finished in 2004. When the cantilever was castled, the wagon was on the deck of the
bridge, and at the same time, the support of bridge and the ring of arch were set up. It was
practically constructed as T-frame PC bridge, the only different was that the part of web
was instead by vertical pillar. The whole process was similar to the type T frame
construction, which was adjusted by camber. The way of construction of the bridge was an
embryonic form of reinforced concrete arch bridge in China.

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

Figure 1: Si-bao-zai Bridge

Bai-sha-gou No.1 Bridge in Xi-Pan Expressway is a concrete arch bridge with a span of
150m. It was built by cantilever casting method. The arch ring was divided into 11
segments in a half, except the first segment in spring was cast-in-situ on scaffolding; all the
other 10 were cast by cable-stayed cantilever suspended basket one by one. The cable stays
and back stays are anchored on two separate levels, first one anchoring level is on the portal
pier while the second level is based on temporary steel pylons with a height of 27m in left
side and 36m in right side, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Bai-sha-gou No.1 Bridge

Bai-sha-gou No.1 Bridge used a wagon with back supporting point which had the
characteristic of front supporting point, as shown in Figure 3.

3.SOME KEY ISSUES IN CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD


3.1 Wagon
Wagon was the important equipment of cantilever casting arch bridge. According to the
statistics, there were some types in Table 1.

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

Item Type Advantages Weak points Example


economical for
some units of
Paralyzed
construction in heavy dead weight Lu Pu Bridge
string truss
common use to
assemble
heavy dead weight, the
strong, back of beams
Bearing of Chateaubriand
well-knit, need making broken
box girder Bridge
simple craft line in order to
Classified
leave the space
according
terse structure,
to the
light dead
shape of Triangle high precision of diverse Bai Sha Gou
weight, low
wagon wagon units No.1 Bridge
centre of
gravity
low centre of
Brace gravity, terse structure, short
Tilos Bridge
wangon convenient section, light weight
adjusting
terse structure,
Diamond WaiJing
clear receiving high centre of gravity
wagon bridge
power
the structure of
wagon cast was
high centre of gravity,
Deck type on the ring of DiChiChuan
light weight
arch, so it was
easy to operate
The way
low centre of
of bearing
gravity, front
capacity complex
supporting
of truss structure and power-
Through point, truss of Bai Sha Ditch
receiving,
type could be the No.1 bridge
high requirement
platform to
of technology
fix and
diamantine
the stability of
set up the
External wagon WaiJing
special anchor on the
Classified anchor depended on bridge
back
as the anchor
resisting pushing the
incline Anchor by weight in order Balance system for Bai Sha Ditch
self to make up its moving No.1 Bridge
stability

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

change the state


of receiving
power to the Produce component force
Front
simply and augment GaoQianHui
supporting
Classified supported, it weight of Shearing bridge
point
as was applied or system
supporting the long
point cantilever
Back terse structure ,
Simple light supporting
supporting convenient Dasu bridge
force
point moving

Table 1: The sorts of wagon for cantilever casting

According to the compare of various of wagon, Bai-sha-gou No.1 bridge adopted a wagon
with back supporting point which had the characteristic of front supporting point.

 
Figure 3: The wagon for Bai Sha Gou No.1 bridge

3.2 Cable tower


Cable tower was one of the necessary equipments in the reinforced concrete arch bridge.
There were kinds of types. The table 2 as followed.
The form above was applied for the designing and constructing the same type of bridge.

3.3 Conveyance equipment for vertical and horizontal

3.3.1 Fixed tower crane


It was suitable for cable tower cable-stayed fastening for cantilever casting which had a
short span and low height of vertical transport. The tower crane was chosen the self-rising
of a long cantilever. Comparing with the cable, it was more efficient.
If the tower crane was built some adhesions, usually, we put it on the cross of the mound.
So it was easy to install cable tower and fastening cable.

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

Cable tower cable tower by cable tower by Concrete-filled


Type of
by bolt Steel Tube Steel Box steel tube
Strong
endurance,
Strong
solve the
endurance,
problem of
small area
Strong winding,
Convenient resistance,
endurance, smallest area
assemble, good function
small area resistance, best
Advantages strong ability to of motive
resistance, good function of
bear the force , power for the
function of motive power.
low cost tower, great
motive power It could reduce
work load of
the influence
welded steel
from the
pipe
compress of a
pillar of tower
Considered the It’s easy to be It’s un Mature
interval damaged when convenient to technologies
between the the sections of move, and it’s with another
sections when steel tube were difficult to procedure, high
Disadvantages counted ,the put together. produce steel requirement to
system of cable High and box the foot of
tower requirements of cable tower
deformed processed while moving
seriously precision
Steel tube of
Repeat use and Repeat use and Repeat use, pillar could not
Times convenient to convenient to inconvenient be amortized.
compose compose to compose Inconvenient to
turnover

Table 2: The sorts of cable tower

If it was a big span cantilever casting, it was not enough to set up a radius of operation of
tower crane. so during the casting, we could set up a changing transport of a little fixed
tower crane, reinforcing bar and model.
3.3.2 Orbiting tower crane
It was suitable for inclined cantilever casting on the surface of bridge. What we did was to
set up moving orbit on the reinforcing beam, and mobile tower crane. It was better to chose
the flat tower crane. Between the reinforcing beams, it needed to set up horizontal
connection to resist the lateral force.
If we constructed it with cable tower cable-stayed fastening for cantilever casting, we could
set up crawl orbit on the arch. And put the moving flat tower crane on it. When it went to
some places, we could fix the foot of tower and change its force. So that, we must pay
attention to the place of fastening cable to avoid colliding.

