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Chilean Suspension Bridge Will Be South America's Longest

2006; American Society of Civil Engineers; Volume: 76; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

2381-0688

Robert L. Reid,

Structural Engineering and Vibration Analysis

This article describes a proposal to build the longest suspension bridge in South America over the Canal de Chacao, which separates the island of Chiloe from the mainland. What is unusual about the 2.6-mile bridge is the plan to feature continuous cables across all three towers with just two anchorages. The central tower will stand on a small island submerged nine meters below the water. The four-lane bridge, which will be built in Essen, Germany, is scheduled to open in 2012 and serve 40,000 vehicles per day by 2040. The article describes the characteristics of the proposed span, and concerns of engineers over seismic conditions, wind loads, and the possibility of collisions by sea vessels with the towers.