Re-use of a 300 m steel arch bridge

Abstract

The Van Brienenoordbrug consists of two steel tied arch bridges of 300m span, the east was built in 1965 and the west arch was built in 1990. They carry the A16 highway, a crucial part of the Dutch infrastructure network near the port of Rotterdam. The west arch has been suffering from fatigue in the orthotropic deck and Arup was assigned by Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch highway authority), to design a renovation for the west arch. The renovation required a solution for the orthotropic deck and strengthening of the main load carrying structure. After extensive investigation of the renovation under traffic it was concluded the total execution time of 1.5 years and the accompanying safety risks made it not the best solution. Instead Arup proposed an alternative solution in which the wish for less hindrance aligned with the sustainable goals of both Arup and Rijkswaterstaat. Arup and RHDHV work in a joint venture, the Managing Contractor, on the renovation of steel bridges for RWS.