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

3.3.3 Cable crane


Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa is a concrete arch bridge with a main span of 600m. It
had a cable crane having the capacity of 9T, and the other one was a manned cable crane
hanging 13T. Bai-sha-guoh No.1 Bridge in China also worked with a 156.2M's span, and
could hang 10T. The Krk Bridge in Croatia had ever used the cable crane to finish its
cantilever casting. The cable tower of cable crane which selected fastening cable of arch rib
could be set up on the cable tower. Between the hoisting tower and cable tower, it was
unnecessary to set up a twist to join. Because the weight of crane was light generally, and it
rarely influenced the displacement of cable tower.
3.4 The fastening cable
There were three kinds of materials for fastening cable: strand (Spain, Tilos briage, high
intensity of strand); finely-rolled threaded bar (Japan, WaiJing bridge, diameter 32mm);
made cable stayed (South Africa, Bloukrans bridge, cable stayed having permanent sleeve).
The fixed anchor in the top of tower were generally set up steel anchor girder or steel
anchor box in order to adjust the force.
3.5 Anchor

3.5.1 Anchor of gravity


This kind of anchor was suitable for various natural and geological conditions, so it used
widely. The reinforced concrete arch bridge, whether it was cable tower cable-stayed
fastening for cantilever casting or deck cable-stayed fastening for cantilever casting, we
took the platform of bridge which balanced weight of the arch ring as the anchor spindle.
The anchor of gravity type mainly depended on the friction force to balance the horizontal
force.
3.5.2 Anchor of pile
It depended on the ant force of soil, friction of pile and dead weight to balance the inclined
component of force. In common, we could select the pile of bridge pier of stretching bridge
as the anchor, which was used to balance the component force of first part and the third
part.

3.5.3 Prestressed rock anchor


Using this system, we could combine the anchor of stake and hill to turn into an organism.
When the pulling force of prestressed anchor cable was over the biggest force of anchor, the
anchor of stake and hill had no relative motions. Besides, the structure of this system was
simple.
3.5.4 Anchor of rock hole
The basic thought of designing anchor of rock hole was that, we combined an inner anchor
unit and rock with one or more units of another side, with one or more steel ropes which

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Pei, Cao, Nie & Xiong: REVIEW OF CANTILEVER CASTING METHOD FOR LONG SPAN RC ARCH BRIDGE

dissociated in the rock hole, so that, it became an anchor spindle which supplied a stable
force. The theory of it was, we put the pulling force received from the outer anchor unit on
the inner anchor unit, and then , it transferred the spreading affect of inner anchor unit to
the rock soil. The stable force was mainly from the inner ant force of rock. The way was
ever used by the seashore bridge which had the span of 1210M in Sweden, so was the
Bai-sha-guo No.1 Bridge in China.
There were some advantages. Because of the scattered anchor rope, the diameter of rock
hole was small, so it could decrease the damages to the rock and also avoided excavating
the tunnel widely. At the same time, it reduced the degree to stir the rock. Meanwhile, it
was good for receiving force for the anchor of rock hole.
3.5.5 Anchor of tunnel
It was usually suitable for some places which were of solid and completed rock, good
geological condition. The horizontal pulling force was transformed to the tunnel through
anchor-cable and anchor bar, and then transferred to the rock around through adhesion
force.
3.5.6 Composing anchor
If the anchor spindle above could not meet its demands, the composing anchors were
available. Bai-sha-guo No.1 Bridge successfully used the way of composing the platform of
bridge of gravity and anchor of rock hole and prestressed rock anchor.

4. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The cantilever casting construction technologies has a history of 50 years. At present time,
people mastered the skill in every section of construction. However, for the reinforced
concrete arch bridge over 400m's span, it needed us to research. It was a wrathful
researching orientation that How to balance itself for the cantilever casting of arch ring. As
far as I'm concerned, it was a good way to make use of symmetry cantilever casting, which
could reduce the weight of anchor spindle as much as possible.

REFERENCES
[1] The Plan of Cantilever Casting Construction of Bai Sha Ditch No.1 Bridge, West Pan
Expressway C12 item
[2] Pei Binjia, Design and Create of Cantilever Casting of Arch Bridge[J] Highway,
2008(1)
[3] Lei Junqin. Construction and Design of Cantilever Casting Construction. Bei Jing: Ren
Min Traffic publishing House.

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