Jinhua Hepan Bridge

We were appointed to design the new bridge over the Jinhua River in Zhejiang Province. In collaboration with the architect, WilkinsonEyre, Cundall developed three design options, the cable-stayed scheme with V-shape central pylon selected for further scheme design

Its structural system consists of an elegant central V-shaped pylon that picks up a 50 m wide steel girder deck via inclined stay cables. The clear bridge span on each side of the pylon is approximately 135 m.

Pedestrians are separated from motor traffic by the structurally strategic placement of cables which are inset from the deck edge, reducing angles between pylon and cables and subsequently decreasing the design stress in decks and pylon.

We carried out an extensive study to optimise the prestress in conjunction with the pylon size to find the best combination for minimal deflection at deck level while meeting the design criteria from both structural performance and architectural aesthetic aspects.

Parametric models were developed for all three schemes to tackle the complexity and achieve a structurally efficient design within a very tight project programme.

Such approach enabled rapid response to design changes and optimisation through exploration of the large pool of solutions.

The considered structural design parameters include pylon height, cable spacing, steel box girder profile, deck depth and width, plate and section thickness, pylon inclination, deck alignment and chainage.