INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE ON THE RIVER URUGUAY: FRAY BENTOS (URUGUAY) - PUERTO UNZUE (ARGENTINA)

The Fray Bentos - Puerto Unzue Bridge, between Uruguay and Argentina, is one of the most important of its kind built in recent years. It is 3408 M long, not including accesses, and has a main span of 220 M. Its construction required the preliminary drainage of an operational navigable channel for the floating equipment used in construction work. The superstructure is composed of a system of gerber prefabricated beams, prestressed by anchored cables; the central span is composed of two 90 M cantilevers constructed by successive cantilevering. The process of constructing the bridge is described (prefabrication, foundations, piers and deck). The foundations of the principal piers have been built by means of four cylindrical caissons, while the remainder of the piers rest on bored piles. Sliding forms were used in the construction of the piers. The placing in position of the 30 M prefabricated beams was carried out with the aid of a floating crane.(TRRL)