The steel structure of the footbridge Špica had been delivered from the workshop in Maribor to the construction site in Celje recently: the lower part in three sections, as well as vertical studs and arches. The structure is placed alongside its final location where it is being welded into a single-span structure before the lift. The already completed piles and abutments of the bridge are awaiting a crane to lift the soon-to-be-completed structure to its final position.A new bridge over the Savinja River at Špica in Celje will be the largest bridge structure of the long-distance cycling connection between Šempeter and Celje and one of the longest Vierendeel-truss bridges elsewhere.
The footbridge will have a total length of 86.6 m, the span of the bridge will be 76.0 m. The bridge is designed as a simply supported arch ”Vierendeel” beam. The static height of the entire girder varies, due to the arc-tensioned upper belt, from just 1.5 m at the ends to 6.0 m in the middle of the span. The verticals are placed at a distance of 4.0 m and oriented centrally (radially) in respect to the upper chord curvature. The superstructure's bottom chord is strengthened by a composite Hi-Bond deck-slab, adding also to the dynamic stability of the slender bridge.
The lift is planned in October and will be done with a 750 t mobile crane. The Contractor will start preparing the platform for setting the crane shortly. The bridge supestructure will be lifted and placed on the abutments in one cca. 120 t piece, so that there will be no need for temporary intermediate supports in the Savinja riverbed.
Project details:
Pedestrian and cyclist bridge over Savinja River at Špica in Celje
